A real piece of history is not only displayed, but completely ready to handle guests.
This summer has turned out to be quite eventful for the people living along the the Norfolk & Southern Railroad between Fort Wayne and Detroit. The Train route began in Allen Park, Michigan and made it’s way through northwest Ohio into northeast Indiana, along New Haven tracks into Fort Wayne, ending up on E. Superior St. near other events of the Three Rivers Festival.
It was thunderous to hear “The Detroit Arrow” as the train was drawing towards the stop, with whistle blowing and the white steam hissing out of the pistons. I was holding chalk in my hand on Main St. next to the FW Museum of Art on Saturday morning before noon, as I watched the engine pull into the station, slowing to a halt for it’s passengers to enjoy the fair.
Steam Locomotive no. 765 operated round-trips on both Saturday and Sunday between Detroit (Allen Park) and Fort Wayne, Indiana. Departing Allen Park at 8AM, passengers arrived in downtown Fort Wayne just before noon to experience the city’s Three Rivers Festival, Indiana’s second largest festival. After disembarking at the elevated railroad station, passengers enjoyed the Chalk Walk at the and Crafter’s Market at Freimann Square, downtown midway, food alley, historic Old Fort, and Headwaters Park during the layover.
This 282-mile round-trip excursion featured seating options aboard a fleet of restored coach, deluxe coach, dome car, and first class passenger cars.
This powerhouse engine was built in September of 1944 (according to it’s name plate) in Lima, Ohio. Steam locomotive no. 765 was one of 80 of Berkshire steam locomotives built by the Lima Locomotive Works that sped the country to victory during World War II. This engine type was one of the last steam engines built before converting over to diesel-electric yet it had more horsepower and could maintain over 70 miles per hour on the tracks. The Lima facility that produced this engine no longer exists, leaving it’s memory in the tracks of the engines that still drive it forward.
During its time in service, no. 765 had earned the reputation as a dependable machine and was well liked by local crews. As a result, the 765 was placed in storage inside the East Wayne engine house in New Haven, Indiana until the early 1960s when it was selected by the railroad for donation and preservation to the City of Fort Wayne. In 1963, the locomotive was renumbered 767 for ceremonial purposes and installed in Lawton Park at the corner of 4th and Clinton Streets. By 1972, the condition of the locomotive had weathered & deteriorated and the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society was formed to preserve and eventually restore the locomotive to operation. By 1974, the locomotive was removed from the park and operational by 1979. Since then it has served primarily in public exhibition and passenger excursion service through 16 states. In 2001, no. 765 underwent an $800,000 rebuild effort completed that was completed in 2005.
Today, the 404 ton Nickel Plate 765 is a supercharged good-will ambassador, bringing to life a dramatic era of innovation to thousands each year since being restored in 1979 by the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society.
The last steam-powered, public excursions in this area occurred in 1994 using Norfolk & Western No. 611, then operated by Norfolk Southern itself as part of a “steam program” that benefited various railroad historical societies and museums, covering the same route as “The Detroit Arrow” in 2014
For more information about the fascinating history of this engine or the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society visit their web site, fortwaynerailroad.org. Some of the information for this article was retrieved from this site.
