Yesterday I learned Pere Marquette 2-8-4 1225 had a bad boiler tube and could not pull our train today but Nickel Plate Railroad 2-8-4 765 would do the honours. Matt Melzer and I met in the lobby and drove over to pick up Randy before going to Owosso. There I found Bob and Elizabeth waiting in line and I joined them.
Pere Marquette 1225 History
Pere Marquette Railroad 2-8-4 1225 built by Lima in 1941. The largest and most impressive piece in the Steam Railroading Institute's collection, it is one of the largest operating steam locomotives in Michigan. The locomotive was used for ten years between Detroit, Toledo, Flint, Saginaw, Grand Rapids and Chicago; hauling fast freight for the products of Michigan factories and farms, including war material when Detroit was the "Arsenal of Democracy", producing huge volumes of vehicles, aircraft and armaments. The Pere Marquette Railway merged with the Chesapeake and Ohio in 1947, but the 1225 continued in service until its retirement in 1951 in favour of diesel locomotives.
In 1957, the locomotive was saved with the help of Forest Akers; Dodge Motors' Vice President and Michigan State University Trustee, who saw it as a real piece of machinery for Engineering students to study. Displayed as an icon of the steam era, it sat at MSU until 1969, when a group of students took an interest in the locomotive. The Michigan State University Railroad Club was formed at that time with the ambitious goal of restoring 1225 and using it to power excursion trains that would bring passengers to football games at the university. In 1982, under the newly-evolved Michigan State Trust for Railway Preservation Inc, the donated locomotive was moved to the former Ann Arbor Railroad steam backshop in Owosso where the restoration continued until 1985 when it moved under its own power for the first in 34 years.
Nickel Plate Railroad 765 History
Nickel Plate Railroad 2-8-4 765 built by Lima in 1944. It was one of the Berkshire fleet known for its "superpower" technology and aesthetic charm. Once a fast-freight and passenger engine for the New York, Chicago & St. Louis Railroad - more commonly known as the Nickel Plate Road - the 765 is now a celebrated icon of American innovation and goodwill ambassador. Powered exclusively by volunteers as part of the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society's educational programs, the locomotive has been restored to the way it looked and sounded when it was originally built.
The plaque, mounted on the tender of 767/765, explaining the locomotive's preservation in 1963 as a "monument to a great period of development in our country -- the era of steam railroading." In the 1940's and 50's, the City of Fort Wayne, Indiana and the Nickel Plate Road sustained an interesting love-hate relationship. The iron roadbeds of the Nickel Plate, New York Central, Wabash and Pennsylvania railroads surrounded Fort Wayne. The Nickel Plate was nestled within the city; its West Wayne Yards were only blocks from downtown. The railroad's busy route on the northern end of the city kept Fort Wayne from expanding and persisted to displease motorists, who were constantly held up by the trains. Fort Wayne had already dealt with the problems inherent with ground level roadbed, as the Pennsylvania and Wabash to the south had elevated their tracks decades prior. To the north, a heated battle between the railroad and city ensued for years, with citizens chanting, "Elevate the Nickel Plate!"
With ground broken in 1947, the elevation of the Nickel Plate Road began in 1953 and ended in 1955 with a formal celebration that saw Nickel Plate Berkshire 767 parade across the elevated tracks, breaking a ribbon among station platforms crowded with spectators. A less informal event had been held some time before, when Nickel Plate Berkshire 765 became the first actual train to traverse the new rails. After earning the reputation as the "best of the west end" on the Fort Wayne Division, Berkshire 765 had been stored during its retirement in the enginehouse of the Nickel Plate Road in Fort Wayne. At the end of the steam era, several of the eminent Nickel Plate Berkshires locomotives were stored at the Nickel Plate's relatively new East Wayne yards, which had replaced the cramped quarters of the more urban West Wayne. Both 765 and 767 were among the sleeping sisters in the engine house and after sufficient slumber, 765 was fired up in 1958 to supply heat to a stranded passenger train in Fort Wayne. As other steam locomotives were scrapped, the engine would be saved at the request of the city that had once demanded the trains off the streets.
The City had asked for 767, but 765 proved to be in much better cosmetic and mechanical condition and, unlike other engines on the Nickel Plate, had been stored indoors for several years. During an inspection, 765 was deemed to be an ideal candidate for donation to the City of Fort Wayne. The roundhouse was asked to quietly change the locomotives' numbers and 765 -- renumbered as 767 -- was placed on display in Lawton Park within sight of the Nickel Plate elevation in May 1963. The real 767 was scrapped in Chicago in 1964. Fort Wayne's engine became a downtown showpiece, but after years of exposure to the elements, a group of local enthusiasts formed the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society to secure the locomotive for restoration. Seven days shy of the locomotive's 35th birthday on September 1st, 1979, 765 moved under its power for the first time in twenty-one years. The Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society had become the first non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation in the world to restore and operate a mainline steam locomotive.
After a series of test runs on the Toledo, Peoria & Western in 1980, 765 would begin its rise to stardom as a fan trip favorite. Leased by the Southern Railroad for 22 trips in 1982, the locomotive earned its stripes on routes through mountainous terrain and rocketed across the midwest in later excursions out of Chicago, Fort Wayne, Cincinnati, and Buffalo, New York, to name a few. 765's reach extended as far east as New Jersey and south to Georgia, and found a calling on the head-end of the New River Trains through West Virginia, carrying behind it the longest passenger train excursions in history. Throughout the 1980's and early 90's, the FWRHS successfully partnered with CSX, New Jersey Transit and Norfolk Southern. 765 was also seen in the company of other locomotives such as Nickel Plate 587 and Norfolk & Western "Northern" 611 and their respective caretakers.
For 14 years, the locomotive proudly displayed the sights, sounds and smells of a bygone era of railroading, accumulating over 52,000 miles service entertaining and educating hundreds of thousands. In 1993, the 765 entered the shop for a complete overhaul that has since returned the engine to the condition it was in when it was first constructed. In 2005, a freshly rebuilt 765 left the restoration shop, on its way to make railroad history once again.
The Trip
Nickel Plate Road 765 pulled the train into the boarding area and once the first class passengers boarded, the train was moved up and the rest of us boarded the coach section. Bob, Elizabeth and I chose former Canadian National 5226. At 9:30 AM, our train departed Owosso bound for Alma.
Once out of Owosso, we were out in the farmlands.
A small lake along our route.
There are plenty of corn fields in Michigan.
There were train chasers at almost every grade crossing we went through.
A cut wheat field.
This red barn stood out across the field.
A white barn.
Green fields.
Another farm.
More chasers.
North Fork of the Bad River.
The green countryside.
More chasers taking pictures of our train.
The clouds were beginning to build.
Pacers and chasers on US Highway 127.
Settling ponds.
The clouds were growing darker as we passed the green fields.
I knew rain was on the way when I saw this cloud.
As we neared Alma the rain started.
The rain poured down as we arrived into Alma. I decided to stay onboard since I had to wait for a telephone call from the California Employment Development Department office, as well as save our seats. I did detrain to make note of our train's consist but then reboarded. Our train had Nickel Plate Road 2-8-4 765, Milwaukee Road Skytop observation "Cedar Rapids" 800040, Milwaukee Road "Super Dome" 800862, New York Central 3 "Portland" 800084, Great Lakes Central coach 5447, Friends of 261 coach "Lake Pepin" 800799, Friend of 261 coach "St. Paul Pass" 800798, Milwaukee Road baggage car 2450 800287, former VIA concession car 762, Steam Railroading Institute MSTX 1363 "William Berkompas", Friends of 261 coach "Arizona" ATAX 800861, Friends of 261 coach NSR 202 "Wenonah" 800261, Steam Railroading Institute coach Canadian National 5226, Steam Railroading Institute coach Canadian National 5228, open air coaches Ohio Central 705 and 704 and Steam Railroading Institute tool car MSTX 462 "Mark Holton". The rain stopped a few minutes later.
Nickel Plate Road 765 then pushed our consist, with me aboard, back to the inside of a wye then dropped our consist so that the engine could be wyed.
The Pine River.
Our consist blocked two grade crossings in Alma as the steam engine was wyeing.
Nickel Plate Road 765 came down one leg of the wye on its way back to our train.
It then returned to the opposite end of our train.
Nickel Plate Road 765 was serviced and the ash pan cleaned out as we sat.
Our train then reversed to the boarding area. While we were there, the call came and I would start receiving unemployment checks and I shared the good news Bob and Elizabeth upon their return from lunch. From here we walked back outside for some pictures.
Nickel Plate Railroad 2-8-4 765 at Alma, ready to return to Owosso.
Elizabeth and the steam engine, her first time riding behind it.
Bob and Nickel Plate Road 765.
It was then my turn.
Nickel Plate Road 765 stood like this until our 2:30 PM departure time then ran south for about twenty minutes until we reached a park in Ithaca for the photo runbys.
The first reverse move.
Photo runby one.
Michigan State Trust for Railway Preservation 64-seat coach 5526, ex. Blue Mountain Chapter 5226, exx. VIA 5226, nee Canadian National 5226 built by Canadian Car and Foundry in 1937. This is the coach in which we rode.
Reverse move two.
One part of the photo lines.
Photo runby two.
Reverse move three.
Photo runby three. After that the Ithaca Volunteer Fire Department had to come and give the steam engine more water for our trip back. Once onboard, Elizabeth and I went back to the Milwaukee Road 261 concession car where we talked with Frank Sandberg and the three of us had a great conversation. All too soon we returned to our seats as we were nearing Owosso then detrained. We went to Lefty's Steakhouse where I had a fantastic prime rib. After a great meal, Bob and Elizabeth drove me back to the Super 8 in Flint where I spent the rest of the evening writing stories.
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