FORT WAYNE, Ind. — A benefit for steam expert Gary Bensman — whose fingerprints are on virtually every major steam locomotive restoration project — is being held to help defray medical costs as he recovers from a heart attack, stroke, and cardiac surgery.
Bensman suffered a major cardiac event in February while working at a job site. He was airlifted to a Fort Wayne hospital, where he underwent multiple surgeries, including a heart bypass and a valve replacement.
“After weeks on a ventilator, Gary has shown remarkable strength in his recovery — but his journey is far from over,” Kelly Lynch, executive director of the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society, wrote on a GoFundMe page he set up to help Bensman, who has played a prominent role in the continued operation of the society’s Nickel Plate Road 2-8-4 Berkshire No. 765. “As many of you know, Gary has been self-employed for most of his life. The cost of his care has quickly exceeded what Medicaid can cover, making it difficult for him to access the therapy and rehabilitation he needs, including physical therapy to walk again and rebuild his strength.”
Contributions to the GoFundMe will help cover Bensman’s outstanding medical debt.
Retired Trains Magazine Editor Kevin P. Keefe, a friend of Bensman’s for four decades, praised Bensman’s role in keeping steam power alive long after railroads dropped their last fires.
“Gary’s truly a boomer, moving from engine to engine, usually taking the key role in bringing an engine back to steam. You might say his motto has been ‘Have Rivet Gun, Will Travel,’ if you remember the old Richard Boone TV westerns,” Keefe says. “And he’s more than simply a skilled mechanic: he understands steam engineering, steam culture, the whole historical arc from 19th-century teakettles to 1940s Super Power. I hope the steam community can step up and help Gary get out of the backshop as soon as possible.”
To contribute, follow this link to the GoFundMe page. As of 12:45 p.m. Central time on Friday, the effort had raised more than $33,000 toward a $60,000 goal.
