Thank you for your interest in our historic railroad restoration work. Our mission encourages us to focus on preservation of historic railroading for the enjoyment of families today! You can also click below to learn more about our current restoration projects, and what you can do to help.
MAjor restoration Projects
Other restoration Projects
February 2025
February was a busy month for small but important projects across the yard! Matt upgraded the lounge area of the Nambe train car with new plexiglass and LED lights, ensuring uniform color and brightness throughout. He also replaced the prelude pump on locomotive 3134, keeping it in top shape. Meanwhile, Tom and his team got the Mule back in action—now the gears shift smoothly, the choke works properly, and it runs great. Additionally, a handful of wheels were shipped off for restoration, ensuring they’ll be ready for future use.
January 2025
Railroads have always relied on signage to keep operations running smoothly, and that tradition continues today. At the Austin & Texas Central Railroad, we take pride in preserving authenticity—right down to the details. That’s why, whenever possible, we hand-letter our signs for that classic, time-honored look. In 2024, the Bertram track sign was due for some much-needed care, and the Sign Department got to work. The boards were carefully removed for restoration, kicking off a meticulous process of scraping, sanding, and repainting. The first coat of paint brought a fresh new base, while the second coat nearly obscured the original lettering. But with a steady hand and a keen eye, our skilled sign team carefully restored the original font, bringing history back to life. Now, after precise hand re-lettering, the sign is fully refreshed and proudly reinstalled—ready to guide the way once again! Check out the transformation in the gallery below.
December 2024
About 25 years ago, ASTA acquired an old Southern Pacific switchman’s shanty from Houston, moved it to our Cedar Park Yard, and restored it for use as a materials storage building. This small but important structure, known as Building 30, serves as a workspace for Tino, our yard assistant, who keeps our train cars clean and ready for service. As part of the original restoration, the shanty received a brand-new shingle roof. Fast-forward to today, and that roof had reached the end of its lifespan. Just before Christmas, three dedicated volunteers stepped up to tackle the much-needed re-roofing project. After setting up scaffolding to safely access the roof, they began applying a fresh layer of fiberglass shingles over the worn, but smooth, existing layer. By the end of the day, Building 30 had a brand-new roof, ensuring it remains a sturdy and functional space for years to come. A huge thank you to our volunteers for their hard work on this project! Check out the transformation below.
Also in December
Turbo Replacement: Matt and his team replaced the Turbo on locomotive #3134 after a successful North Pole Flyer season. Thanks to the Team–and to Crocker Crane for the lift!
November 2024
The team replaced an axle on our Buckeye Lake excursion coach car! Check out this great video of the repair!
Matt also got the starter replaced on the Maurice Beckham car. Thanks, Matt!
October 2024
At ASTA, we are fortunate to have a dedicated group of young volunteers committed to our mission of historic railroad preservation. One standout is George Finger, an enthusiastic On Board Service volunteer who has chosen ASTA for his Eagle Scout Project. George designed and built a modern Train Bulletin Board, reminiscent of those that once announced train arrivals and departures across the country. The innovative twist? He incorporated QR codes, allowing visitors to easily access information on tickets, volunteering, and donation opportunities to support ASTA’s mission. Great job, George, and congratulations on achieving your Eagle Scout Rank!
September 2024
Caring for our locomotives and cars is essential, but we also handle the little details—like our station signs! The Burnet Station sign, a favorite spot for passenger selfies, was looking a bit worn, with peeling paint. Thankfully, one of our dedicated volunteers stepped in to restore it. After some scraping, sanding, and a fresh coat of white enamel, the sign was carefully hand-lettered and reinstalled just in time for the Hill Country Flyer season. Book a ride and snap a picture in front of the newly restored sign!
August 2024
As a nonprofit, ASTA is always mindful of our spending, especially when it comes to salvaging materials that will benefit us long-term. Our friends at Herzog recently replaced a number of ties near our yard and generously gave us two large piles to sort through. Over 4-5 days, our dedicated volunteers worked hard to salvage 150 quality ties for future use in our yard.Thanks to their efforts, we won’t need to buy ties anytime soon!
July 2024
For years, the diesel generator under the Maurice Beckham reliably powered our lounge cars’ HVAC systems. Though our new power car now handles that task, the Beckham generator remains our trusted backup. Recently, a significant metal failure occurred on the radiator, but thanks to Bennie, Matt, and our mechanical crew, the generator was removed, and Abe Doss expertly repaired the damage. Now, it’s ready to serve as our backup if needed.
June 2024
Collaboration is essential in the nonprofit railroad and heritage museum sector, where external funding is scarce. Recently, ASTA collaborated with the San Antonio Heritage Rail Museum to secure a disc brake wheel set we had previously purchased but not retrieved. Gary Rodriguez, President of the museum, reached out to offer their assistance in delivering it. They transported the wheel set to Cedar Park, where our volunteers unloaded and stored it. In return, we showed them our Alco S2 switcher for sale and donated a pair of motorized rail drills. This collaboration benefited both organizations.
May 2024
Years ago, we acquired a wooden storage building that we used for storing tables and chairs. It was initially placed along the east track of our Wye in Cedar Park. Over time, it became an obstacle and needed refurbishing. So, we decided to move it. We had customized fork extenders made by Doss Metals to lift the building. Tom Fitzgerald, our retired crane operator from the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad, carefully picked up the building and moved it to its new location in the yard. It was gently transported past Building 30, a switchman’s shanty from the Southern Pacific Railroad that was rescued in Houston. The building is now in its new location, ready for restoration.
The Yard Crew has been hard at work this year fixing up the cars in our regular consist! Here are some highlights:
May 2024
ASTA volunteers successfully completed an essential task for our rail partners, Herzog Transportation Services. They managed the delivery of nine spine cars loaded with new ties destined for tie replacement in the Central Subdivision. ASTA provided the locomotive and crews to transport the freight cars into the yard, ensuring they were perfectly positioned for Herzog’s team to unload.
A few years ago, the volunteers of the Gulf Coast Chapter of the National Railroad Historical Society acquired an ex-Southern Pacific dining car from Amtrak. Since then, they have been diligently repairing and refurbishing the car to prepare it for service on ASTA trains. Recently, they purchased all new windows, and today marked the beginning of the process to replace the badly crazed plexiglass windows with real glass. The volunteers are tackling the learning curve with enthusiasm and dedication. (Yes, it will be SP on the outside, and vintage early Amtrak on the inside with some cool interior features!)
At ASTA, always check the oil level on every piece of machinery before starting it up, including our locomotives. When the dipstick on the 3134 indicates low oil, we don’t just add a quart or two—we add an entire 55-gallon drum!
April 2024
Not all yard work or restorations are monumental, but every task is essential. ASTA has numerous artifacts, buildings, and equipment that need repair. In this instance, Marc Opperman, one of our dedicated volunteer brakemen, is restoring the rotted wooden end of a vintage baggage cart on display at the ASTA boarding platform. Thank you, Marc, for your hard work and dedication!
