At 11:52 this morning, Frisco #4501 left Fair Park, for the new museum home in Frisco, TX.
The train was led by BNSF #2732 and consisted of 5 tank cars, the 4501 and 5 more tank cars. The tank cars were added to the consist to assist in braking as 4501 had been bypassed with an air hose. The train was to head east, Y in East Dallas yard, head toward the union Depot in downtown Dallas, and then to the So. Irving yard where it would turn north to Frisco. Depending upon the UP dispatcher, and getting past the incoming AMTRAC train, the running time is expected to reach Frisco late this afternoon or evening.

The museum newsletter had this to say about the 4501:

Some background on the #4501:

The St. Louis-San Francisco "Frisco" Railway steam locomotive #4501 pulled one of the line's premiere passenger trains during a pivotal period in the nation's history. Built in 1942 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works of Philadelphia, PA, #4501 provided motive power for the overnight Meteor between Oklahoma City, Tulsa, and St. Louis. One of three locomotives designated for the route, #4501 could be found traveling at speeds of up to 90mph pulling the "Zephyr" blue Meteor. The train provided a vital connection between Texas, Oklahoma, and St. Louis - a gateway to destinations north and east to cities such as Chicago, Washington, and New York. The locomotive was a regular sight at the massive, bustling St. Louis Union Station, the eastern terminus of the Meteor.

Painted in a patriotic red, white, and blue scheme, the #4501 represented the state of the art in steam locomotive design, but enjoyed a relatively short career. The locomotive operated during the twilight period of steam. Following World War II, diesel-electric locomotives replaced steamers as railroads introduced sleek, new streamlined passenger trains. By 1947, just five years after delivery, #4501 was bumped from passenger service and repainted in Frisco's basic black scheme, then relegated to freight service. In 1952 Frisco became an all-diesel line and the locomotive was placed into storage at the Lindenwood, Missouri shops. This was a common practice among railroads as a way to maintain a reserve fleet of locomotives to cover traffic surges. Few steam locomotives were ever reactivated, however, and their next stop was usually the scrap line. The #4501 is one of the few survivors.

Just had a call from the 4501 cab and they are on the move at 10 MPH, not quite to Irving yet and no problems.
Good news.

Here's a shot of 4501 on the move from Railpictures:

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.p ... 520&nseq=4

Another grand lady. . .

Is it too much to hope that one day BNSF may allow steam to run, and that perhaps it might include this big girl or one of her sisters?

BNSF isn't against steam operation, they just haven't undertaken their own program. It isn't unreasonable to hope or petition them to do so.

This has been edited because of typo.

If (big IF) BNSF wanted to, could they not host the biggest collection of presessor roads 4-8-4's?

SP&S 700 runs

ATSF 3751 runs

ATSF 2926 hopefully will run

Frisco 4500 and 4501 still exist

GN 2584 still is in Havre, MT

A large number of CB&Q 0-5s still exist

A large number of Santa Fe northerns of 3 classes also still exist

Outside of NP which did not preserve a single 4-8-4, do not all of the remaining predecessors of BNSF that operated 4-8-4's still have at least one engine remaining?

The BNSF could field more extant Northerns than anyone on Earth, but that would be a trememdous undertaking...and when could you run them all? Now...I could imagine a couple of 2900's blasting across Kansas with stack trains every once in awhile....

SPS 700 is a copy of a NP Engine.

Milw 261 a 4-8-4 just did a Minneapolis - Duluth trip a few weeks ago on the BNSF.

-Hudson

My typo. I have edited my original post. It was meant to read "isn't", but the apostrophe, n and t didn't key.