[Disclaimer: I'm not associated with the St. Louis Iron Mountain & Southern Railway, nor do I speak for them. I'm just a huge steam enthusiast in Missouri with a personal connection to this locomotive.]

When I was a little kid, my parents took me down to Jackson, MO, and I got to ride behind my very first steam locomotive. That locomotive was #5 "Shelby Brown". Fortunately, I was old enough, at the time, that I can still remember the whole thing today, but I was also young enough then that I didn't appreciate it as much as I could have.

Well, needless to say, it has been sad to know that #5 has been out of service and disassembled for quite some time. Fortunately, it looks like that might change. The St. Louis Iron Mountain & Southern Railway has just announced, through their Facebook page, that they are hoping to get #5 running again, and they are looking for some financial assistance both to get the ball rolling (to see what all needs to be done to #5 to get her running again) and then to restore her back to operating condition.

Personally, I think we have had enough of a steam hiatus in Missouri. The last (standard-gauge) steam locomotives that have come through Missouri were UP #844 & NKP #765 in 2012, and the last (standard-gauge) steam locomotive that operated out of Missouri was Frisco #1522 (and she was mothballed in 2002). (Please correct me if I have missed something.) I really hope #5 is able to run again some time in the near future. Let's give the ol' girl another chance at life, and let's keep the 2nd age of steam revival going.

https://www.facebook.com/stlimrr/
http://www.slimrr.com/5/
https://www.gofundme.com/bqqm572k

We are current are almost finished marking up the boiler and firebox for an ultrasound. Any donations big or small would be greatly appreciated. Updates on the restoration can be found on our website http://www.slimrr.com/5/