Ledes from the Land of Enchantment

Santa Fe steam locomotive left Hutchinson for Lindsborg decades ago

Today’s installation for “Throwback Thursday” takes us to the southeast corner of the Kansas State Fairgrounds. In the middle 1950s, the railroads were making the conversion from steam to diesel locomotives. This left them with the problem of what to do with the old ones.

Santa Fe #735 was born in 1900 in Philadelphia. Most were donated to cities with parks to display as historical monuments. This was the case for the Santa Fe #735 Steam Locomotive, which was donated to the City of Hutchinson. It was placed in the fairgrounds from 1954 to 1973 on what was left of the old spur tracks that brought into state fair entertainment at one time.

The first photo shows old #735 in its fairground resting place. This 285,000-pound monster still required maintenance, which always seemed to be lacking. I can remember playing on it as a child.

The Santa Fe #735 is seen at the Old Mill Museum at the Lindsborg Heritage off of south Santa Fe Ave.

In 1973, the city donated it to the city of Halstead, which in turn donated it to the city of Lindsborg. The second photo shows old #735 today at the Old Mill Museum in the Lindsborg Heritage Center, just off South Santa Fe Avenue. It is of only 46 steam locomotives on display throughout the United States.

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