Steam and Private Varnish Part 2: Chasing US Sugar Steam Engine 148 on the AAPRCO Sugarland Limited!

On April 24th, AAPRCO continued its "Sugarland Limited" steam excursion in south central Florida, with USSC 148 having the honors of pulling the train along the South Central Florida Express (SCFE) tracks. The private car trip covered a total of 293 miles on sugar's rails, from Sebring to Clewiston, Clewiston to Marcy and back, and Clewiston to Okeelanta and back. Join me as we chase day 2 of the private car excursion on the east side of the SCFE mainline, from Clewiston to Port Mayaca, FL.
USSC #148 (Formerly FEC #148), also known as the sugar express, is an American Locomotive Company 4-6-2 Pacific type steam locomotive. Built in April 1920, the engine was delivered to the Florida East Coast Railway for revenue passenger service. After about 30 years, the engine was sold off to the United States Sugar Corporation in 1952 for use on their lines hauling harvested sugar cane trains. In the early 60's, after diesel engines became the new mode of power, #148 was sold into private ownership, where it operated for an excursion railroad until the 1970's. It then made it's way across the country across the next few decades until it ended up in Colorado.
In 2016, the USSC re-purchased the locomotive and began an extensive 4 year restoration, completing just in time for the engine's 100th birthday in April 2020. It has since run multiple revenue cane trains and excursions under the "Sugar Express" brand, and the tourist operation is slowly kicking into gear.
Hope you enjoy the video!

[@regularguy7266]

Can't wait for USSC to restore Atlanta Coast Line 1504 as well! Not only will she be beautiful to run by herself, but a double header with 148 would be awesome!

[@TwoRibbonRailvideos]

Oh I can’t WAIT for the doubleheader!

[@AAPRCO]

Great video! Thanks for sharing and coming to see the train.

[@tropicalrailroadproduction5028]

Awesome video and great captures of USSC 148 Richard. Hope to see more videos coming soon. :)

[@TwoRibbonRailvideos]

Glad you enjoy it

[@brianfalzon6739]

Great catches of 148

[@TwoRibbonRailvideos]

Thank you!

[@northpennvalleysteamrailroad]

Awesome!!

[@TwoRibbonRailvideos]

Thanks!

[@kevinmills8437]

Nice Very Nice.

[@TwoRibbonRailvideos]

Thanks!

[@tylergreen4843]

15:44 *the high pitch of 148's 5 chime sounded like the ones used by S&A 750 and A&WP 290*

[@brianfalzon6739]

Exactly

[@fionalover2.0gaming18]

Awesome catches

[@TwoRibbonRailvideos]

thanks

[@KflanntheRailfan]

That was an awesome video. I liked that you explained each point. I hope to get to see this engine and get done shots like this in the near future.

[@TwoRibbonRailvideos]

I plan to see it again later this month! Glad you enjoyed the video

[@EmilC2012]

This was wonderful my friend. So glad you could spend a whole weekend catching this beautiful machine! I hope you had a great spring semester and hope to maybe see you out by the rails sometime over the summer if I can swing down to Miami for some Brightline action :P

[@TwoRibbonRailvideos]

Thanks Emil! The semester was great. Let me know if you do end up in Miami!

[@USASteamProductions]

Whenever I go on the sugar express Facebook page they don't post a lot of things with the updates on what's going on.

[@TwoRibbonRailvideos]

That’s because they don’t usually do stuff during the summer. When fall rolls around Id expect to see stuff from them again

[@USASteamProductions]

@@TwoRibbonRailvideos yeah because their sugarcane trains only last from October to may so maybe they could do more excursions to other Cities along the south central Florida express route.