This morning Matt and I went to Bob Evans where I had French Toast and pork sausage patties. We went by Randy's motel but he was not feeling well but some friends would take him to TrainFestival 2009 later today. Matt and I drove to Owosso and I left him to meet Bob And Elizabeth in line again to wait to board the last all day trip at TrainFestival 2009 behind the Nickel Plate 765.
Nickel Plate Railroad 765 History
Nickel Plate Railroad 765 was built in 1944 and assigned to Bellevue, Ohio where it was used on fast freights. After the war it worked out of the Fort Wayne Classification Yard. The last run of the engine was on June 14, 1958. It was the donated to the city of Fort Wayne and placed in Lawton Park. In 1972 the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society was formed and the locomotive was towed to a shop in New Haven, Indiana, The group returned the locomotive to service on September 1, 1979. After years in excursion service in 1993, the locomotive was put back in the New Haven Shop to overhaul her running gear but it was then decided to perform a complete rebuilding of the NKP 765. NKP 765 steamed back to life in October 2005 and has been used in excursion service since.
The Trip
The NKP 765 pulled into the boarding area with NKP 2-8-4 765, Milwaukee Road Cedar Rapids 800040, Milwaukee Road Super Dome 800862, New York Central 3 Portland 800084, CLC Coach 5447, Lake Pepin 800799, St. Paul Pass 800798, Milwaukee Road Baggage 2450 800287, Ex Via 762 Concession, Steam Railroading Institute Baggage MSTX 1363 William Berkompas, Coach Arizona ATAX 800861, NSR 202 Wenonah 800261, Coach CN 5226, Coach CN 5228, Open Air Coaches Ohio Central 705 and 704 and Steam Railroading Institute MSTX 462 Mark Hoton. After First Class was boarded they pulled the train up and the three of us boarded the CN5228.
View of TrainFestival 2009.
At 9:53 AM the NKP 765 left Owosso for Alma for the second day in a row.
The line the Little River 110 took us out on Friday.
Not only did we have train chasers and photographers on the ground but one helicopter following our train.
Rolling across the Michigan countryside.
A farm along our route.
Clouds building up and I bet we have more rain later today.
Chasers getting back into the cars to get to their next photo location.
Fields with trees always interest me.
The corn is growing high this summer.
Interesting clouds.
Another barn along our route.
Trees.
Those clouds are getting darker as we head northwest towards Alma.
Chasers and that helicopter.
More fields.
Snow plows waiting for their winter duties.
Barn and white barns.
Horses.
The cemetery across from the park in Ithaca where the photo runbys are done on the return trips.
Scenes along the route to Alma.
A red barn.
The Pine River.
One leg of the Alma Wye before we arrived into Alma. I would remain on the train again to save our seats but would get off to take some pictures of our train in Alma.
The NKP 765 in Alma. I returned to the train and had a pair of Milwaukee Road 261 Hot Dogs.
The NKP 765 backed the train towards the wye for a repeat of yesterday wyeing.
Through the trees the NKP 765 comes down the northeast leg of the wye.
The NKP 765 heads to the switch and then will back to the point of our train.
As we backed to the boarding area the lake in Alma.
A Via Rail poster in our coach. The rains then poured forth for the heavens just as the passengers returned to our train. Would our photo runbys get rained out? The train left at 2:30 PM. It stopped raining just before we left Alma.
The leg of the wye I shot the NKP 765 on.
The clouds have darkened and rain was horizontally falling just before we reached Ithaca. The train slowed and came to a stop and we all unloaded for the Photo Runbys.
The sun was out for back up move 1.
A sunny Photo Runby 1.
Back up move 2.
A cloudy Photo Runby 2.
Back up move #3.
A rainy Photo Runby 3.
Backing the train up so we could reboard.
The NKP 765 took the curve at Ithaca. I went and bought a Nickel Plate 765 T-shirt.
Some people just can not handle an all day steam trip but we all know I can! The train returned to Owosso ending the final trip of TrainFestival 2009. A special thank you to all involved in putting this great event together! I walked onto the grounds for my final pictures at TrainFestival 2009.
Southern Pacific 4449.
Pere Marquette 1225.
Nickel Plate 765 and Little River 110.
TrainFestival 2009 scene.
Nickel Plate 765.
Little River 110.
Little River 1.
Vicose Company 6.
Scene on the grounds.
Great Lake Central Railroad 391.
Flagg Coal Company 75.
Leviathan 63.
Flagg Coal Company 75 on the turntable.
Great Lake Central engine facility.
Turntable scene.
Little River Railroad 110.
NKP 765.
The tank engines headed to the turntable.
Little River Railroad 110.
The NKP 765 for my last picture. I went to the Vendor Tent and helped Matt and Randy pack their display up. Matt then found the guy with a small tractor and wagon who took the stuff out to the bridge. Matt ran and got the car which we loaded and pulled away at 6:15 PM ending our part in TrainFestival 2009. We headed back towards Flint.
The Court house in Corunna. We stopped to get Dinner with me getting an Arby's Roast Beef Sandwich and then a party store to get me some Coca-Cola for the trip home. Back at the Super 8 I worked the rest of the night on the stories.
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