Nearly 100 people came out to the Marshall Depot Sunday to mark the completion of T&P Engine 400's move, a process that has been in the works for more than a year.

Engine 400, which was built in 1915, was in service mostly in Louisiana. After its retirement, the engine was placed at the City Park, where it remained untouched for a number of years.

Courtney Case/News Messenger (ENLARGE)

Texas and Pacific Engine 400 crosses under the Bolviar Street overpass aboard a flatbed truck on its way to its new home at the Marshall Depot Sunday in Marshall.

"About a year ago, we had a guy come in and want to buy the engine," Evans said. "Well, that got everyone's attention and off our butts to do something."

The main problem with the locomotive was that it contained asbestos. After negotiating for some time, the Marshall Depot and the city of Marshall agreed to a three-phase plan.

The city agreed to remove the building surrounding the engine and clear out the asbestos. The Marshall Depot agreed to find a way to move it and then restore it.

Finally, after a year of organizing, a weekend of trial runs, a day dedicated to lifting the train and placing it onto a flatbed and a two-hour drive to its new home, Engine 400 has made its last stop at 10 a.m.

Early Sunday morning, McCreary Trucking began hauling its precious cargo, traveling only 20 to 25 miles per hour.

Alton Weir and Doug Kriegel, "trouble men" for AEP Swepco were stationed in front of and behind the locomotive to lift power lines when they hung too low for the engine to pass under. On occasion, power had to be temporarily turned off.

The move encountered a larger problem upon arrival at the depot.

In the process of lifting the engine off the flatbed, bystanders heard a "pop."

"They were lifting it (the engine) up and all of a sudden, I heard pop," Evans said. "Well, it turns out the axle on the truck broke."

"Then again, I think you're going to be at risk for those kind of problems when dealing with that much weight," he added.

Engine 400 was estimated to be 300,000 pounds. All involved were surprised it did not cause more damage.

"We did not want anything bad to happen, but we were all glad that it was something small that did go wrong," Evans said.

Three companies were required for the lifting, loading and unloading the engine. Fowler Company lifted and lowered the engine onto and off of the flatbed and Halton Construction placed rocks along the path of the locomotive.

"We had several rail cars of rock come through here," says Mr. Arnhart, risk manager for Fowler. "Without them, we would have never gotten the truck out here," he says about the last mile of the drive.

The same process for loading the train was used for unloading it at the depot. Three cranes lifted it and inched it over cross ties, which were placed inside and along the sides of the tracks to ensure the train was kept at the proper track height, where it was then lowered little by little. Once the engine was successfully placed on the tracks, the cross ties were removed.

The train and its coal tender, which was moved from City Park April 9, will now be reunited and fully refurbished.

"I think the main thing about the engine is that it is going to add a great deal to the tourist attraction that we already have (here) with the museum and caboose," Evans said.

Kathy Starr, along with several of her family members, came out to watch the train's arrival.

"I remember playing on that train when I was a little girl," Mrs. Starr said about Engine 400. "I was in it, out of it, on it, all round it."

Mrs. Starr's children share her love of trains.

"The kids love to come here to the train station and play with all the toys and trains," she said.

Harrison County Judge Richard Anderson, who is also a member of the Marshall Depot Board of Directors, also attended the move Sunday.

He was surprised at the turnout.

"There was a lot of excitement while watching 400 come to its final resting spot," Anderson said. "It's finally home."