NKP 765 Steam Locomotive to pull Summer Excursions

The 2015 schedule for historic steam locomotive NKP 765 will include round-trip excursions during July and August.

Nickel Plate 765 is fresh out of Ft. Wayne, IN kicking off the second excursion day. The locomotive put on quite a show through the town of Roanoke with a huge cloud of steam and smoke. Photo by Jeremy Lowth. 10/27/13.

Climb aboard in standard coach, deluxe coach, first class, dome car, or exclusive specialty classes on the Dover Harbor or Hollywood Beach for an incredible, day long experience back in time. Seating and availability are limited and lunch is included in all classes this year!

Founded in 1972, the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society, Inc.  was the first all volunteer, non-profit to restore and operate a mainline steam locomotive after removing No. 765 from Fort Wayne’s Lawton Park in 1974 and rehabilitating it to operating condition in 1979. The locomotive has traveled more than 50,000 miles in public exhibition and excursion service and was recently rebuilt in 2005. It has ferried over NS with diesel escorts to shortline and tourist railroads in Indiana, Michigan, and Illinois in recent years.

Wabash Cannonball

July 18th & 19th: 230-mile round-trip behind steam locomotive NKP 765 between Fort Wayne and Lafayette; new routing may be added.

Lehigh Gorge Special

July 22nd & 23rd: Historic steam locomotive NKP 765 will operate a round-trip excursion each day between Allentown and Pittston, Pennsylvania.
The Lehigh Gorge Special is a scenic feast! Departure begins from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania on the Norfolk Southern Lehigh Line. Travel north on NS rails along the Lehigh River to M&H Junction, where you will move on to the rails of the Reading, Blue Mountain and Northern Railroad.  Continuing along the Lehigh Gorge river for a few more miles,  you’ll eventually begin the climb up out of the Lehigh Gorge and up to Mountain Top before going back downgrade into Pittston, PA.

While turning on the wye in Pittson, lunches will serve on board the train for the return trip. There will also be a stop in Jim Thorpe, PA for about 2 hours. Jim Thorpe is rated as one of the top ten small town destinations in the country by several travel services.

It has been over 40 years ago since you could ride a regular passenger train south of Jim Thorpe and there is no way to predict when this could happen again, if ever. These trips will see the 765 travel over the former Jersey Central and Lehigh Valley Railroads for the first time in history.

Ashtabula Special

July 25th & 26th: Historic steam locomotive NKP 765 will operate a round-trip excursion each day between Youngstown and Ashtabula, Ohio.
This trip will board at the Covelli Center, a popular entertainment venue at 229 E Front Street in downtown Youngstown, Ohio. The rail route travels the Norfolk Southern Youngstown Line, a former New York Central branch. Once out of Youngstown, the line travels through a sparsely populated section of Ohio and doesn’t go through any towns on the way north. Upon arrival in Ashtabula, lunch will be served to all passengers in a tent set up less than a block from the train along the former Nickel Plate Road mainline. The last passenger train on this route was over 60 years ago.
The Casa Capelli restaurant is providing the buffet lunch and there is no additional cost to any passenger for this lunch. It is included in the ticket price.

Erie Limited

August 1st & 2nd: Ride behind historic steam locomotive NKP 765 on a 250-mile round-trip excursion between Buffalo and Corning, New York.
This trip will board in the Norfolk Southern Yard at 100 Bison Parkway in Cheektowaga, NY, a suburb of Buffalo. The 120-mile, 4-hour run through the Canisteo River Valley is very scenic. The highlight of the trip is crossing the Letchworth Gorge on the high Portage Bridge. The train will slow to 10 mph to go over that bridge to provide the passengers with a great view.

Upon arrival in Corning, buses will take the passengers to the Corning Museum of Glass. The bus ride is only 1.3 miles. Passengers will have two hours to enjoy the museum before getting back on the buses to head back to the train. Your scenic train ride should be back in Buffalo around 7 pm.

The last time the 765 operated over this route was over 20 years ago and the last regular passenger trains over this route operated over 40 years ago.