After years of planning, the Frisco Meteor 4500 steam locomotive, along with a passenger car and caboose, were moved today by rail onto the Route 66 Station park at 3700 Southwest Blvd. in west Tulsa.
The move necessitated the closing of Southwest Boulevard (aka Route 66) for two days so track could be laid onto the street from a parallel railroad line to the park.
A group of railroad-buff volunteers, using two Tulsa-Sapulpa Union Railway engines, moved the passenger car and caboose to the park first, then moved the 350-ton Frisco engine that was parked at a nearby oil refinery.
The iron horse was guided about walking speed to the temporary set of tracks on Southwest Boulevard, then moved at an even more glacial pace to the park in an effort to prevent derailments.
Here’s a video about the moving of the train:
An oil tanker car will be placed on the grounds next. The park also serves as the home to the Red Fork Centennial oil derrick. More about the Route 66 Station can be found here.
UPDATE: Here’s a story from the Tulsa World. And here’s a video from KTUL.