A good friend Mike Henkins. Mike was the "chief mechanic" keeping T&NO 745 rolling throughout the trip. He is seen here lubricating bearings of the engine at a forced stop at a rockyard in Simmsboro. T&NO 745 was palgued by bearing problems, giving the railroad dispatchers fits trying to keep business going while accommodating her.

Mike was, to me, the heart and soul of this engine. Mike passed away not too long after T&NO 745's journey. In his honor one of the coaches of the LASTA train was named in his honor. We were pleased to provide this shot to LASTA for the cover of the quarterly newsletter that announced his passing.

The Louisiana Steam Train Association is dedicated to educate the public about railroading and steam railroading in particular. The pride of the organization is it’s SP (T&NO) 745. The only surviving steam engine built in Louisiana. It was built by Southern Pacific in Algiers and served mostly in Texas, It was decommissioned in the 1950’s when diesel engines replaced steam. The engine was donated to Audubon Park and sat on static display there until 1997 when a group of enthusiastic steam volunteers descided to restore her.

In December 2004, she made her first mainline run between New Orleans and Reserve Louisiana. In 2005, she made a historic trip with displays in the theatre cars showcasing the Bicentennial of Louisiana. From New Orleans to Lake Charles, Shreveport, Jackson Mississippi, Baton Rouge, and back to New Orleans.

An historic trip indeed, with many people seeing a steam train in operation for the first time in their lives.

Hurricane Katrina came along that summer, and scattered many of the volunteers who lovingly restored her. But she was taken to Kansas City for the Grand Re-opening of Union Station there, and there are plans to have the grand engine tour the state again in 2012 to commerate the bicentennial of Louisiana’s statehood.

For more information about LASTA see their website
http://lasta.org/