Nickel Plate Road No. 765 is an S-2-class 2-8-4 "Berkshire" type steam locomotive built by the Lima Locomotive Works of Lima, Ohio in 1944. As of today, it operates on occasional mainline excursion service and is owned and operated by the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
History[]
Nickel Plate Road No. 765 was built by the Lima Locomotive Works of Lima, Ohio in 1944. It ran until 1958, when it was retired in Fort Wayne, IN. In 1963, the locomotive was put on display in Lawton Park and was numbered 767. The city had asked for the real Nickel Plate Road No. 767 but it was in bad shape after it had an accident; it was scrapped. By 1972, the 765 was in terrible condition due to years of exposure from the weather. That same year, The Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society was formed to find a new display site for the locomotive and maybe restore it to operating condition. Working outdoors without cranes and other shop equipment or protection from the weather, the restoration went from October 25, 1975 to September 1, 1979, when the engine first steamed up. The locomotive ran from 1979 to 1980 due to some superheater unit problems. After getting some new parts from sister locomotive 755, The locomotive ran again from 1982 to 1993. After another 13 years out of service, the locomotive was steamed up again in 2006 and has been running excursions for the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society since.
Trivia[]
- The engine can be seen in Steam & Diesel on NKP 4 volume series by Herron Rail Video and Ohio Central 6325 Return to the High Iron by Mark I Video.
- In 1993, after double-heading with 2-8-2 number 587 to the NRHS Convention in Chicago, Nickel Plate Road No. 765 was briefly re-lettered and renumbered as Chesapeake & Ohio No. 2765.
- In 2016, Nickel Plate Road No. 765 ran a couple of excursions and for the Steam in the Cuyahoga Valley excursion while it was briefly renumbered as the Nickel Plate Road No. 767.
- In 2014, Nickel Plate Road No. 765 was relettered and renumbered as "Lionel Lines" No. 726 During LCCA's 44th Annual Convention.
- In the 1980s, the locomotive appeared in the movies Four Friends and Matewan, and became an annual attraction in the New River Gorge operating the New River Trains from 1985 to 1988 and again from 1990 to 1993.
- In 2017, and 2018, Nickel Plate Road No. 765 visits Joliet, IL for the "Joliet Rocket" a passenger excursion that runs from Joliet to LaSalle St. Station.
- In 2006, the FWRHS was given a "Locomotive Restoration Award" by the Tourist Railway Association, Inc and the "Outstanding Restoration Award" from the Architecture and Community Heritage Foundation of Fort Wayne.
- Before 765 was restored in the mid 1970s, she was on Display in a park in Fort Wayne, IN. It was Numbered "767", Fort Wayne wanted 767 on display because it was the locomotive to celebrate the opening/completion of the Fort Wayne track elevation. 767 had been scrapped already, so NKP renumbered 765 to 767 and the locomotive was given to the town.
- In 2021, 765 was renumbered as 828 as the original 828 got scrapped
- As of late 2021, the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society is considering on installing Positive Train Control (PTC) technology on 765.
- In late September & early October 1986 prior to the New River Trips, 765 traveled to Thurmond West Virginia for the filming of the 1987 movie: "Matewan" starring James Earl Jones (Star Wars), & Bob Gunton (The Shawshank Redemption).
- 765 made an appearance in the 1994 Woody Allen movie "Bullets Over Broadway".
- The engine can be seen in the videos:
- 1. The Best of 1989,
- 2. America By Rail-Winter Wonderland,
- 3. Life Begins at 40,
- 4. Wheeling in the Rathole,
- 5. Steam in Huntington,
- 6. Huntington Steam Celebration,
- 7. Steam to Huntington,
- 8. Steam to Chicago,
- 9. Chicago Steam Celebration,
- 10. Great Steam Trains Volume 2,
- 11. 2765 on the C&O,
- 12. NKP 765 Autumn Spectacular,
- 13. Nickel Plate Combo,
- 14. American Steam Volume 1,
- 15. Berkshire Doubleheader,
- 16. HD Moods-Trains,
- 17. Steam Giants,
- 18. C&O 2765-A New River Masquerade,
- 19. Today's Steam Across America,
- 20. A Last Look at Steam,
- 21. Big Steam,
- 22. Extra 765 West,
- 23. 765 & the Nickel Plate Story,
- 24. F-Units & More,
- 25. Steam in the Great Lakes,
- 26. NKP 765 Ambassador of Steam,
- 27. Bridges to Buffalo,
- 28. Smoke Around Gotham,
- 29. Runnin' That New River Train,
- 30. NKP 765-The Early Years,
- 31. Giants on the Rails,
- 32. Steaming Up The New River Gorge,
- 33. Steel City Express,
- 34. 100 Steam Engines,
- 35. Big Steam in Huntington,
- 36. Big Steam in Chicago,
- 37. For the Love of Steam Volume 1,
- 38. Berkshire in the Alleghenies,
- 39. Lima Superpower in the Lehigh Valley,
- 40. Erie Lackawanna Adventure,
- 41. In Search of Steam 1 & 2,
- 42. Dairyland Steam,
- 43. 2765 Ghost Story,
- 44. Old Milwaukee on the New River,
- 45. A Quarter Century of Steam, Pacing-25 Years along the High Iron,
- 46. 5 Years of 21st Century Steam,
- 47. Steamin' in 2012,
- 48. Steamin' in 2013,
- 49. Steam Returns to Horseshoe Curve,
- 50. Steam Returns to the Wabash,
- 51. Steam Specials & Passenger Extras in 2014,
- 52. Steamin' in 2022,
- 53. Steam on the Norfolk Southern,
- 54. Whistles in Owosso-Train Expo 2014,
- 55. The Great Gathering at Owosso,
- 56. Big Steam on the Mainline,
- 57. Midwest Steam 2009,
- 58. Berkshire-Best of a Breed,
- 59. Nickel Plate Summer,
- 60. Steamin' Summer,
- 61. Steamed!,
- 62. Big Steam is Back,
- 63. Steam Across America,
- 64. Autumn in the Great Gorge,
- 65. 40 Years of NKP Berkshires,
- 66. Mainline Steam Across the US,
- 67. Berkshire Montage Series Parts 1 & 2,
- 68. Huntington '91,
- 69. Hardworking Steam on Steep Grades,
- 70. Introduction to Steam Locomotives,
- 71. Steam Returns to the Pittsburgh Line,
- 72. A Potpourri of Steam,
- 73. 70s & 80s Steam Celebration,
- 74. Steam Giants,
- 75. 101 Cab Rides,
- 76. Lots & Lots of Trains,
- 77. Steaming the Last Baldwin,
- 78. Steam Smoke & Thunder Volume 1,
- 79. Great 21st Century Train Layouts Volume 2,
- 80. Trackside Travels,
- 81. Fallen Flags in the 90s Part 6,
- 82. Eastern Class One Review,
- 83. Norfolk Southern: A Tour of the Thoroughbred Part 10,
- 84. Steam on the NS Collection 1980s & 1990s,
- 85. Along the Wabash with NKP 765,
- 86. UP 844-Still Goin' Strong,
- 87. Roarin' Runbys,
- 88. More Roarin' Runbys,
- 89. Convention Highlights-Huntington 1991,
- 90. Toledo Peoria & Western
- 91. Rare Double-Header
- 92. New River Express
- & 93. Berkshire in the Bluegrass
- The 765 has also made an appearance in the 2013 PBS Documentary: Made in America-Lima Locomotive Works