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BACK Cover

Louisiana Steam Train Association

  The Louisiana Steam Train Association (LASTA) was established to restore, operate, and maintain the historic 1921 Southern Pacific Locomotive #745 known to many New Orleanians as the engine in Audubon Park. Once restored plans for the engine include a regular tourist route around New Orleans as well as frequent trips across the State of Louisiana. Currently LASTA is beginning work restoring the engine at our rail yard which is located at 1400 Jefferson Highway (across from Ochsner Hospital.) If you are interested in steam trains, please join us!

Bruce Brown
727 Washington Ave.
New Orleans, LA 70130
Phone: 504-897-2464
info@lasta.org

 

http://www.lasta.org/index.htm

This is the first of a series of pics that I took (3/2/02) showing progress on the LASTA "745" project. In talking to the volunteers there I learned that they had rebuilt the firebox (which I'll indicate on a later pic) and that they were generally "on schedule" for pulling out of this alley in October 2003. The bi-centennial of the Louisiana Purchase is to be held in Dec 2003 and between October and December, the train is expected to tour the entire state pulling an exhibition to be put in the cars shown in later pics also. In December, it is planned to be routed to the front of the Cabildo (a spur no doubt) where it will stay probably into the beginning of 2004 (maybe Mardi Gras?)

story & pictures by
Pat Burke


#1


#2


#3 This is the firebox (r) that has been rebuilt to replace the rusted one


#4 another shot of the undercarriage


#5


#6


#7 Caaaaaaabbb?


#8 Some of these cars are scheduled to be outfitted with the
Louisiana Purchase exhibit material.



#9


#10


#11


#12


#13





Below is an update from Pat Burke 10-6-04


Pat Burke's oft updated photo gallery, updated to 9-17-04
 
The LASTA project is finally moving closer to some kind of conclusion according to "Mike" whom I talked to on-site today. He says that the locomotive is at the stage of only needing a 300 mile shakedown cruise (which will probably happen in March). BUT, also according to Mike, there are plans to move X-745 (as it is evidently known now) and maybe a few cars to the New Orleans terminal for Christmas and loading up some passengers for a ride on tracks in the area. The shakedown cruise is scheduled for March and will navigate the state as a Lewis and Clark/LA Purchase-dedicated event.

 

to the right of "X-745" is a steam dummy which was once owned by the New Orleans Sewerage & Water Board. I was told it had spent some time parked in Gretna. LASTA seems to have picked this locomotive up for a project as well. Mike asked me to get in touch with Jon Stern, who is collecting pictures that have been taken of the ongoing project, and since my pictures date back to the beginning I may be able to add them to his project. I only wish I had had the foresight to have taken pictures of 745 when it was in Audubon Park.