Topeka, Kansas — January 29, 2026 — The Minnesota-based not-for-profit Coalition for Sustainable Rail (CSR) has been formally reorganized in the State of Kansas as the Kaw Valley Rail Heritage Conservancy (KVRHC), a grassroots organization dedicated to the cosmetic preservation and long-term stewardship of Atchison, Topeka, & Santa Fe Railway steam locomotive No. 3463.
This reorganization marks a new chapter for the 501(c)(3) entity originally established in 2011 to demonstrate advanced sustainable transportation technology through the restoration and modernization of No. 3463. The locomotive, a 1937 Baldwin-built “Super Hudson,” is the sole surviving example of the Santa Fe’s high-speed 4-6-4 passenger locomotives, designed by the Atchison, Topeka, & Santa Fe’s own engineering staff in Topeka and once symbolic of the pinnacle of American steam innovation.
CSR’s initial restoration initiative, launched in 2012, was hampered by a prolonged legal dispute over ownership of the locomotive. The case, which took nearly five years to resolve, ultimately affirmed CSR’s ownership. However, during that time, regulatory changes effectively closed the pathway to operating mainline steam locomotives in Amtrak charter service, shifting the organization’s focus.
In the years that followed, CSR continued its research into renewable biofuels for historic and rail equipment, the results of which remain available at www.kvrhc.org/csrchive. With those scientific obligations met, the organization’s leadership turned toward ensuring the lasting preservation of No. 3463 as a public heritage artifact.
“The Kaw Valley Rail Heritage Conservancy represents a grassroots continuation of CSR’s mission—focused now on historical preservation and community engagement,” said Mark Smelser, President of KVRHC. “Locomotive No. 3463, designed by Santa Fe’s own engineers here in Topeka, is a direct link to both Kansas’ railroading legacy and the nation’s industrial ingenuity. We are inviting the community to join us in supporting the continued cosmetic stabilization and, ultimately, a full cosmetic restoration of this last surviving ‘Super Hudson.’”
The Kaw Valley Rail Heritage Conservancy is now soliciting community involvement, partnerships, and donations to assist with ongoing cosmetic work, interpretive planning, and development of a sustainable stewardship framework to ensure that No. 3463 remains a source of civic pride for generations to come.
