What a wonderful surprise we enjoyed this morning! Our house is right near the railroad tracks, and every once in a while, from far off, we will hear the distinctive sound of a steam whistle, echoing off the silos, and alerting us to the imminent arrival of a steam train! We are more used to seeing the beloved 110, a steam engine from the Little River Railroad out of Coldwater, MI.
But something was a little different this morning. The whistle was a lot louder, for one thing, and the sound was a little different. After that first blast, Tony grabbed the camera and was off like a shot. When he got to the crossing, he found a whole group of enthusiasts there with tripods and cameras, just waiting for the engine to appear.
The chug-chug-chug became louder as the train grew closer, and soon the cloud of steam, rising high into the air, announced the arrival of the train. Beau was watching from farther down the track, Tony was at the crossing, and Jim and I were watching through a window inside the house, all of us waiting for the engine to come into view.
As it approached the crossing, the whistle came out strong once again, and there she was! It wasn’t 110, but a much larger Berkshire engine, the 765 out of Fort Wayne! What a sight for sore eyes!
Just good, clean railroading fun!
The 765 was designed by William E. Woodard of Lima Locomotive Works in Lima, Ohio, in 1944. 765 worked the New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad, known as the “Nickle Plate Road” for almost two decades, and was then donated to the city of Fort Wayne, Indiana in 1963 as a monument to the steam age. 765 was on display outside for 11 years, and then a five-year restoration process was begun by volunteers at the Fort Wayne Historical Society.
We were tickled pink to see this wonderful treasure of a steam engine puffing away in all of her glory this morning! There are several authentic, restored steam trains in Michigan thanks to our railroad enthusiasts and generous volunteers. Some of these trains still carry passenger cars and offer tickets on select weekends. Anybody up for a fall color tour? Check the links below to find ticket availability right here in Michigan!
If you want to watch some historic footage of the same train we saw this morning, visit the page devoted to her here.
She looks very much like the 1225 which has its home in Owosso, MI, and is said to be the inspiration for the famed “Polar Express.”
Or go here and see our beloved 110. Squint your eyes, and you might be able to imagine what Thomas the Tank Engine might look like in black!
The Fullers Four 