FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – A piece of history that has sat in a local park in Fresno for over half a century was moved to Kingsburg on Monday.
City officials say the historic Southern Pacific Engine 1238 has resided in Roeding Park since 1956 after retiring from work in the San Joaquin Valley, which began in 1918.
“The train has been here since the 1950s, so a lot of people remember playing on this train and actually climbing on it,” said President-CEO of FHKD and former Kingsburg Mayor, Michelle Roman. “But it’s been fenced off for a long time. And so it’s made me sad driving by it.”
Officials said the engine, which is a 1918 Baldwin S-10 0-6-0 steam locomotive, was donated to the Friends of the Historic Kingsburg Depot (FHKD) in September 2022 by the City of Fresno to better educate students and visitors…