PITTSBURG, Kan. — A plan under way to relocate and restore a Pittsburg landmark has drawn the ire of some residents, about 20 of whom turned out to protest at the City Commission meeting Tuesday night.

But those who are working to save Kansas City Southern Railroad Steam Engine 1023 by moving it from Schlanger Park to the historic Carona Depot say the plan’s wheels already have been set into motion and can’t be derailed.

‘TOO LATE’

“It’s too late,” said Larry Spahn, president-elect of Heart of the Heartlands, a group of 150 railroad enthusiasts dedicated to preserving railroad history who learned of the engine’s plight and stepped up to save it.

“We’ve tried to explain we’re not their enemy, so to speak,” Spahn said of those who protested. “We’re here, we’re now. This is going to be a long-term deal we’ll see through. It’s not just a fundraiser to put some paint on.”

The iconic engine, referred to by many as the Schlanger Park train, has occupied the southwest corner of the park at the base of the Fourth Street Overpass for more than 50 years.

Built in 1906 in Pittsburgh, Pa., it reportedly is the last Kansas City Southern steam engine in existence.

In 1955, it was moved from the local rail yards on East 23rd Street to the park as a way to share the line’s history with the community and visitors.

But with no dedicated funding source, the engine fell into disrepair and was vandalized, said Kim Vogel, Pittsburg parks and recreation director. The interior is rotted out, the exterior is rusting, the engine is sinking into the ground, the bell and steam whistle have been stolen, and the windows are broken.

In early 2011, Vogel obtained quotes for repairs, but the estimated $150,000 cost for sandblasting and painting, new tracks, and a concrete pad and shelter wasn’t available in the city budget.

Heart of the Heartlands has the money in hand to move the engine to its railroad museum complex in Carona, and to restore and protect it. The site is near Big Brutus, the giant coal mining steam shovel turned tourist attraction, and about 20 minutes from Pittsburg.

“We’re trying to save it,” Spahn said. “Ideally it probably would be better if it had stayed in Pittsburg, but there was no mechanism to do that.”

IN DEFENSE

A half-dozen Heartlands members turned out for the commission meeting Tuesday to defend their work and explain the anticipated end result to those protesting the move.

“We’ve spent quite a bit on building a 10- by 80-foot pad lined with geotextile nylon fabric, which keeps dirt from getting into ballast, lets it drain, gives a good solid base to distribute weight,” Spahn said after the meeting, estimating that the group already has spent several thousand dollars. “We have 300 ton of rock out there now. We’ve constructed track with all new ties and spikes.”

The group also plans to refurbish the cab’s interior, and build a shelter to protect the engine and a platform to allow visitors to enter it. Spahn said maintenance also takes time and interest — something his club can offer.

Pittsburg resident Joe James is among those who are unhappy. He said the engine might be better off at Immigrant Park at Second Street and Broadway, a visible part of the downtown. Space there is an issue, the city commissioners have said.

“They should have asked for citizen input on moving the train,” James said.

Pittsburg native Mel McKinney called the move “a crime to the people of Pittsburg, past, present and future.” He is an active member of Facebook pages that have cropped up in recent weeks to protest the move.

Commissioner John Ketterman said he understood the opponents’ stance, and their statements Tuesday night prompted him to have second thoughts and visit with City Attorney Henry Menghini on Wednesday about the possibility of revisiting the decision.

“Personally I thought if there was some way to reconsider, maybe we should,” Ketterman said. “Maybe we should give (the public) the opportunity to come up with the funds to do what they need to do with it. But Henry said basically it’s their (Heart of the Heartlands) train now. The ball is really in their court.

“There’s no doubt it will be in a good home. I’m just sorry maybe there wasn’t more research done or it wasn’t publicized better. That’s the biggest complaint I get was that no one knew the meeting was going on. In hindsight, maybe it wasn’t the best decision.”

Spahn said Tilton & Sons House Moving of Carthage, Mo., is gathering heavy beams and equipment necessary to fabricate the moving platform, has planned the route for the 19- by 100-foot trailer, and has applied for all necessary road and bridge permits.

Spahn said the move likely will take place sometime in the next three weeks.

Preparatory study

Eight Heartlands Club members worked Sunday underneath the engine and tender to determine how to disconnect the tender from the engine, loosen up the brakes and prepare the engine for the move.