LOUISIANA STEAM TRAIN ASSOCIATION

The Louisiana Steam Train Association, founded in 1997, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the history of steam railroading. The organization's mission is to both educate and entertain the public while ensuring the legacy of these magnificent machines continues for generations.

In 1984, a group of railroad enthusiasts removed 745 from the park in hopes of eventual restoration. Breathing new life into a neglected 70-year-old steam engine is not an easy task, but by 1997 dedicated volunteers formed the Louisiana Steam Train Association to restore the locomotive and several classic passenger train cars. After thousands of hours of volunteer labor, vital professional help, private donations, and public grants, these dedicated enthusiasts finally got the wheels turning.

In 2004, SP 745 conducted its first main-line operations in 48 years, running to Reserve, LA and back over the Kansas City Southern Railway. Since then SP 745 has toured Louisiana and Mississippi as well as making a long trip to Kansas City.