• Steam pressure is kept at about 150-180 pounds per square inch (psi) at all times. If it goes higher, safety valves will release steam to reduce pressure.

SOURCES: www.HowStuffWorks.com, www.Bressingham.co.uk, World Book Encyclopedia, Heber Valley Railroad

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• Steam locomotive 618 was build in July 1907 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in Philadelphia. It was made for the Oregon Short Line Railroad, which was a subsidiary of the Union Pacific Railroad.

• Originally numbered Oregon Short Line No. 1068, the locomotive operated in main-line freight service in Utah, Idaho and Montana.

• Renumbered to Union Pacific No. 618, in the 1920s, the locomotive was assigned to local and branch-line service, operating in northern Utah until 1957.

• The locomotive's final assignment was hauling molten pig iron between Columbia Steel in Ironton and United States Steel at Geneva.

• In 1958, the locomotive was donated to the state of Utah and was displayed at the State Fairgrounds in Salt Lake City until 1970.

• The locomotive was used to start up the "Heber Creeper" and chugged into Heber Valley under her own power in December 1970. The locomotive was used intermittently until October 1990.

• After the "Creeper" ceased operation, the Heber Valley Historic Railroad Authority was created as a nonprofit organization to maintain the railroad. In accordance with new Federal safety standards, the locomotive's boiler was overhauled in 1994-95.

• Since 1995, the locomotive has been in operation (known as No. 1068), using up most of its allotted 1,472 days of service.

• In March of next year, the locomotive will be shut down for a complete overhaul to replace and/or refurbish moving parts, boiler and other components — a task that will cost approximately $776,050. HRVV has received a grant to cover part of the cost of restoration, conditional upon its ability to match those funds dollar-for-dollar. The now-100-year-old locomotive will be restored back to its original 1907 look and return to No. 618.

SOURCE: Heber Valley Railroad

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1705: The first steam engine to see widespread use is invened by Thomas Newcomen and used to pump water from mines.

1774: Scottish inventor James Watt makes significant improvements, building the first "modern" steam engine.

1804: Richard Trevithick, of Cornwall, develops a steam locomotive.