Texas USA - Southeast Texas residents were in for in for a pleasant surprise Sunday afternoon after catching a glimpse of a steam locomotive from the 1930's chugging along local railways.
 
The Empress is a Canadian Pacfic Railway 4-6-4 Hudson type steam locomotive built in December 1930 by Montreal Locomotive Works, it is making it's way from Alberta all the way to Mexico City and then back to Calgary.
 
This trip that the Empress is embarking on is called the The Final Spike Steam Tour, and it celebrates the one-year anniversary of the combination of Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern.
 
According to the CPKC website, it took nearly two years of work by a team of eight full time employees and contractors to prepare the locomotive for this journey.
 
Many people were delighted at the sight of the old steam engine, snapping plenty of photos to post on social media.
 
If you missed the Empress don't fret, local train enthusiast Braeden Halsell told 12 News that the train will pass back through Southeast Texas on 14 Jun 2024.
 
This time it should follow the tracks along Old Sour Lake Road then back onto the CPKC tracks in Beaumont.
 
Brett Strahan.