Nostalgia & History > Excursion with Ex-Magma Arizona 2-8-0 555

Oct 83

A few slides I found of this excursion that I had almost forgotten about.
I don't remember the reason for this train.

(1-2) A nice clean SP GP38-2 4813 leads ex-Magma Arizona Railway 2-8-0 555 and other cars from the Galveston Railroad Museum along the SP between Sugarland and Richmond,Tx west of Houston.
The train had traveled from Galveston to the Amtrak station in Houston then along the SP to Rosenberg.
The blue car was an ex-Nickel Plate diner-lounge (125) that is not at the museum anymore. I believe it is in Alamosa, CO.
I don't know what the next car is.
The first caboose is with the museum while the second one is probably a "real" one with the SP.

(3) Just coming off the Brazos River bridge in Richmond.

 

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(4) 555 was let loose for some solo work near Rosenberg.
555 worked for the Magma Arizona Railway as #5 till 1968.
The Galveston Museum acquired it in 1978 and used it on excursions till 1993.
I used to go to Galveston and volunteer as a car host on their short excursions out of the station.
Riding behind steam all day - lots of fun.


(5) In the storage track in Rosenberg near the station location.
I remembered how surprised I was that the SP had allowed this train on their busy Sunset Route line.

Gary

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Well done.
Bob

Photos of that excursion are a rarity.  Each photo scene makes its own particular contribution to the series.
Thanks for this rarity photo posting.
ALLEN

Enjoyed firing and running the 555 at the museum, including handling a freight train on the Galveston Wharves. Onthe way back to Galveston, a tender journal ran hot, so they piped water from the tender onto it to keep it cool. As long as that engine ran, it ran that way. There was some discussion about taking the engine to Hardy Street to get taken care of properly but I don't know if that's true or not but one man might know for sure who frequents this board on occasion.

The lightweight car that appears to be more or less white is/was a Signal Instruction car for the SP.  Built as either the 2399 or 2400, ex-44 seat coach built by PS in 1949.  I don't think that car has survived but I'd be interested to know if it is still around somewhere.  Maybe Galveston had it for awhile and put some coach seats inside for the excursion.

Topfuel Wrote:
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> The lightweight car that appears to be more or
> less white is/was a Signal Instruction car for the
> SP.  Built as either the 2399 or 2400, ex-44 seat
> coach built by PS in 1949.  I don't think that
> car has survived but I'd be interested to know if
> it is still around somewhere.  Maybe Galveston
> had it for awhile and put some coach seats inside
> for the excursion.

I never saw the lightweight car at the museum, but it may have lived out its days behind the Hardy Street shops. The regular consist for the museum trains was the 555, two or three former Rock Island commuter coaches, and the T&NO caboose. This was not the only mainline foray of the 555...