Austin & Texas Central Railroad, Hill Country Flyer

The story begins in 1956, when the Southern Pacific Railroad donated 2-8-2 "Mikado" steam locomotive #786 to the City of Austin, where it sat on a vacant lot behind the Central Fire Station between 4th and 5th Streets downtown. A group of railroad preservationists formally organized the Austin Steam Train Association in 1989 to return #786 to operation, and excursions began in 1992, with the association moving into its Cedar Park rail yard in 1993. When #786 was sidelined for repairs in 1999, ASTA bought ALCO RSD-15 #442 (formerly Santa Fe #842), which served as the primary excursion power until it went down for repairs in 2016; a rebuilt EMD GP40-3 was leased in 2017 and purchased outright in 2025. Operating as the Austin & Texas Central Railroad, the nonprofit runs the Hill Country Flyer between Cedar Park and Burnet over a portion of the ex-Southern Pacific Llano Branch now owned by CapMetro, sharing trackage with CapMetro Rail commuter trains and Austin Western freights, with seven full-time staff supported by around 100 volunteers. As of late 2025, restorations of both #786 and #442 are ongoing.