An old friend of the City of Bellevue came home yesterday. It was the Nickel Plate Railroad's locomotive #765. She is a "Berkshire" class loco, built in 1944 by the Lima Locomotive Works. The Berks were the last steam locos built and were known as "Super Power" locos. The 80 Berks were all based here in Bellevue and put the "speed" in the motto "High Speed Freight Service". There are only 3 KNOWN survivors, the 765 owned by the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society, the 779 (last steam locomotive built) on static display in Lincoln Park in Lima, and a "sister" the 1225 of the Pere Marquette Railroad. She lives in Railroad Park in Owosso, Michigan.
The 765 has been through here several times over the years, but never under her own power, always "dead in consist" (just another freight car). She would come in from Fort Wayne in a train and the NS would shove her into the connection with the Wheeling & Lake Erie who would fire her up and take her wherever she needed to go.
The Norfolk Southern (of which the Nickel Plate ultimately became a part of) hasn't allowed steam locomotives on their rails since 1994 when they shut down what had been a pretty impressive steam operation. At the time of the shutdown one of their locos ,the 1218, was undergoing a refurb, and the other, the 611, had just been refurbed. Both are in a museum in Spencer, North Carolina.
This is the 30th. Anniversary of the formation of the Norfolk Southern Railroad and they decided that having a steam train pull an excursion train for their emplooyees would be a good thing. Instead of using one of their own locos, they contracted with the FWRHS for use the 765 for a full schedule of trips through the end of summer.
The 765 is accompanied by one of the NS "Heritage" diesel units in full Nickel Plate livery. They have had 20 units painted in the livery of every railroad that has become part of the NS.
There are two reasons for me posting this here. Our late friend Jim Tighe was involved in the last refurb project on the 765. The last time I spoke with him, he tipped me off about these trips. At that time I was able to share with him the photos of the NS "Heritage" units, which he really enjoyed seeing. Besides that, who doesn't like trains???
For my friend Jim.........
The 765 has been through here several times over the years, but never under her own power, always "dead in consist" (just another freight car). She would come in from Fort Wayne in a train and the NS would shove her into the connection with the Wheeling & Lake Erie who would fire her up and take her wherever she needed to go.
The Norfolk Southern (of which the Nickel Plate ultimately became a part of) hasn't allowed steam locomotives on their rails since 1994 when they shut down what had been a pretty impressive steam operation. At the time of the shutdown one of their locos ,the 1218, was undergoing a refurb, and the other, the 611, had just been refurbed. Both are in a museum in Spencer, North Carolina.
This is the 30th. Anniversary of the formation of the Norfolk Southern Railroad and they decided that having a steam train pull an excursion train for their emplooyees would be a good thing. Instead of using one of their own locos, they contracted with the FWRHS for use the 765 for a full schedule of trips through the end of summer.
The 765 is accompanied by one of the NS "Heritage" diesel units in full Nickel Plate livery. They have had 20 units painted in the livery of every railroad that has become part of the NS.
There are two reasons for me posting this here. Our late friend Jim Tighe was involved in the last refurb project on the 765. The last time I spoke with him, he tipped me off about these trips. At that time I was able to share with him the photos of the NS "Heritage" units, which he really enjoyed seeing. Besides that, who doesn't like trains???
For my friend Jim.........
