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FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) - A section landmark with much than a period of past successful Fresno is preparing for its adjacent chapter.
The Baldwin S-10-0-6-0 steam locomotive, amended known by its number, #1238, has stood successful Fresno’s Roeding Park for astir 70 years. But soon, it volition make its mode to Kingsburg, wherever the town’s bid depot plans to springiness it caller life.
The locomotive was supposed to commencement its travel to Kingsburg connected Wednesday, but organizers accidental mechanical issues meant that the bid volition stay successful Fresno for the clip being.
Originally built successful 1918, the locomotive was retired successful 1956 and aboriginal brought to Roeding Park arsenic a static display. Many Fresno residents accidental it became a puerility staple, an robust elephantine to ascent connected and explore.
“When I was a small boy, I utilized to crawl astir connected it,” said Lynn Clark, a longtime instrumentality of #1238. “It’s a large portion of my memory.”
But aft years of wear, the bid was fenced off. In 2022, the City of Fresno donated the bid to the Kingsburg Train Depot.
“After they went into retirement, a batch of them went to scrap,” said Michelle Roman, President of the Kingsburg Train Depot. “So determination wasn’t a batch of them left.”
Roman says the bid erstwhile ran up and down the Central Valley. The depot has laid down 350 feet of brand-new way to invited it, implicit with plans for a caller overgarment occupation and afloat restoration.
“Our eventual extremity is we’re going to beryllium restoring it to each its glory, with each the bells and whistles - literally,” Roman said. “It’s truly going to beryllium a large portion added to our depot.”
The determination is bittersweet for some, similar Kiersten Fields, whose gramps helped spot the bid successful Roeding Park decades ago.
“Every clip we came down Belmont Avenue, [my dad] would archer america the communicative astir however his begetter enactment it in,” Fields said. “I was blessed to cognize that it’s going to spell to a bully home. But nostalgic, you know. I privation it to enactment successful Fresno.”
Others echo that premix of pridefulness and loss.
“They’re taking truthful overmuch of this past distant from Fresno,” said Lynn Clark. “But astatine slightest it’s going to beryllium utilized for education, and I deliberation that’s great.”
For Fields, saying goodbye to the bid is astir much than conscionable history; it’s personal.
“I’m doing this for my grandpa,” she said. “Everybody other successful the family’s gone now. I’m the past 1 that’s inactive here. So this is for my family.”
While the train’s determination was primitively scheduled to statesman this week, officials accidental it’s been delayed. A caller departure day is expected to beryllium announced by the extremity of the week.
Until then, the locomotive remains astatine Roeding Park for 1 past visit.
