Steam & Excursion > ex-Magma Arizona Railway 2-8-0 555 under steam

April 1983
#555 is steamed up at the Galveston Railroad Museum.
It had worked all morning moving cars around to free up a track for the arriving Santa Fe special.
It was the grand opening of the museum at the ex-Santa Fe station.

555 was #5 on the Magma Arizona Railway and operated there till 1968.
It came to Galveston in 1978.
It ran short excursions out of the station and made at least one mainline trip to Rosenberg.
Rising costs for maintenance shut it down in the early 90's.
It is still in Galveston.
Gary


 

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I once had the joyful experience of signing the waiver and riding in the caboose behind #5 on the Magma Arizona.

Actually the 555 went out of service due to blown piston rings. There was an attempt to put her back in serice and she was hauled DIT to Texas City where the boiler and piston ring work were to be done. She sat in the TCT yard for quite awhile because the entity which agreed to do the work reneged on the deal and the 555 was once again hauled dead back to Galveston.