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A historic steam locomotive should chug back into service on the Heber Valley Railroad this summer, after a five-year absence filled by modern diesel-powered engines.

But that joy may be tempered by news that tracks on the historic railroad need $2 million worth of work, but the railway doesn't have the funding.

"I'm … hoping for Memorial Day weekend," for the return of the steam engine, said Mark Nelson, executive director of the railroad. "But certainly it will happen this summer unless there is some catastrophic mechanical thing we can't foresee."

In a report to the Utah Transportation Commission on Friday, he said the railroad used a $250,000 appropriation from the Legislature last year to refurbish the locomotive, No. 618.

It was built in 1907 and spent much of its life on rails in Idaho and northern Utah. It also sat for years at the Utah State Fairpark. More recently, it was used on the Heber Valley Railroad until 2010, when its old boiler reached its limit for service, Nelson said.

He said the railroad is awaiting some final items to arrive to finish the refurbishment project, and then hopes to reassemble the locomotive in time for the summer season.

The railway runs 16.5 miles from Heber City to Vivian Park in Provo Canyon. The state owns the track, but allows the railroad as an independent agency to operate trains. It is responsible for raising its own revenue.

Nelson reported that the railroad made small profits in 2014 and 2013, after running in the red for five years. "So we've turned things around financially," he said. "We carry about 75,000 passengers a year … and focused more on customer satisfaction."

He told the commission the railroad faces several challenges, most notably "maintaining and repairing the tracks." He said that about half of its tracks sit on a 100-year-old track bed that "needs significant maintenance and repair."

Nelson said his agency has identified a $2 million project "to replace about 25 percent of all the ties on the 16.5 mile stretch, and then realign the entire railway and put a new rock bedding along the entire way."

He said, "That will put the tracks in great shape for probably 25 to 30 years."

But the railroad does not have funding for that project. Nelson said it has been pursuing federal grants, may seek help from the state and is also asking individuals to consider donations.

"We continue to maintain the tracks and fix sections as they need to be fixed. But what really needs to happen is the whole track needs to be realigned. While it's a big one-time cost, it would significantly reduce our ongoing maintenance costs," Nelson said.

The Salt Lake Tribune reported in 2013 that Gene Montoya, a former inspector for the Heber Valley Railroad, said it had ignored his warnings about numerous safety problems, including at a spot where a derailment occurred without injuries.

When he took his concerns to state and federal officials, he said, he was fired. Nelson denied Montoya's assertions, saying safety is the railroad's highest priority and that it has a good safety record.

The Tribune found in 2013 that because of Montoya's complaints, the Utah Department of Transportation cited Heber Valley for not inspecting tracks with required frequency, and for failing to keep proper written records of inspections.

Also, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration after Montoya's complaints found what it called 18 "serious" workplace violations, but issued no fines.

Records show the violations included not protecting employees working around asbestos in cars, using highly compressed air for cleaning, having employees work on train roofs without fall protection, using forklift operators who were not certified, and having a lack of safety protection on a variety of shop equipment.