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October 28th is “Engine No. 765 Day” in Fort Wayne and Allen County. Why, you ask? Climb aboard and we’ll show you.
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The News-Sentinel covered the ever increasing challenges – and rewards – in operating the 765:
The 765 was active the majority of the weekends it was gone, including three straight in July and early August beginning with the Wabash Cannonball trip from Fort Wayne to Lafayette. Lynch said that that grueling schedule of back-to-back-to-back weekends will likely not be repeated in future excursion seasons. While the locomotive itself operates better the more it is run, the strain on engine and train staff, many of whom are volunteers, was substantial.“One weekend is a touchdown, two weekends is even better, but by the end of the third weekend many of the volunteers are just looking for the next day to sleep in,” Lynch said. “It really takes a small army to operate the 765.”
Lynch said that the entire operation this excursion season included a core group of between 25-30 people, from engineers and locomotive maintenance crew to managers, directors and passenger car hosts.The core group was complemented by other volunteers who join the “traveling circus” for a weekend or two here and there at various stops and geographical regions as their schedules allowed.
FORT WAYNE, INDIANA – The Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society, Inc. (FWRHS) marks the beginning of its 2015 excursion season with an inaugural trip out of Fort Wayne and news of a major donation toward making a combined railroad and riverfront attraction a reality.
Steel Dynamics has donated $15,000 toward a marketing and feasibility study for Headwaters Junction, a lauded attraction concept designated as a critical component of Phase 1 of the riverfront plan. The total cost of the $70,000 study and development work is anticipated to be covered by grants and private donations.
Headwaters Junction would prominently feature the Society’s popular attractions, annual events, programming, excursion trains, and an interpretive facility and is estimated to attract between 100-200,000 additional visitors to downtown Fort Wayne each year.
“We are very grateful to Steel Dynamics for helping us kick off the project,” said Kelly Lynch, Communications Director. “The community has steadily come to understand the worldwide appeal of the 765 and its operations. Having this train is a lot like having one of the last living dinosaurs and the Polar Express all wrapped up into one.”
SWA Group, a landscape and architecture firm, consulted with the city throughout 2014 to develop a viable riverfront plan. Early in 2015, SWA Group proclaimed that Headwaters Junction has the potential activate the neighborhood and riverfront area in an authentic and catalytic way. More information on the project is available at headwatersjunction.org.
On July 18th and 19th, historic steam locomotive No. 765 will operate two round-trips between Fort Wayne and Lafayette, Indiana in a repeat of its successful trips from 2013, which sold out in less than 2 hours. The round-trips feature a variety of accommodations aboard passenger cars from the turn of the century, including the Dover Harbor, a 1920s car complete with its own wait-staff, kitchen, and meals served throughout the day. Tickets are on sale now at fortwaynerailroad.org.
The Society has recently added additional tickets for its reincarnation of the Wabash Cannonball, a famous passenger train that operated between St. Louis, Fort Wayne, and Detroit.
The Fort Wayne trips mark the beginning of a busy year that will see No. 765 operate in Youngstown, Ohio, Allentown and Scranton, Pennsylvania, Buffalo, New York, and the Cleveland-Akron region. Passengers routinely travel from all 50 states and travel internationally to experience the vintage steam locomotive and train.
SCRANTON, PENNSYLVANIA – One of the biggest steam locomotive stars in North America will roll into Scranton to celebrate RailFest 2015 and the 100th anniversary of the Nicholson Bridge, officially referred to as the Tunkhannock Creek Viaduct.
On September 5th-7th, steam locomotive No. 765 will operate trips to the Delaware Water Gap aboard a recreation of the famous Phoebe Snow, a trip to East Stroudsburg, and appear on static display for festival attendees during RailFest. The Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society anticipates having open vestibules aboard the Phoebe Snow and a special photo runby during the layover. Each trip will feature accommodations aboard vintage passenger cars from the 1920s through 1940s.
Tickets for these excursions are on sale now at fortwaynerailroad.org/events-and-excursions.
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This summer will mark the first time in history No. 765 has operated out of the Scranton area in its history. Steamtown National Historic Site maintains several former Nickel Plate Road locomotives in its collection, including Nickel Plate Road No. 759, a sister engine to the 765. The 759 resides on static display inside the Steamtown roundhouse and at one time operated limited excursions out of the region in the 1970s.
“We are really thrilled to bring a mainline steam locomotive to Steamtown and work with the National Park Service, Norfolk Southern, and the various groups collaborating to make these experience for our passengers,” said Bill Otter, Society president.
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.
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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.
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