The Railroading Heritage of Midwest America (RRHMA) announced Tuesday that Union Pacific 2-10-2 “TTT-6” 5511 successfully passed its first steam test at the former Rock Island shops in Silvis, Ill., last week. Now, the locomotive is expected to operate by summer 2027. 

RRHMA says this is a significant achievement in the efforts to return the locomotive to service, but there is still work to be done over the coming months, including final mechanical adjustments, testing of critical operational systems, additional inspections and trials to guarantee safe and reliable operation. 

“This historic achievement would not have been possible without the extraordinary dedication of RRHMA’s volunteers, contractors, members, and supporters,” the organization said in a release. “Their continued commitment to railroad preservation has helped RRHMA achieve the goal of preserving and interpreting this significant piece of railroad history.”

Additional updates on the final stages of 5511’s restoration will be provided as it nears its anticipated return to service in 2027.

Locomotive 5511 was built in 1923 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works to haul heavy freight trains on the UP system. After being removed from active service in 1956, the locomotive served as a stationary boiler in both Ogden, Ut., and Green River, Wyo. 

In December 1958, it was used in the filming of UP’s documentary Last of the Giants, which covered the final years of operation for the railroad’s 4-8-8-4 Big Boy locomotives. 5511 was no longer in service by this point, and the engine was attached to a string of freight cars with a diesel pushing at the rear while tires were burned in the smokebox to create the illusion of a working steam locomotive. 

The locomotive was stored in Green River until 1968, when it was moved to Cheyenne, Wyo. Union Pacific donated the locomotive to Railroading Heritage of Midwest America in 2022.

To learn more, visit www.rrhma.com. 

— Nick Stewart