The Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society is best known for bringing a historic steam locomotive back into use. Nickel Plate Road No. 765 is a Berkshire, built by Lima Locomotive Works with a 2-8-4 wheel arrangement. Its preservation is closely tied to Fort Wayne, where the locomotive had worked and was stored in retirement. Rather than treat it as a generic example of steam power, follow the society’s account of its particular service on the Nickel Plate and its later life as a volunteer restoration project.
Work on the engine between 1974 and 1979 shows how long a return to operation can take. Restoring a locomotive means understanding its drawings, examining components and organizing heavy mechanical work that often continues well beyond an initial public campaign. A later rebuild culminated in No. 765 leaving the shop again in 2005. Those are distinct chapters in its history. A locomotive can be saved from disposal, returned to service and still need another major investment to keep it usable.
The society’s more recent work has also brought attention to New York Central No. 3001, the Mohawk long displayed in Elkhart. A September 2026 farewell was announced ahead of its relocation to Fort Wayne. That history should be read alongside the story of No. 765 without assuming that the two engines share the same status. A planned restoration or a newly relocated locomotive is a different proposition from an engine announced for a public excursion.
The best way to experience the society’s work depends on what you want to see. Published excursions offer a view of operating preservation, while announced events can show the equipment and the people who care for it. The workshop, a public event and a passenger train do not necessarily share a location or schedule. If you are especially interested in one locomotive, use the society’s own updates to follow its progress.
Visitor information
Researched November 2026.
Sources
More railroad museums in Indiana
- Hesston Steam Museum — Hesston: Steam and industrial heritage museum
- Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum — North Judson: Railroad museum and operating collection
- Indiana Railway Museum / French Lick Scenic Railway — French Lick: Operating railroad museum
- Linden Depot Museum — Linden: Depot and railroad history museum
- National New York Central Railroad Museum — Elkhart: Railroad museum and rolling-stock collection
- Whitewater Valley Railroad — Connersville: Operating railroad museum
- All 7 railroad museums and sites in Indiana
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- All heritage sites — museums, stations and landmarks
- Midwest — the trains you can ride in the region