Just a little food for thought...certainly will never happen. Many countries throughout the world operate a limited number of steam trains in regular service a a draw for tourists and railfans. With the prospect of 2472 having to vacate the Niles Canyon wouldn't it be great if the locomotive could be utilized pulling regular CALTRAIN commuters? Perhaps June through September on weekends. Maybe a couple of roundtrips on Saturdays and Sundays. I wouldn't have any idea how many additional visitors this would draw to the Bay Area but it certainly would have some positive economic input. The rest of the world seems to think this is the case.

A project like this would certainly come with a high initial price tag but once up and running shouldn't be too prohibative. Insurance costs would be covered under the CALTRAIN umbrella. There are a couple of other pacifics that could be restored and utilized as well...2467 and 2479.

Would this be fun or what? I've seen government spend money on projects that aren't nearly as rewarding or entertaining.