On the morning of October 1st, 2020, the United States Sugar Corporation railroad kicked off the 2020 harvest season by having the first revenue train pulled by their newly restored ALCO 4-6-2 #148. The train is seen here crossing US-27 on the north side of downtown Clewiston and will arrive at a dedication ceremony about 2 miles down the line.
#148 was originally built in 1920 as FEC #148, and had quite the career until the 70's. After 30 years of service on the FEC, the engine was sold to the USSC in 1952, and for about 10 years pulled sugarcane trains just like the one seen today. In the mid 60's the engine was sold to a tourist line in New Jersey and pulled trains there until the mid 70's, when the engine began its prolonged period of storage.
The engine moved across the country to various locations, and ended up in Colorado by the time the USSC bought the locomotive back in 2016 for its restoration. Congrats to USSC on a job well done!
