Gainesville officials said Thursday they are moving Engine 209 to a new park in Midland and they are seeking proposals from companies that can move it.
In a news release sent this morning, the city said relocating the engine will require the use of a large crane to put the locomotive, tinder box and caboose on trailers, transport them to the new location at the intersection of Grove and Davis streets, and unload the trains from the trailers onto the new section of railroad track.
City Manager Bryan Lackey said the train would be moved to a space on the Midtown Greenway, and will be in the area of the former wye rail line that the Gainesville Midland used.
"We're not just moving it to a random part of town," said Lackey. "We think we're got a good story to tell... it's a place where families can really get out and interact with the train."
A playground will be installed near the new site after the park is completed, and the new park will include paved parking and seating areas.
For those who are upset that Engine 209 will move, Lackey wanted to assure them that the city is not trying erase the memories Gainesville residents might have.
"We're trying to put it in a place where they can still remember the interactions with the train, but do it perhaps in a way they can build new memories," Lackey said.
No timetable was given for the move. But Lackey said the city would work with the vendor to make the move during off-peak times to avoid traffic disruptions.
