Santa Fe FP45 93 is owned by the Great Plains Transportation Museum (GPTM) in Wichita, Kansas. This historically significant diesel locomotive was built in 1967 and pulled Santa Fe passenger and freight trains, and BNSF Railway freight trains, until it was retired in 1998. BNSF donated 93 to GPTM in 1999 after millions of miles of service. Only 14 of this model of locomotive were ever produced, with 93 one of only a handful of Santa Fe FP45s preserved.

In September 2023, GPTM announced a major cosmetic restoration effort by the skilled tradesmen at Mid-America Car in Kansas City. The goal was to collect $193,000 to cover all costs for this effort. The quote for restoration work, including a fresh coat of red and silver paint in the Santa Fe Super Fleet scheme, was $134,500. Generous donations by many got us to that goal in June 2025.

However, once 93 arrived at Mid-America Car in late August 2025, and the locomotive was grit blasted to bare metal, significant additional age- and weather-related damage was revealed when the layers of paint and filled repair materials were removed. The urgent need to properly complete 93’s cosmetic restoration is for an additional $50,000 to cover work related to the newly discovered damage.

Here’s where we need your help. To complete the restoration safely and correctly, we must raise additional monies. Your contribution today keeps the project moving and protects a one-of-a-kind piece of rail history