Members of the Nashville Steam Preservation Society announced one final push to raise $125,000 to help move locomotive No. 576 from Centennial Park to the Tennessee Central Railway Museum.
The group is close to completing this goal of a multi-phase restoration project. Money would also be used to examine and disassemble the train.
No. 576 was built in 1942 and in 1953 it was moved to the park.
Joey Bryan said it's still in good condition and once completely restored, he wants to have the train back on the tracks to educational purposes.
"The locomotive is a symbol of Nashville it's as much a part of the city as the Ryman Auditorium or the Parthenon in fact it helped people get here and make the city what it is today," Bryan said.
Phase Threeof restoration project includes more fundraising. The total cost to have the train operating again would be about $2.5 million.
"So far everyone is supportive. They understand that this is a machine. It is not meant to sit outside in the elements. It requires constant work and maintenance or else there would be some structural components that could be corroded beyond repair and so we're stepping in before that happens," Bryan said.
To read more about the restoration project and donating visit the Nashville Steam Preservation Society
