Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society
| Type | Non-Profit |
|---|---|
| Focus |
To provide outstanding, hands-on, educational experiences with Nickel Plate Road steam locomotive no. 765. |
| Location | |
|
Area served
|
Eastern United States |
| Products | Vintage Steam-Era Railroad Equipment |
|
Members
|
400+ |
|
Volunteers
|
70 |
| Mission |
To preserve, restore, and operate historic railroad equipment and artifacts significant to Northeast Indiana. |
To provide outstanding, hands-on, educational experiences
To preserve, restore, and operate historic railroad equipment
The Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society (FWRHS) is a non-profit group in New Haven, Indiana that is dedicated to the restoration and operation of the ex-Nickel Plate Railroad's steam locomotive no. 765 and other vintage railroad equipment. Since restoration, the 765 was added to the National Register of Historic Places as no. 96001010 on September 12, 1996 and has operated excursion trains across the Eastern United States. In 2012, the FWRHS's steam locomotive no.765 was added to the Norfolk Southern's 21st Century Steam program.
The Fort Wayne Railroad Historical society was formed in 1972 and currently has over 400 members and over 70 volunteers. The group was formed with one purpose in mind: to restore an old steam locomotive to operational use and see it running down the tracks again. The history of the group actually begins before the FWRHS was formally conceived.
The Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society's story began with a series of events that began long before anyone had the idea to form a preservation group. In the mid-1950s, diesel locomotives began replacing steam locomotives for mainline freight and passenger service due to the cheaper operating costs of the diesels. With many of its steam locomotives retired or otherwise not in service by 1958, the New York, Chicago, & St. Louis Railroad, also known as the Nickel Plate Road, classified many of its steam locomotives in non-operating "stored-serviceable" condition. In 1958, the 765 was fired up as a stationary steam generating boiler in the Nickel Plate Road's New Haven, IN shops. Following a few short years in this role, the railroad officially retired the locomotive in 1963 and offered it to the city of Fort Wayne, IN as a static monument.
The city was eager to accept the railroad's offer, however, they wanted to receive locomotive 767 rather than the 765. They wanted the alternative locomotive because in October 1955 the city, in conjunction with the railroad, built an elevated railroad line through the city to eliminate railroad grade crossings that tied up traffic between the North and South ends of town, and the 767 was used to pull the ceremonial train across the newly constructed bridge. Due to a grade crossing accident and being stored outdoors afterwards, the 767 was much more deteriorated than the 765, which had been stored indoors. The city accepted the 765 and had its numbers repainted to 767. The steam engine was then pushed into Fort Wayne's Lawton Park, where it remained as a monument and a reminder of steam for the next 12 years.
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Wikipedia