Restoration of the Santa Fe Chief - Alco PA #59

02/15/2025

A quick update on Santa Fe Alco PA 59L progress! A bit of a mash up of photos showing various projects going on- in spite of 5”+ of rain in December, then an unseasonably cold January. You will see in the images significant work has been done to repair the lifting pad structures- which were significantly cut up in Mexico after the wreck. This is necessary structural repair so that we can 1) level the carbody to a vertical and horizontal standard ( via jacks and subsequent posts to hold the locomotive level during upcoming repairs to the right side of the cab, Etc.) 2) provide for integral structural stability once a prime mover / generator is installed 3) allow us to lift the carbody off the trucks without concern for flexing of the overall frame structure.

Additionally we have begun working under the cab floor to clean up that mess, with rust stabilization and corrosion resistant top coat to come. Additionally, the replacement pieces will be installed in the near future on the right rear side of the cab where the structure was severely damaged and displaced. These are critical repairs so we are proceeding with care and diligence. Other minor additions to the pilot ( cut levers), sashes for cab door windows, the front window frames and glazing is being prepared for installation. Very much looking forward to getting the right rear structure sorted out, roof welded in place and then installing doors, glazing and all the other parts and jewelry that will really show the change we all look forward to! Cheers to Pearty Plates Metal Fabrication and Repair for enduring some pretty atypical crappy Texas weather!!! There is more to tell, will send out another update soon! Museum of the American Railroad

12/28/2024

Can’t help but share this! Another magnificent project underway at Museum of the American Railroad !!! WARBONNETS!!! It will be amazing to see FP45 107 and PA 59L shimmer in their Warbonnet glory

We had a good response from our last posting, so here’s an update on the FP-45 repainting. We started pulling masking tape today. Here’s a view of what we’ve revealed so far! The Warbonnet red is even more stunning against the yellow and black. More to come…

12/21/2024

Reflecting on this Fall’s efforts on the PA 59L, we want to thank our supporters for both your faith in the project and for the financial gifts we have received! It’s very humbling and keeps us pushing forward on a rather challenging journey that ultimately promises a huge reward. Instead of writing a long narrative here I chose to add quite a few photos with appropriate captions.

Below is just a glimpse into the ongoing efforts to bring the PA 59L back to her former glory. The album chronicling the process has several thousand photos for the historical record. Hopefully a book can be released chronicling this story!

As mentioned there are a lot of simultaneous efforts at work here which will ultimately coalesce into a very exciting completion of Phase -1-, that is Cab Stabilization, Restoration and ultimately application of “Jewelry” ( ancillary accessories) and Paint with Graphics.

Pearty Plates Metal Fabrication and Repair is assessing our work to date and we are preparing a “last big push” scope of work to wrap up this phase post haste, as we are now in a better position to move Alyssa into a more aggressive phase of work. This is very exciting and should really boost progress forward!

Merry Christmas / Happy Holidays, and Onward to 2025!

At the Museum of the American Railroad

11/18/2024

Work is back underway on the PA 59L! A few weeks ago Rail Preservationist Doyle McCormack and his wife visited the Museum of the American Railroad and made a fantastic presentation on his role in repatriating the -2- Alco PA’s ( including 59L) from Mexico, and his extensive work on recreating NKP190. We then spent time with he and Alyssa Peart- our welder / fabricator on site at the museum regarding our work flow on the damaged cab of our PA, and the most practical approach for repairing the extensive structural damage to the cab frame. Based on our consensus, that work is now progressing. You can enjoy the video of Doyle’s presentation here, including some awesome discussion about his experience with the American Freedom Train:

Legendary railroader Doyle McCormack joined the Museum of the American Railroad on November 2, 2024 for a conversation about his experiences in the field fro...

10/04/2024

We received a much anticipated gift from Doyle McCormack yesterday! Today we opened the gift- Doyle fabricated 2 new cab doors and 2 mid body doors for our project over the last several months- now we have them! Working from the drawings he thankfully retained from his work on Alco PA “NKP190”, they are an amazing testament to his craftsmanship and dedication to excellence- and the 59L- they are so nice!

Notably- we have been steadily working up to a very promising season of work this Fall, as our structural welder / fabricator Alyssa w/ Pearty Plates Metal Fabrication and Repair wraps up some previously committed projects, and she and our team dig back in with the promise of cooler Fall weather.

The damage to the cab structure is notable , and is also likely affecting the integrity of the crew space- so looking at the last two photos, we have decided to significantly replace the severely displaced / damaged “B Post” instead of trying to repair this area ( this area being around and behind the right side cab door. This is the result of the roll over accident which occurred while the locomotive was in service in Mexico).

These structural repairs will allow us to skin out the rest of the engineer’s side of the cab, permanently secure the new roof to the cab, install the new cab doors and front / side glazing, among other things. Sometimes it’s hard to wait on the big fixes to logistically align- but we need to get this right for both cosmetic reasons and for safe operation in the future. When we can’t work on the locomotive itself we pivot to other projects that will expedite getting the cab buttoned up, including adding all the cool “jewelry” in storage ( headlight, Pyle National GYRALITE, horns, Etc. ) when the heavy repairs are done.

Once the cab is essentially secure from the elements we can install the 26L brake system we acquired ( donated) some time back, and start populating the cab with other control components.

The zoomed photo shows just how bad the deflection is in the right rear corner of the cab. This steel is stressed and deformed- again, it will be better to go with an “all in” fix, including a new door frame. The new roof as placed helps form a reference point for the new structure, along with vintage Alco drawings we have on hand.

Doyle McCormack will be visiting in a few weeks- we look forward to spending a few days working with him on the locomotive he helped save

***Special thanks to Mr. Vernon Hoppes for donating the ultra rare mid body door grill piece ( shown in photos) - it all adds up when rebuilding a locomotive that was very much stripped to the bone when we received her!

08/30/2024

A long, hot summer is slowly drawing to a close and that means it’s almost time for Alco PA 59 Restoration work to resume! Alyssa with Pearty Plates Welding Pearty Plates Metal Fabrication and Repair will be joining us again to help with the Fab & Welding- this Fall should really see the locomotive get over the hump so to speak and really start looking like her glorious previous self. It will take a bit of time to get ramped back up- in the meantime we have posted a few photos from several thousand we have taken over the years for reference and historical purposes. Thanks for your patience, we should be back at it soon!!!

-All photos unless otherwise noted copyright 2024 Museum of the American Railroad

05/23/2024

The Santa Fe PA 59 is but one magnificent exhibit among over 50 other pieces of railroading history at the Museum of the American Railroad- on nearly 14 acres of exhibit space- here is a little video of her getting moved around along with other equipment- we have had a lot of severe and generally inclement weather this Spring that has made progress a bit dicey, but work continues as able on both 59, and the Museum- So stay tuned!!!

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/ZgguTSmoBsi3jpUJ/?mibextid=WC7FNe

03/16/2024

March update on progress for Alco PA 59! This side of the cab is a hot mess, but Alyssa w/ Pearty Plates Metal Fabrication and Repair and our Merry Team is making solid progress on rebuilding, replacing and fundamentally transforming the wreck damage on ATSF 59. We are still assessing options regarding the depressed right rear side of the cab structure, which must be repaired ( likely replaced at this point ) so we get a good fit for the replacement cab roof. We are systematically dealing with these issues from the front of the locomotive, then working back, as this will set the form for the rest of the rest of the car body symmetry. We anxiously look forward to completing the squaring up of the cab, as moving back into the carbody proper is much more straightforward as there are no compound / complex curves to accommodate. A few other Pics were also added like the restoration of the the L & R window regulators- it will be very nice to get the cab sealed up with glass and the new cab doors from Doyle McCormack! The paint shown is just to kinda help the appearance a bit- just some inexpensive paint as a placeholder until we apply the actual IMRON Red, black, silver and yellow- she will be absolutely stunning! One last note, we will be going live soon with a new basic website, to help make it easier to view the historic restoration timeline photos, share progress with those people not on social media, and to provide easier links for making financial gifts to support the project. So…Enjoy- more soon!!!
At the Museum of the American Railroad

02/03/2024

An update on PA 59L work! Quite a few random photos of the engineer’s side cab repairs. We were really hampered by unusually poor weather for the last 6 weeks- just enough rain to make the site precarious, then several bouts of cold weather. Yesterday offered an excellent opportunity to get going again on major repairs ( when we can’t do major repairs, we work on restoration of smaller parts, and reproduction of missing parts). We pulled about 4 shop vac loads of junk out of the side pockets, stabilized rust as needed , and replaced a lot of steel that was beyond salvaging. As seen in the later photos, the front side skin fit up is excellent- at 3/16” thick it was just compliant enough to follow the contour perfectly! Well done and a huge shoutout to Alyssa Peart w/ Pearty Plates Metal Fabrication and Repair for nailing the fit up! You will see the number board replacement piece in the image- if we hadn’t been rained out- again- we probably could’ve gotten it installed too. Still lots of work to be done, but this went well by all accounts- if the weather cooperates we will continue to regain some momentum towards getting the essential cab work wrapped up in the not too distant future!!! As an aside- Doyle McCormack called during our work session-he’s almost ready to ship
us the replacement doors he’s fabricating- was great to speak with him and get that news! This certainly isn’t everything we’ve been working on, but we felt most would enjoy a quick update- enjoy!!!
( all photos copyright 2024, Museum of the American Railroad) Museum of the American Railroad

12/25/2023

This beautiful painting by FOGG epitomizes the Holiday Season- and the pure elegance of the Alco PA’s as operated by the Santa Fe Railway- we at the 59L wish you and your’s Happy Holidays, a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!! Many have made year end donations- a huge Thank You! 2024 is going to be transformational for the 59!!!

11/09/2023

It’s been an interesting journey for the last several months here in N Texas! It finally got hot enough ( unseasonably hot!) after June that we felt it best for everyone’s health to shift to smaller projects like restoring small parts, parts replication, Etc. Then it finally cooled off, and the rains came- like over a half a foot in one of several events! Now that we have settled into Fall and hopefully more tranquil and moderate weather, we look forward to again getting back on our fabricator / welder’s schedule and getting back into a good rhythm of regular major repairs on the actual cab of the 59. Shown are a few of the many items we are working on- the class light filter fixture ( we have one, will need to reproduce one), the sand fill hatches, upper car body grill work, window regulator ( we have one side, will need to reproduce the other side), Etc. Additionally, Doyle McCormack is reproducing cab and carbody doors for us- looking forward to getting those soon! We are definitely not at a standstill, we just have to pivot at times to make best use of our resources

06/25/2023

A little Mid June update on PA 59! Alyssa Peart- our fabricator with Pearty Plates Metal Fabrication and Repair continues to make solid progress on the major cab repairs! After recently applying the replacement donor roof, the time has arrived to dig into the significant damage to the engineer’s side of the nose and cab. This is another much awaited (and challenging) part of the restoration- but Alyssa continues to show she is very capable of assisting us in making this locomotive beautiful again.

Now that the roof is in place the right side cab structure will be adjusted or replaced as needed to fit the structural form of the roof ( this is why the roof has not been completely welded in place- there is still “tweaking” to be done). Drawings (also attached are useful for reference).

Old stressed and damaged bracing has been removed, and new supports fabricated, and welded in place. Soon, a new skin will be applied to this side, and- like the other side,- another donor “number board / class light” fixture will be applied. We are needing to be extra careful with the 100°+ Texas heat having settled in, but solid progress is being made- and we are excited to share this update with you!

06/18/2023

Happy Birthday to our wonderful friend & mentor, Doyle McCormack!!! We are so grateful for all you have done with us and for us- and your ever present encouragement!!!

05/15/2023

We are “Super” proud of the work we are doing on PA 59L, but equally excited about the World Class Museum we are building in Frisco, Texas- which is home to the 59 and over 50 other magnificent pieces of railroad rolling stock, structures, Etc. The Museum is a true community gem, providing much more than perhaps meets the eye- check out this very nice feature in a local magazine- we have come a long way over the last decade!:

On a recent Tuesday afternoon in Frisco, a group of 7th graders had lunch on a train from Chicago.

04/07/2023

The replacement roof is in place on PA 59L!!! No more looking at that wretched mess that was up there previously!

We still have a lot of work ahead getting the best fitment- but for all practical purposes things went very well and according to plan. Huge thanks to Trains Magazine / the late Jim Wrinn ( $10,000 Restoration Grant) Rapido Trains Inc., Kenny B***r- crane operator at City Sign Services, Inc. ( they always treat us right) Alyssa Peart w/ Pearty Plates Metal Fabrication and Repair, our CEO Bob LaPrelle, and everyone else that had a hand in this- you know who you are!

If you have donated to this project- YOU help make this happen!!! If you are thinking about donating- Please Do so we can keep making progress!!!

All photos property Museum of the American Railroad / Frisco, Texas
Museum of the American Railroad

04/04/2023

As we progress on the major repairs to the 59’s car body, there are a myriad of other sub assemblies that also require restoration and at times duplication to provide as accurate a rendition of the era we are re creating ( first decade after 1948 delivery). In this case the restoration of the side “number boards” and the internal classification light devices- including the novel function of being able to dial in the proper color via a filter rotisserie. We are thankful we have the left side unit ( shown) which will be restored, and replicated for the right side. Just little details that will make this locomotive super cool & authentic when completed!

04/01/2023

This week’s work update for Santa Fe PA 59! Work is wrapping up in preparation for the installation of the donor roof- including cross braces being installed to ensure dimensional stability is maintained during the transfer. Mating surfaces on the 59 were also cleaned up once more so hopefully we get a nice fit between the donor roof and the host cab’s structural interface points. We also replaced one of the side number boards that was severely damaged decades ago- and blanked over the non original sand fill- which will be returned to it’s as built form and location- so many good things going on- continued thanks to our new welder / fabricator Alyssa Peart with Pearty Plates Metal Fabrication and Repair for her expert work! The last few weeks have been transformative!

A cool little side note- this is the first time Santa Fe 59L has had any Warbonnet Red on her nose- albeit small- in over 55 years!!! More of THAT to come soon enough!!!

03/21/2023

Work Continues on PA 59! The photos are a bit random in order, regardless- the totally roached out belt above the anti climber has been skillfully repaired by our magnificent new fabricator Alyssa Peart of Pearty Plates Metal Fabrication and Repair. The two anti climbers pieces, each weighing over 70 pounds were prepared for installation by the installation of referencing studs- then they were applied and subsequently more permanently attached with strategic welds after being tweaked into the correct position. Additional work has started on replacement of other damaged areas of the nose skin, while other team members grow ever closer to the installation of the new roof. Although we had a few weather interuptions- it was a another week of great progress!!! Stay tuned for more!