Some exciting news in Central Florida -
Orlando & Northwestern Railway/Royal Palm Rail Experience is pleased to make our first announcement regarding the motive power for our start up operations. Through a Collaborative Preservation partnership with our friends at the Southern Appalachia Railway Museum and Walden's Ridge Railroad – former Louisville & Nashville GP30 # 1030 will be utilized to help start Royal Palm service out of Tavares, FL. The 1030 has been stored serviceable in Oak Ridge, TN , awaiting a call to duty that came quicker than expected. As part of this arrangement, the #1030 will receive a full exterior restoration to an original L&N appearance, but will wear a stylized O&NW/Royal Palm scheme during it's time in Florida. This partnership is a great example of an evolving trend in the rail preservation community, of greater collaborative effort amongst organizations to advance aging agenda items for equipment that could otherwise set idle. While O&NW isn't a museum, we look to pay homage to passenger trains and Southeastern Railroading – and the use of former L&N 1030 honors a Florida fallen flag railroad.
So, come on out and take a ride behind the 1030. Check out the unique early 1960's industrial design stylings developed by General Motor's Electro-Motive Division, and see for yourself why the GP30's are considered classics in the railroad industry. There will be more upcoming locomotive announcements from the O&NW for the Royal Palm, so follow us at
www.TheFloridaTrain.com or here on Facebook for more details.
Thanks for your interest, and ALL ABOARD the Royal Palm Rail Experience.
