Excerpt:

Eventually, UP would like to install PTC directly on 4014, so it doesn’t need the diesel for it, but for now, this interconnected system will work. The railroad plans on using the same system on its other steam locomotive, 4-8-4 844.

Kelly Lynch, vice president of the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society, caretaker of Nickel Plate Road 2-8-4 765, said the use of PTC on a main line steam locomotive was a big step forward for railroad preservation and that he and others would be watching it closely. Along with insurance and main line access, PTC has long been considered one of the big challenges for main line steam operators.

“It’s a viable path forward that wasn’t as clear just a few months ago, but many steam operators without dedicated mainlines will still need to develop their own important partnerships with host railroads and be able to cover not just the technology and integration costs, but insurance and software costs,” he said. “It’s still a challenge, but like anything in the history of mainline steam, a surmountable one if the right elements align.”

Railfan & RR Mag