Steam and Private Varnish Part 1: Chasing US Sugar Steam Engine 148 on the AAPRCO Sugarland Limited!
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- Опубліковано 9 лют 2025
- On April 23rd, AAPRCO started its 3-day "Sugarland Limited" steam excursion in south central Florida, with USSC 148 having the honors of pulling the train along the South Central Florida Express (SCFE) tracks. The private car trip covered a total of 293 miles on sugar's rails, from Sebring to Clewiston, Clewiston to Marcy and back, and Clewiston to Okeelanta and back. Join me as we chase day 1 of the private car excursion on the west side of the SCFE mainline, from Sebring to Clewiston, FL.
USSC #148 (Formerly FEC #148), also known as the sugar express, is an American Locomotive Company 4-6-2 Pacific type steam locomotive. Built in April 1920, the engine was delivered to the Florida East Coast Railway for revenue passenger service. After about 30 years, the engine was sold off to the United States Sugar Corporation in 1952 for use on their lines hauling harvested sugar cane trains. In the early 60's, after diesel engines became the new mode of power, #148 was sold into private ownership, where it operated for an excursion railroad until the 1970's. It then made it's way across the country across the next few decades until it ended up in Colorado.
In 2016, the USSC re-purchased the locomotive and began an extensive 4 year restoration, completing just in time for the engine's 100th birthday in April 2020. It has since run multiple revenue cane trains and excursions under the "Sugar Express" brand, and the tourist operation is slowly kicking into gear. - Авто та транспорт
This a remarkable locomotive and a terrific video! Thanks!
glad you enjoyed the production!
this reminded me of the time Savanna & Atlanta 750 pulled excursions on the southern railway steam program.
*This is probably the first time in decades a big steam excursion ran in Florida*
Without a doubt biggest steam excursion in decades, it was an insanely incredible trip to chase!
@@TwoRibbonRailvideos last time a big steam excursion ran in Florida was the safety express pulled by 614 in the 80s.
The first big steam excursion in Florida was the American Freedom Train pulled by 4449.
*There are plenty of photos of 614 and 4449 in Florida*
*4449 and 614 ar the biggest steam locomotives that ran in Florida, besides the Atlantic coast line R-1 Northerns and the Florida east coast 4-8-2s and the seaboard airline 4-8-2s.*
that boi train is done pulling sugar time for passenger time
Just an overall great video! Love the 148. One of my favorite running steam locomotives in the country!
Thank you! Glad to see this pacific has a lot of fans!
wow what a great mix of passenger cars on that Amtrak at the start of the video!!
Glad you liked it!
wow lots of folks gathered at that unusual crossing!!
wow, I never thought I would see the day an AAPRCO train running in Florida
Still waiting for an AAPRCO train in NYC. nothing ever happens here *sigh*
Last one was in 2010 on the FEC. This one blew that out of the water. May have been a shorter consist than 2010 but steam is the big draw about it.
@@TwoRibbonRailvideos was anyone else think this trip reminded them of the time Savanna & Atlanta 750 was on the southern steam program back in the day? *Plus 148 and 750 are essential the same type of light pacific and both were built by alco. However, 750 was built in Schenectady, NY in 1910 and 148 was built in Richmond Virginia in 1920*
@@tylergreen4843 It's similar for sure. Hopefully ACL 1504 will do the same in the future.
@@TwoRibbonRailvideos same! *Finally we'll eventually have an Atlantic coast line steam locomotive back in steam*
Great day to be at work!
🚂💨💨💨 SCFE
Great catch!
Thanks!
This is absolutely the best video that I have seen to date of #148.
I had the privilege of riding behind #148 on the Moore Haven Meteor. It is a great thrill for me to see these Awesome scenes of #148 in action. I wish that there had been some way that I had known about this excursion. I would have loved to drive up and watch those Grand Lady of the rails in action!
Thank You for the excellent quality video of my favorite locomotive in action!
Glad you enjoyed the production! Part 2 comes out soon!
@@TwoRibbonRailvideos Awesome, can't wait!
@@michaelreeb7860 it’s out now, check the channel for the latest video!
A MOST EXCELLENTLY produced video, Richard! looks like ya had a GREAT TIME! Cant wait for part two! :D
I had an absolute blast! Best chase with 148 I've ever done HANDS DOWN!
Walkers
Nice! I couldn’t make it but I did catch P965/968 (Amtrak Special) both days down locally. This is a really historic occasion and I hope they host more events like this
I hope so as well!
Wonderful coverage. Thank you so much for all of your efforts. Sincerely, Erie Atlantic 7597.
Glad you enjoyed the video!
148 is awesome rode that yesterday from Lake Placid to Archibald and back as part of the Caladium festival.
148 is indeed a nice engine! I need to get back soon and see it running again
@@TwoRibbonRailvideosWell, me and my friend are making a 148 project, It will probably be done next month in ho scale. It’s the caladium flyer itself. But we have rolling stock that we don’t have! So you should come to Deerfield beach In September. We will have it running on DCC.
@@toysallyear Perhaps I will!
@@TwoRibbonRailvideos Glad you could come! As long as you get us just 2 passenger cars, and a water tender.
@@TwoRibbonRailvideos Because We Don't have a water tender, a normal observation car without the dome, and a regular passenger car all white.
Loved the video my dude! Looking forward to seeing the second half
Glad you liked it, Part 2 coming soon!
Thank you coming to see the train and sharing your video! Very nice!
Our Amtrak crew was fantastic too.
Glad you liked the production! Part 2 will be out tomorrow!
Thanks for the great video! Lol, I saw my coworker waving from the rear platform on Chapel Hill. I was working last weekend while she was rolling along in luxury! Only a little jealous…
Haha yeah I think we all wish we were riding it
Great video! A heritage train with a very interesting loco and a fantastic collection of passenger coaches.
Glad you enjoyed the production!
Awesome Richard!
Thank you!
Awesome video and great captures man. Hope you make a long FEC train in HO Scale with my friends FEC GP40-2 # 422 as a last unit trailing. :)
maybe
Speaking of railroading heritage of Midwest America, how epic will it be to see 3985 and 5511 run again?
Yeah I’m pumped for that
Good catch
Thanks!
Awesome video friend!
Thank you!
There's a lot of steam locomotive's being restored in the last couple of years, and a lot beginning to be restored, Make's you wonder if steam is making a come back due to high cost of oil and unnecessary regulations.
Nah, there’s just a lot of restoration companies now
Bueno
Gracis Tolga
What is the whistle
CB&Q 5-chime
@@TwoRibbonRailvideos sounds definitely like the Polar Express
@@brianfalzon6739 The whistle in The Polar Express is actually Sierra Railway no 3's whistle which is a Lima 5 chime steam whistle.
How do you find the schedule for future events involving 148?
Follow the Sugar Express Facebook page. That’s where they post all the info
Why are the observation cars placed in random parts of the train?
Because the owners of the cars pay various amounts of money to be at a certain part of the consist. The car that brings up the rear always has to pay more.
@@TwoRibbonRailvideos Is it possible to get through every car on the train even with the random observation cars?
I do not think so, but this was all privately chartered cars. On the normal public excursions you can access all cars
Is there a website on where you can buy tickets or is this just a one time thing?
Be sure to follow the Sugar Express Facebook page! That’s where they post all updates and ticket opportunities
@@TwoRibbonRailvideos alright! Thanks! I’ll be railfanning the sugar corp on Saturday!
@@CrazyKaboose you won’t see much. Sugarcane season has long ended. You probably won’t even see a single train tbh. The road freights only run on weekdays
@@CrazyKaboose you won’t be seeing anything good during this time of year. Postpone your USSC trip for the sugar harvest season between October 2022 and April 2023
@@framing40s thanks for telling me, thoughts they ran the steam locomotive every weekend
Wow! no diesel locomotive helper.
Yep that was one of the biggest parts about that trip that I enjoyed!
You need a windscreen over your microphone.
This footage was filmed with my older camcorder, so it picked up wind a lot more than what I use now.