BREWSTER, Ohio — Following its two-week stay at the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad, Nickel Plate Road steam locomotive No. 765 made a historic detour on its way back to the Indiana Northeastern Railroad.
On May 5, the 2-8-4, owned and operated by the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society, departed the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic, heading southbound along the Wheeling & Lake Erie Railway’s Cleveland District, becoming the first steam locomotive on the line in more than 68 years. Later in the day, No. 765 arrived in Brewster where the society’s NKP diesel No. 358 was waiting.
According to a press release, the recently restored SD9 moved to the railroad’s shop complex early in the year for periodic mechanical work. This included “repairs to its trucks and traction-motors, in addition to load-box testing, culminating in significant improvements to its over-the-road performance.” The testing involved taking part in several local freight runs. Having originally worked on the Wheeling District when constructed for the Nickel Plate Road in 1957, it was a homecoming for No. 358.
On May 10, No. 765 then led three employee appreciation trips for the W&LE at track speed, from Brewster to Bowerston, Ohio. The railroad’s EMD SD40-2 No. 7024 was on the other end of the train for the return trips. In between were passenger cars from both the society and W&LE, along with four coaches of the Age of Steam Roundhouse Museum. The special was part of a series of events for employees and their families to celebrate the W&LE’s 35th anniversary.
“We are delighted to partner with the Wheeling to recognize their milestone and host their dedicated workers and families,” Fort Wayne Railroad Executive Director Kelly Lynch said in the release. “We are particularly grateful to the railroad’s employees in Brewster for helping us refine the mechanical restoration of No. 358, in the same shop it once called home.”
Since May 12, both Nickel Plate locomotives returned to the Indiana Northeastern for the 2025 season of the Indiana Rail Experience. No. 358 got a head start with the May 17 Cigar Train out of Pleasant Lake, Ind., while No. 765 will team up with the SD9 for both the Ice Cream and Wine & Whiskey trains out of Angola, Ind., during the Memorial Day weekend.
Visit the Indiana Rail Experience website for more information.
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Both rail veterans appear to be in great shape… Bravo to the FWRHS!
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