STEAM ENGINE 765 BACK IN SERVICE

The Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society rolled out Nickel Plate Railroad Engine #765 on Friday, October 28, 2005. It was a cool, crisp, autumn afternoon when the huge steam engine once again came to life just east of New Haven at 15808 Edgerton Road. The refurbished engine is the result of over 10,000 man-hours and an expenditure of over $70,000 dollars.

This locomotive is a reminder of by-gone eras of transportation. Early pioneers traveled into this area via horseback and canoe. From the river system evolved canals and then came the age of steam. Steam gave way to the internal combustion engines. But a few of the old steam engines still survive.

Locomotive #765 was built in 1944 in Lima, Ohio. She ran the line from Chicago, through Fort Wayne and then onto Bellevue, Ohio until 1958. Then the Nickel Plate Railroad switched from steam engines to diesel locomotives. Engine 765 was spared from the scrapers torch when the Nickel Plate Company decided to hold her in reserve due to an increase in freight traffic. The Fort Wayne Railroad Society obtained the engine and renovations were completed by 1979. It was in service until 1993 when it was sidelined for repairs. Now, in November of 2005 it is ready to once again return to service, pulling trains throughout the Midwest. Tom Nitza, President of the Railroad Historical Society said that a tour schedule for the summer of 2006 has not yet been set.

Engine 765 has a drive wheel diameter of 69 inches. She carries 22,000 gallons of water and 44,000 pounds of coal. With a full load of water and coal she can travel about 150 miles. That is equal to about 7 miles per ton of coal, which isn’t bad considering she weighs 44 ton. Her operating boiler pressure is 240 pounds per square inch, which generates 4,500 horsepower.

If you would like to be an engineer for an hour, this can be arranged for $129. One hour at the throttle…chug, chug, chugging down the railroad tracks…with steam billowing out of the whistle and black smoke flowing from the stack…a nice way to travel on a clean, crisp autumn afternoon.

 

For more information call Tom Nitza at 485-2829, or email him at EFH@765.org.