It's been a fixture at a popular Mid-State park for more than half a century, but the steam engine at Centennial Park could soon be moving for a big restoration.
It’s been at the park for 63 years, but those with the Nashville Steam Preservation Society said they want to restore Locomotive 576 over the course of four years, to get it back up and running again.
That's no simple task, as the engine has been exposed to the outdoor elements at the park for 63 years.
PHOTOS: Group Wants to Restore Decades-Old Steam Engine
After the restoration, the group said they want to use the engine for excursions -- hooking it up to passenger cars the group already has at its railway museum.
The group said people will be able to appreciate the train engine much more with it actually in operation, rather than staying static at the park.
And the group added while the restoration is in progress, people in Nashville will be able to stop by and take a look at it -- stressing the train itself will not be leaving Nashville.
It's all a big idea, but the folks behind the plan said they have the expertise and the time to get it done.
“It could be the lead locomotive to different places along the route, Lebanon, Cookeville, Monterey. It would be a tremendous asset to the people of Middle Tennessee,” said Terry Bebout with the Nashville Steam Preservation Society.
Approval for the plan to restore the train was still a long way off.
The Metro Parks board still has to look at it, and the group doesn't expect moving the train until at least the end of the year.
