USRA Light Pacific

Atlantic Coast Line No. 1504 on static display at Jacksonville, Florida

No. 1504 is the only surviving original USRA Light Pacific.[7]^: 6–7 Designated as a National Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark in 1990, it was formally on static display at Prime F. Osborn III Convention Center in Jacksonville, Florida.[7]^: 8[8] In 2021, the locomotive was removed from static display and purchased by the U.S. Sugar Corporation in Clewiston, Florida, where it is going to be restored to operating condition for use in excursion service on the South Central Florida Express, Inc. as part of the Sugar Express tourist passenger train.[9][10]

GTW No. 5629 at a roundhouse at Hammond, Indiana, 1964

No. 5629 was a K-4a Pacific, which was a copy of the 4-6-2 USRA Light Pacific-type built by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) in 1924 for the Grand Trunk Western.[5] After completing a railroad club-sponsored excursion in 1959, it was purchased by Richard Jensen for further excursion service in the 1960s.[11] It also pulled the Circus World Museum’s train from Baraboo to Milwaukee, Wisconsin on Chicago and Northwestern trackage. Unfortunately, the 5629's good fortunes were soon to change. In 1971, Jensen wanted to use the 5629 to pull an excursion trip on Penn Central trackage, which was cancelled due to insurance issues with passenger cars. Ticket buyers wanted refunds, and because Jensen had paid for some passenger cars to be moved to Chicago which never came, he was left with a heavy financial deficit. Worse still, as the 1970s progressed, Jensen broke his back from a fall while helping a friend move a refrigerator to a third-floor apartment, landing him in the hospital for several weeks. This crippled the rest of Jensen's finances and he could no longer afford to run any more excursions with the locomotive.[12] He stored the 5629 at the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad (CRI&P) freight yard in Blue Island, Illinois.

In 1980, the CRI&P was filing for liquidation, as well as selling the Blue Island freight yard property to the Chicago commuter railroad, Metra.[13] Metra ordered Jensen to move the 5629 to the nearby Iowa Interstate Railroad in order to redesign the Blue Island property and build a repair shop where the locomotive stood. However, they refused to allow him to inspect the engine to have someone else move it.[14]

Metra stated that they would not help Jensen move the engine, either. However, Jensen decided to sign a restraining order where only he was allowed to touch his locomotive and no one else was. The Court's ruling was that Metra was allowed the use of its property, but Metra could not move the 5629. Metra went back to court, asking relief, and got permission if it were not moved, to be scrapped. This would lead to a heated dispute as Metra, who became increasingly irritated about the presence of the 5629, threatened Jensen that they would scrap the locomotive if he did not move it out of the Blue Island freight yard. At that point, the Illinois Railway Museum (IRM) and the Mid-Continent Railway Museum (MCRY) were allowed by Metra to move the locomotive out, but could not have done so since it was owned by Jensen.

By June 1987, Jensen had been banned from entering the Blue Island yard to access the No. 5629 locomotive, as he had been selling several parts off of the locomotive to local railfans, so much so that Metra feared that the steam locomotive had become a safety hazard. Metra continued negotiating with Mr. Jensen, including the IRM and MCRY, but to no avail. After the IRM and MCRY attempted to purchase the No. 5629 locomotive and move it out of harm's way free of charge without Jensen's permission, Metra contacted Erman-Howell, who scrapped the locomotive on July 14, 1987.[15]

No. 5632 is a K-4b Pacific, which was also a copy of the USRA design, but with an all-weather cab. It was built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1929,[5] and it was donated to the city of Durand, Michigan in 1961, and it has remained on display there ever since.