Kansas City Missouri USA - A 94-year-old train known as the Empress was on display at Union Station on Saturday, a steam locomotive from Canadian Pacific Kansas City or CPKC.
 
The train is making a journey from Calgary to Mexico City as a celebration of the first anniversary of the merger between Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern.
 
The merger created the first single-line railway between the United States, Canada, and Mexico and now the steam locomotive is taking the same path through Kansas City.
 
"We are going to be on this together for some 75 plus days. We're going to be traveling some 9,000 plus miles. The work is hard, the days are long. These events represent something really special. This is why we did this," said Jonathan Morris, the Manager of Steam Operating Services with CPKC, while looking over a crowd of thousands at Union Station.
 
The locomotive was completed in December of 1930 by Montreal Locomotive Works, Morris told FOX4.
 
It spent around 30 years in service before retiring in the early 1960's for diesel powered engines.
 
"For CPKC to take the time and opportunity to take this steam engine, which is very old, and take it out on the road? It's something you very seldom ever get to see," said train enthusiast Richard Farmer.
 
Morris estimated that some of the tracks that they will take haven't seen a steam powered locomotive in more than 60 years, making the journey to Mexico truly one of a kind where people of all ages can enjoy a piece of living history.
 
"So when you take a little kid who can't talk yet, you put the space shuttle in front of them, or the airplane, or a book or whatever, they just kind of look at it. But when you put a steam engine in front of them, they go choo choo!"
 
For Morris, the best part about the journey is bringing people together.
 
"I think that's kind of unique. It spent his whole service life connecting people, and now it's just sitting here. We brought it here, but it's just sitting, and it's still connecting people. So, I think that's pretty special," he said.
 
The train will leave Kansas City for Heavener, Oklahoma, on Tuesday.
 
Its next event will be in Shreveport, Louisiana, on Friday, and will complete it's journey in Mexico City on 7 Jun 2024 before returning to Winnipeg.
 
Jacob Sloan.