Ferrocarril del Sur 401

La locomotora n.° 401 es una de las dos locomotoras de vapor tipo " Consolidation " 2-8-0 de la clase H-4 que aún existen ; la otra es la Southern Railway 385, que se encuentra en el Museo del Ferrocarril de Whippany . ^{[ 1 ]} La locomotora n.° 401 fue construida por Baldwin Locomotive Works (BLW) de Filadelfia, Pensilvania, en diciembre de 1907 para la Southern Railway (SOU). ^{[ 2 ] [ 3 ] [ 4 ]} La clase H-4 se utilizaba generalmente en servicios de trenes mixtos, para transportar trenes de carga en ramales y, posteriormente, como locomotoras de maniobras en patios de clasificación. ^{[ 1 ]}

En 1949, la locomotora n.° 401 fue retirada del servicio por la SOU y vendida a la Alabama Asphaltic Limestone Company en Margerum, Alabama, donde se utilizó como locomotora de maniobras durante varios años, moviendo vagones tolva de piedra para la compañía. ^{[ 1 ] [ 5 ]} En 1964, la locomotora n.° 401 fue retirada del servicio comercial y colocada en almacenamiento al aire libre. ^{[ 1 ]} Posteriormente fue adquirida por la Society for the Perpetuation of Unretired Railfans (SPUR) en septiembre de 1967. ^{[ 1 ] [ 2 ] [ 3 ]}

En enero de 1968, la locomotora fue cargada en un vagón plataforma por dos grúas de vapor de Southern Railway y enviada a Decatur, Illinois . ^{[ 1 ]} La locomotora n.° 401 fue descargada del vagón plataforma en los antiguos talleres de Decatur de Norfolk & Western Wabash Ry y colocada de nuevo sobre sus propias ruedas, luego fue almacenada en los patios de Decatur. ^{[ 1 ]}

SPUR purchased grounds from the Illinois Terminal Railroad near Monticello, Illinois for its museum and demonstration railroad in February 1970. The name of the organization was changed to Monticello & Sangamon Valley Railway Historical Society (M&SV) to reflect its location near Monticello and the Sangamon River Valley. M&SV had its Monticello site developed enough to receive the No. 401 and other stored railroad equipment in October 1971 and the No. 401 was moved on its own wheels to the museum.^[1][4] It was cosmetically restored and placed on display at the museum from 1971 to 1995.^[1][4] M&SV changed its name again to the Monticello Railway Museum (MRYM) in November 1984.^[1]

In 1995, a donor stepped forward with plans to return an operating steam locomotive to service at the museum, after considering several alternative steam locomotive candidates for restoration, it was decided to return No. 401 to operating condition.^[4][6] No. 401's restoration officially began in 1995 by museum volunteers, with work taking fifteen years to complete, included replacing the boiler and tender, the engine would also be converted to burn oil instead of coal.^[1][4][6] On September 10, 2010, No. 401 moved under steam for the first time in forty-six years, it would later operate its first excursion run for the annual Railroad Days event eight days later.^[1][4][7]

In 2020, No. 401 would be taken out of service for its Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) 1,472-day inspection and overhaul.^[8] It returned service for the 2022 operating season.^[9]