A forum on the status and the future of the Soo Line 2719 locomotive will be held from 6:30 to 8 p.m. next Wednesday (Sept. 5) in the River Room at Royal Credit Union’s headquarters building, 200 Riverfront Terr. in Eau Claire.
The public is invited to attend.
The community task force dealing with the locomotive will provide an update on the status of Eau Claire’s efforts to repurchase the historic engine and will seek community input on potential sites for it here. Fund-raising and community involvement efforts will also be on the agenda, according to a press release from Visit Eau Claire.
The engine, built in 1923, hauled the last steam trains on Soo Line tracks before being given to the city. It was displayed in Carson Park from 1960 to 1996, and has been in Duluth, MN since 2006, where it hauled excursion trains on the North Shore Scenic Railroad from 2007 to 2013.
The scenic railroad is operated by the Lake Superior Railroad Museum, which currently owns the locomotive.
The city of Eau Claire is in the midst of discussions with the museum that could lead to the engine’s repurchase and relocation here. The city has until Feb. 1, 2019 to complete the purchase.