NEW HAVEN, Ind. — The Fort Wayne Railroad will celebrate the successful relocation of New York Central steam locomotive No. 3001 with a free public open house on Saturday, September 26.
The organization’s restoration shop, located at 15808 Edgerton Road in New Haven, will be open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Visitors can see the organization’s newest arrivals: New York Central No. 3001, one of the last remaining steam locomotives from Indiana’s largest railroad, and Nickel Plate Road Pullman No. 1, the former private, personal headquarters of a railroad empire.
No. 3001 arrived safely at the Fort Wayne Railroad’s restoration facility on September 15 following a carefully coordinated move from the National New York Central Museum in Elkhart. Norfolk Southern transported the locomotive over its main line, marking the locomotive’s first mainline journey in more than 40 years and 69 years after it was retired. To date, the effort has been sponsored by Norfolk Southern, Kano Laboratories, Horizon Rail, and Midwest Rail, and the move was viewed by over a million people online.
The trip followed more than two years of preparation, planning, and fundraising by the Fort Wayne Railroad and its partners. The prep work ensured that the move went off smoothly, with several brief inspection stops made to examine components and bearing temperatures. No. 3001 will now enter the next phase of an estimated $4 million effort to return it to operation, and is poised to become a major tourist attraction once overhauled.
No. 3001 is the largest surviving New York Central steam locomotive and the only surviving member of the railroad’s L-3a “Mohawk” class. Once restored, it will become the world’s only operating New York Central steam locomotive and a centerpiece of the non-profit’s growing rail tourism and educational programs in Northeast Indiana.
The open house will also welcome Nickel Plate Road Pullman No. 1, the former private railroad car of brothers Oris and Mantis Van Sweringen, whose railroad holdings included the Nickel Plate Road, Chesapeake & Ohio and Erie railroads, forming the backbone of today’s massive railroad industry in the Midwest.
On the 26th, guests can go behind the scenes inside the restoration shop, tour the private Pullman car and get an up-close look at railroad preservation in progress. Volunteers will be available to discuss restoration projects, Railroad Camp, train excursions and opportunities to help preserve and operate historic railroad equipment.
Admission is free, and all are welcome.
Nickel Plate Road locomotives Nos. 765 and 358, along with the Society’s operating passenger train, will not be displayed at the open house because they are completing their excursion season on the Indiana Rail Experience.
Schedules and tickets are available at https://www.indianarailexperience.org/.
EVENT DETAILS
Date: Saturday, September 26
Time: 10 a.m.–3 p.m.
Location: 15808 Edgerton Road, New Haven, Indiana
Admission: Free
ABOUT THE FORT WAYNE RAILROAD
Founded in 1972, the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society preserves and operates historic railroad equipment as living cultural attractions. The organization is best known for its stewardship of Nickel Plate Road steam locomotive No. 765 and operates the Indiana Rail Experience in partnership with the Indiana Northeastern Railroad, where its programs have welcomed over 80,000 visitors and over $5 million in economic impact since 2022.
