By Justin Franz 

The Kentucky Railway Museum has contracted with Next Generation Rail Solutions, LLC, to lead the restoration of Louisville & Nashville 4-6-2 152 at the Kentucky Steam Heritage Corp. shop in Ravenna, the museum announced last week. 

Locomotive 152 was built by the Rogers Locomotive Works in 1905 and was first restored in the preservation era back in the 1980s. The locomotive last ran in 2011. 

The wheels of L&N 4-6-2 152 arriving at Kentucky Steam Heritage Corp., in Ravenna, Ky. 

Since then, the museum has been raising money to fund another rebuild and it recently got a major boost in the form of a Kentucky Transportation Alternatives Program grant. The restoration is expected to cost upwards of $800,000. Next Generation Steam is leasing space from Kentucky Steam Heritage — the same group restoring Chesapeake & Ohio 2-8-4 2716 — and just last week 152’s drive wheels arrived at Ravenna. Locomotive 152’s boiler is expected to follow in the coming weeks. 

“We are pleased that these state funds will be staying within the Commonwealth, helping bring jobs and technical training to the Bluegrass State,” said Rob Minton, project manager of the effort to bring L&N 152 back to life. “This is the definition of a public-private partnership where grant dollars can work for the good of economic development, tourism and technical skills training. It’s a great story.”

Additional money will need to be raised to put the project over the finish line. Donations can be made online.