Historic trains stationed in Bellevue

BELLEVUE — It's like going back in time. People have the chance to experience the previous ruler of the railway, the Nickel Plate Road No. 765, in its full glory. The steam locomotive is among the last of its kind; only are left. It will be in Bellevue for the next two weekends at the Mad River & NKP Railroad Museum on Southwest Street. The No. 765 was also reunited with the museum's No. 757 for the first time since they were last in service in 1958. "These locomotives made the Nickel Plate Road profitable. They were the pinnacle of steam technology and hauled heavier trains and were more fuel-efficient than most locomotives of its day," museum vice president Dwayne Fuehring said. "Bellevue was the hub of the Nickel Plate. There were so many of these locomotives coming in and out of town. The majority of this town's population either ran or maintained them." The Berkshire-type train was a common sight on the railroad line from Fort Wayne, Indiana, to Bellevue across the New York, Chicago & St. Louis Railroad, or the Nickel Plate Road. "All of your trains today are powered by diesel-electric. They use a diesel engine to power a generator," Fuehring said. "These are completely steam-powered and the whole boiler has to be heated enough to where it will boil water. It's a huge mass of iron." During the train's heyday, it would carry anything from raw materials to finished products, Fuehring said. "The Nickel Plate Road was known for hauling perishable shipments like fruits, vegetables, meats. But they would haul just about anything, even automobiles." He said they were not typically used for passenger trains, but during wartime, they were used for "huge troop movements." No. 765 calls Fort Wayne, Indiana, home and was restored to operation by the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society in 1979. "The 765 is one of the first steam locomotives of its size and type to be resorted and operated by a volunteer organization," said Kelly Lynch, vice president of the Fort Wayne Historical Society. "They restored and rebuilt it, and it's been running almost continuously ever since." Lynch said all the other locomotives of its kind were scrapped in the late 1950s for the more modern diesel engines. The Nickel Plate was one of the last railroads to make the switch. "It's kind of magical, it's a sensory experience. You can smell the coal, you can feel it when it goes by," he said. "Getting these engines together is pretty unique and rare. These are icons of the Nickel Plate Railroad. Getting the engine ready for operation takes longer than one might expect, between six and eight hours. "They are labor-intensive. You need somebody tending the fire and a crew to service. There are air pumps and it needs oiled and lubricated," Lynch said. "It's a 400-ton time machine but it's made up of all these other smaller machines that are all powered by steam."