Steam & Excursion > Fort Wayne roundhouse attraction unveiled

A lot to report from Fort Wayne last weekend.

Our annual open house surpassed all expectations and experienced well over 3,000 visitors.
 
We also graduated our traditional Saturday night picnic for members into a Member Appreciation Day where folks could take cab rides, join a night photo session and dinner and more. We wanted to really hit home the "perks" of becoming a member and over 252 people attended. Previous attendance at our picnic was usually just under 100 members.

http://fortwaynerailroad.org/2016/08/record-crowds-at-2016-open-house/

We kicked off the Open House with a press conference Friday revealing the ceremonial/temporary renumbering of the 765-to-767. The background on 767 is here:

http://fortwaynerailroad.org/2016/08/the-return-of-the-767/

We also revealed the first big look at our plan for downtown Fort Wayne, the creation of a new non-profit organization, advisory board, phasing, budget and more. There is a lot of forward momentum on this effort with great local support and leadership:

http://fortwaynerailroad.org/2016/08/headwaters-junction-moves-forward-765-steam-locomotive-rechristened/

Additional plans and renderings are located here: http://headwatersjunction.com/2016/08/riverfront-attraction-moves-forward-with-advisory-board-phasing/

We woke up Tuesday to a major endorsement from the local paper which said that the project was "iconic" and "family friendly" and part of what was missing from proposed riverfront development projects.

http://headwatersjunction.com/2016/08/journal-gazette-endorses-headwaters-junction-as-iconic-family-friendly/

And as railroading offers both the highest highs and lowest lows (and sometimes in the same day), the "767" derailed to a broken gauge rod in a curve on track that had been measured that morning and the previous night. Bummer. We'll be back to work early tomorrow to rectify the rest of the situation there, fix fix the track and get the engine and tender re-united.

765-as-767 will be operating next at the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad in September: http://cvsr.com/steam-in-the-valley



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/26/16 20:23 by nathansixchime.

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We woke up Tuesday to a major endorsement from the local paper...  That seals it.  You got my vote. 

Seriously, it's nice to hear some good news in the media.  You guys deserve it.   Well done. 

Question: How/who was it discovered that 767 was really 765?   Or was it not a well kept secret to begin with?   (sorry did not mean to derail the topic,  Ouch)

A combination of parts being marked 765, the steam dome manufacturer's date and local lore from the NKP lead the way to revealing the 765 in 1975 when it was given its number back. That decision was reached because it never operated as the 767. What's most fascinating to us is that the REAL 767 was actually renumbered to 765 as well, so as far as the Nickel Plate was concerned they gave them their only 767...It's interesting they went to that length on retired engines that were otherwise scrap.

KL

When we formed the FWRHS in 1972, local reports indicated that the East Wayne Roundhouse Foreman, A.H. "Hap" Adang, is the one who decided that the 765 was in a lot better shape than the 767 which the City wanted.  Apparently it was his idea to swap numbers.  He did not change the monthly, annual or Form 4 documents at Cleveland HQ to match, so when the fake "765" went off to scrap, the ICC Form 4's for the real 765 were trashed by the ICC.  That was a problem when we got the 765 ready to return to service in 1979.  We then had to have a mechanical engineer reconstruct the documents and certify the boiler calculations to put her back into service.  When I get those documents dug out, we'll post some of those.  Very interesting and they verify the story.  Plus the monthly inspection report for the 765 in December 1958 for two days of stationary service.  That makes the 765 the very last Berkshire under steam by the NKP.

Not to be obsessed with the 765,  Headwaters Junction is really worth reading about and supporting.  Just think about the Daylight's new home in Portland.....that is an example that is worth adapting.

Will the FWRHS make Headwaters Junction it's new home base for all things 765 (Storage, Overhauls etc) like the 4449 group does in Portland or will the FWRHS keep the current shop and use it when needed?

So the brings me to the question: were the original front number plate and other number boards of 765 scrapped with the rest of the original 767?

Posted from iPhone

Spoony81 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Will the FWRHS make Headwaters Junction it's new
> home base for all things 765 (Storage, Overhauls
> etc) like the 4449 group does in Portland or will
> the FWRHS keep the current shop and use it when
> needed?

Our current location will be adequate for additional restoration work, RIP, storage, etc. No sense in getting rid of it, as it's ours free and clear.

HWJ is being designed as the ideal stage for high profile work to take place in - that'll be part of the programming .

nathansixchime Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Spoony81 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Will the FWRHS make Headwaters Junction it's
> new
> > home base for all things 765 (Storage,
> Overhauls
> > etc) like the 4449 group does in Portland or
> will
> > the FWRHS keep the current shop and use it when
> > needed?
>
> Our current location will be adequate for
> additional restoration work, RIP, storage, etc. No
> sense in getting rid of it, as it's ours free and
> clear.
>
> HWJ is being designed as the ideal stage for high
> profile work to take place in - that'll be part of
> the programming .

Thanks for the response Kelly
  Erik

howeld Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> So the brings me to the question: were the
> original front number plate and other number
> boards of 765 scrapped with the rest of the
> original 767?
>
> Posted from iPhone

Wayne could probably answer more preicsely, but the photos from East Wayne in the early 60s show the numberplates removed damaged/removed from the 765 (first photo.)


You can always tell the genuine 767 by the six sided numberboard, provided by the Conneaut shops after the 51 wreck. (second photo)


What ended up on the engine for Lawton Park was a flat, hand-painted headlight numberboard and home address numerals put in the flying numberboards as part of the "faux-767" dressing. (third photo)

Wayne fixed these items between 1972 and 74 so the engine looked proper.

This is largely one of the reasons we did the switch -- because it's a bit of cultural subterfuge on behalf of the Nickel Plate and allows people to know more about how the 765 came to be saved.

KL

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Hey -- That Headwaters Junction sounds wonderful!  Well done,
everyone in the FWRHS who had anything to do with this!  You
folks and the 765 really deserve the best!   And at last you will
have a well-designed building to keep the 765 in and work on
her in.  At last.

(One teeny leetle thing: in the drawing, there is no exhaust hood
above the stack to take the exhaust up and out of the building 
when she is fired up inside that nice new building.  Just an
oversight, I am sure, but I still wanted to mention it.)

nathansixchime Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> howeld Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > So the brings me to the question: were the
> > original front number plate and other number
> > boards of 765 scrapped with the rest of the
> > original 767?
> >
> > Posted from iPhone
>
> Wayne could probably answer more preicsely, but
> the photos from East Wayne in the early 60s show
> the numberplates removed damaged/removed from the
> 765 (first photo.)
>
>
> You can always tell the genuine 767 by the six
> sided numberboard, provided by the Conneaut shops
> after the 51 wreck. (second photo)
>
>
> What ended up on the engine for Lawton Park was a
> flat, hand-painted headlight numberboard and home
> address numerals put in the flying numberboards as
> part of the "faux-767" dressing. (third photo)
>
> Wayne fixed these items between 1972 and 74 so the
> engine looked proper.
>
> This is largely one of the reasons we did the
> switch -- because it's a bit of cultural
> subterfuge on behalf of the Nickel Plate and
> allows people to know more about how the 765 came
> to be saved.
>
> KL

Hey Kelly or Wayne - If I'm remembering correctly, wasn't the headlight of the "767" lit at night in the 1960's?? While I was quite young, if I asked my dad, he would take us past the locomotive while our family was out for a "drive" which usually included a round of Atz's Ice Cream cones. Ah the good old days. Thanks in advance for your reply.

Posted from Android

Margaret_SP_fan Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

>
> (One teeny leetle thing: in the drawing, there is
> no exhaust hood
> above the stack to take the exhaust up and out of
> the building 
> when she is fired up inside that nice new
> building.  Just an
> oversight, I am sure, but I still wanted to
> mention it.)

Thanks for your kudos.
Not necessarily an oversight. In the video you're seeing a locomotive posed in the interpretative space. The active roundhouse is through the wall/windows you can see visitors looking through - it's just not featured in the video but you can see it in the overhead map/rendering .

Goalieman Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> Hey Kelly or Wayne - If I'm remembering correctly,
> wasn't the headlight of the "767" lit at night in
> the 1960's??

Yes it was. The entire engine was lit up, actually.

KL



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/26/16 20:41 by nathansixchime.

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Earlier in this thread, an inquiring mind wanted to know about the original plates on LIMA 8673.  The original number plates on the 765 and 767 never have turned up that FWRHS is aware of.  One of the Lima diamond plates turned up at a Fort Wayne flea market years after the 765 started operating in 1979. By then we had long since visited a pattern maker and have had accurate reproductions made from time to time.    

Thanks for answer Wayne. Congratulations on your retirement!

Derek

Posted from iPhone