Steven Saine Railfan Productions | Monticello Railway Museum: Southern #401 8-12/13-2023 @stevensainerailfanproductions | Uploaded August 2023 | Updated October 2024, 13 hours ago.
Monticello Railway Museum: Southern #401 8-12/13-2023.
In August of 2023, we decided to cross a locomotive off our bucket list. In the small town of Monticello (roughly an our outside of Springfield) is the Monticello Railway Museum. They have a neat collection of railroad equipment including an operating Southern Railway steam locomotive.
Southern #401 was built in 1907 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works as an H-4 2-8-0 "Consolidation" locomotive for the Southern Railway. She hauled mostly mixed freights early in her career. She would end her career on the Southern as a yard switcher before being retired from the Southern in 1949. She was sold to the Alabama Asphaltic Limestone Company where she would switch cars of stone until she was officially retired in 1965. Two years later, 401 was sold to the Society for the Preservation of Unretired Railfans (SPUR), and moved the locomotive to Decatur IL one year later. The SPUR purchased some property from the Illinois Terminal railroad in Monticello IL, and renamed the organization to Monticello & Sangamon Valley Railway Historical Society (M&SV). 401 was moved to Monticello and was cosmetically restored by the M&SV one year later. In 1984, the M&SV was changed to the Monticello Railway Museum which the name still stands today. In 1995, the museum started the restoration of the 401, and in 2010 after 15 years of work, 401 steamed again for the first time in 55 years. Today 401 operates roughly once a month and is one of the attractions of the museums yearly railfest.
Enjoy the sights and sounds of pure Southern Railway steam!
Monticello Railway Museum: Southern #401 8-12/13-2023.
In August of 2023, we decided to cross a locomotive off our bucket list. In the small town of Monticello (roughly an our outside of Springfield) is the Monticello Railway Museum. They have a neat collection of railroad equipment including an operating Southern Railway steam locomotive.
Southern #401 was built in 1907 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works as an H-4 2-8-0 "Consolidation" locomotive for the Southern Railway. She hauled mostly mixed freights early in her career. She would end her career on the Southern as a yard switcher before being retired from the Southern in 1949. She was sold to the Alabama Asphaltic Limestone Company where she would switch cars of stone until she was officially retired in 1965. Two years later, 401 was sold to the Society for the Preservation of Unretired Railfans (SPUR), and moved the locomotive to Decatur IL one year later. The SPUR purchased some property from the Illinois Terminal railroad in Monticello IL, and renamed the organization to Monticello & Sangamon Valley Railway Historical Society (M&SV). 401 was moved to Monticello and was cosmetically restored by the M&SV one year later. In 1984, the M&SV was changed to the Monticello Railway Museum which the name still stands today. In 1995, the museum started the restoration of the 401, and in 2010 after 15 years of work, 401 steamed again for the first time in 55 years. Today 401 operates roughly once a month and is one of the attractions of the museums yearly railfest.
Enjoy the sights and sounds of pure Southern Railway steam!
