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Ticket sales begin for Indiana and Ohio trips

By Excursions, News

On May 13th at 6PM (EDT), tickets for steam locomotive no. 765’s first trips of the year will arrive at fortwaynerailroad.org or by phone at 1-888-718-4253.

Wabash Cannonball (July 18th and 19th)
between Fort Wayne and Lafayette, Indiana

Standard Coach (Adult) – $119.00
Standard Coach (Child) – $99.00
Deluxe Coach – $149
First Class – $249
Dome Class – $349
Hollywood Beach Class – Waitlist?
Dover Harbor Class – Waitlist

Astabula Special (July 25th and 26th)
between Youngstown and Ashtabula, Ohio

Standard Coach (Adult) – $99.00
Standard Coach (Child)- $79.00
Deluxe Coach – $129
First Class – $199
Dome Class – $299
Hollywood Beach Class – $299
Dover Harbor Class – Waitlist

[imic_button colour=”btn-primary” type=”enabled” link=”” target=”_blank” extraclass=”” size=”btn-lg”]PURCHASE TICKETS 5/13 6PM EDT[/imic_button]

Prices and additional details for each trip are available here.

Tickets for the Erie Limited between Buffalo and Corning New York and the Lehigh Gorge Special between Allentown and Pittston, Pennsylvania will go on sale June 1st at 9AM (EDT). Prices and additional details for these trips are forthcoming.

All trips are daily round-trips departing in the morning and returning each night and include standard coach, deluxe coach, first class, dome, and specialty classes.

Additional operations with the 765 are also being planned, including the 765’s appearance at Steamtown’s Railfest and trips to the Nicholson Viaduct in September.

Due to the locomotive’s busy summer and fall schedule, the Society’s Annual Open House is now scheduled for June 13th and 14th, allowing visitors and future passengers the opportunity to experience No. 765 up close.

[imic_button colour=”btn-default” type=”enabled” link=”mailto:ticketagent@fwrhs.org” target=”_blank” extraclass=”” size=”btn-lg”]EMAIL TICKET AGENT[/imic_button] [imic_button colour=”btn-default” type=”enabled” link=”http://eepurl.com/fmI4Y” target=”_blank” extraclass=”” size=”btn-lg”] NOTIFICATIONS[/imic_button] [imic_button colour=”btn-default” type=”enabled” link=”https://fortwaynerailroad.org/events-and-excursions/” target=”_blank” extraclass=”” size=”btn-lg”]EVENTS CALENDAR[/imic_button]

Norfolk Southern features No. 765 in 2015 excursion season

By Excursions, News

FORT WAYNE, INDIANA – World-famous steam locomotive No. 765 and the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society will once again partner with Norfolk Southern Corporation to operate a series of special passenger excursions in Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York as part of Norfolk Southern’s 21st Century Steam Program.

No. 765 will operate several round-trip excursions originating of Fort Wayne, Indiana; Youngstown, Ohio; Buffalo, New York; as well as Allentown and Scranton, Pennsylvania. Unless otherwise noted, the 765 will operate one round-trip per day. There are no no overnight trips.

Additional information including times, ticket prices, accommodations, boarding sites, and other details about each trip will be available on the event calendar. All excursions are round-trips operated once per day between the departure and arrival cities unless otherwise noted.

Tickets for the excursions will be available for purchase online at fortwaynerailroad.org and over the phone by calling 1-888-718-4253 this summer. Norfolk Southern employees can arrange for tickets through the company portal.

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Society members will receive information and advance ordering instructions in the mail.

July 18th & 19th
FORT WAYNE – LAFAYETTE, INDIANA

July 25th & 26th
YOUNGSTOWN – ASHTABULA, OHIO

August 1st & 2nd
BUFFALO – CORNING, NEW YORK

August TBD
ALLENTOWN – PITTSTON, PENNSYLVANIA

September 12th & 13th
SCRANTON – NICHOLSON, PENNSYLVANIA

[imic_button colour=”btn-default” type=”enabled” link=”http://eepurl.com/fmI4Y” target=”_blank” extraclass=”” size=”btn-lg”]SIGN UP FOR NOTIFICATIONS[/imic_button] [imic_button colour=”btn-default” type=”enabled” link=”https://fortwaynerailroad.org/events-and-excursions/” target=”_blank” extraclass=”” size=”btn-lg”]EVENTS CALENDAR[/imic_button]

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Podcast features NKP no. 765 engineer, operations manager

By Uncategorized

The Roundhouse Podcast recently recorded an interview with Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society Operations Manager and locomotive engineer Rich Melvin.

“Starting his railroad career on the Pittsburgh & Lake Erie Railroad, Rich eventually worked his way up to being the Superintendant of Operations for the Youngstown Division of the Ohio Central Railroad.  He joined the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society (FWRHS) because he saw the professional attitude its organization had.  Rich has several stories from over thirty years of operating Nickel Plate Road #765 and shares them with us here, including the filming of ‘Matewan’ in 1987 and joining the 21st Century Steam program with Norfolk Southern.

As CEO and Publisher of O Gauge Railroading Magazine, Rich has seen and filmed many different O scale train layouts.  He provides insight as to why so many modelers choose this gauge as well as how the company has embraced technology moving into the Digital Age.”

You can listen here: http://theroundhousepodcast.com/2015/02/12/episode-003-nickel-plate-road-765-senior-engineer-rich-melvin/

 

Headwaters Junction and No. 765 Included in Riverfront Masterplan

By Headwaters Junction, News, Press Coverage, Projects

On February 4th, the City of Fort Wayne and its consultant SWA Group revealed the master plan for the 700 acres of downtown riverfront. As part of the first phase of enhancements, SWA has recommended the inclusion of Headwaters Junction, a railroad tourist attraction featuring the collection and operations of the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society (FWRHS), including historic steam locomotive no. 765.

“We believe that Headwaters Junction would be a catalyst for the riverfront and activate the entire area with the draw of this famous train. People come from all around the world to experience the 765 and now they’ll able to do it along the riverfront,” said Todd Meyer, Director of Planning and Urban Design for SWA.

The inclusion of Headwaters Junction follows several years of planning and community input, wherein Headwaters Junction was endorsed by Legacy Fort Wayne as “big, bold, and transformational.” The plan has consistently ranked highly among the community since 2011 and was recently included among the top ten riverfront improvement priorities.

Initial plans call for Headwaters Junction to include a recreated roundhouse, a once-common structure in Fort Wayne that served many of the community’s railroads. The roundhouse would be used for restoring and maintaining historic equipment and include a turntable, small railroad yard, and interpretive facility for display and exhibition, as well as a mixed use venue for private and public events. Visitors will be able to take rides, tour the facilities and participate in hands-on activities, and even operate real-life trains. Additionally, educational outreach programs targeting young adults would be offered, allowing high school students the opportunity to learn welding and preservation skills, as well as experience working on a railroad.

“The 765 and the railroad tourism industry provides a very unique kind of emotional experience for visitors and passengers. Trains are a romantic, sensory attraction,” said Kelly Lynch, Communications Director for the Railroad Historical Society. “We are thrilled that SWA and the City of Fort Wayne have recognized the potential in these incredible community assets breathing life to the riverfront.”

“For the same reason that you don’t need to be a sports fan to enjoy a night at Parkview Field, you don’t necessarily need to be a lover of history or trains to enjoy the sights, sounds, and atmosphere of Headwaters Junction,” said Lynch.

The Railroad Historical Society would utilize Headwaters Junction to expand its present operations, events, and annual programming. An adjoining railroad right-of-way would be reactivated for tourist train service with annual programming that would include events like dinner trains, the Polar Express and others throughout the year. Additional images, videos, renderings, and information are available at headwatersjunction.com.

Regional excursions behind the 765 could depart from the location at Harrison Street. The attraction would also house other historic railroad locomotives and equipment, including another steam locomotive, which are conceived to also operate on the railroad line.

Early estimates see at minimum 100,000 additional visitors downtown and an estimated economic impact of 9 million dollars from operations and out-of-town visitors each year. Comparable attractions earn anywhere from 100,00 – 400,000 visitors each year.

Total cost for the entire riverfront plan is estimated at 200 million dollars, with projections for the construction of Headwaters Junction ranging between 10-20 million depending on its final scope.

Headwaters Junction and the riverfront project as a whole will require significant public-private partnerships. As of this writing, the Society is exploring opportunities with potential corporate sponsors. In the past, the organization has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for the restoration and maintenance of railroad equipment like no. 765 through donations, grants, and strategic partnerships.

Recently, the organization’s annual Santa Train operations hosted 3,500 passengers in 16 hours. The Society’s excursions behind no. 765 are often filled to capacity, with its 2013 trips out of Fort Wayne selling out in less than two hours. During the 2014 Three Rivers Festival, no. 765 brought several thousand passengers from Detroit to Fort Wayne. Among the riders were passengers from South America, England, Canada, Texas, and California.

In recent years, the 765 has been the centerpiece at events that have drawn crowds of up to 40,000 people. Currently, Norfolk Southern Corp., and the Society partner regularly to operate passenger excursions and employee appreciation trains throughout the railroad’s 22,000 mile system.

The Society plans to pursue a dedicated feasibility study for the project in 2015 and plans to announce its excursions season with no. 765 sometime this spring.

The renderings featured below are conceptual in nature and provided for conversation and illustration.
Final scope, arrangement, placement, and neighboring structures are to be determined.