Steam Right On - An Inspiring Steam Revival | Nickel Plate Road no. 759
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- Опубликовано: 26 май 2021
- Learn how a brief mainline steam revival became the catalyst for the grassroots steam locomotive preservation movement: fortwaynerailroad.org/2021/05...
In May of 1958, the steam locomotive had less than 60 days of life left on the New York, Chicago, and St. Louis Railroad.
In Conneaut, Ohio, the slow march toward obsolescence wore on inside the railroad’s shop near South Jackon Street. Sometime that month, it would complete the last overhaul of one of its storied Berkshire-type steam locomotives - an engine numbered 759.
Despite the railroad’s re-investment in the locomotive, its “superpowered” ability to hustle and bustle commerce across the Midwest, and the belief that steam could still play a limited role were it not for an economic recession, the engine would never turn another wheel for the what was more commonly known as the Nickel Plate Road.
A few weeks later in June, the outdated technology that had steadily guided the company for over 70 years would cease. The flame would extinguish entirely that winter when a stored steam engine numbered 765 was fired up for a stranded passenger train in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and as a few yard engines loped around Bellevue, Ohio to fill in amidst their diesel-powered replacements.
In the late 1950s and early 60s, a variety of retired engines had been plucked from the scrap line, destined to become city monuments or encounter other fates - Nickel Plate Mikado-types went to Hammond and Indianapolis, Indiana, and Bloomington, Illinois; one Hudson went to St. Louis and two others to a private owner; but the Berkshires, still listed as “stored serviceable” on the company roster, languished around the system. In 1962, F. Nelson Blount purchased the 759 for his collection at Steamtown USA, a swelling museum collection of itinerant steam locomotives located in New Hampshire, and later relocated to Bellows Falls, Vermont.
Not long after, a collection of steam history enthusiasts which comprised the High Iron Company had sprung up operating steam excursions in the East. “HiCo” was determined to celebrate the centennial of the Transcontinental Railroad a short time away in 1969. They knew that pulling a massive, barnstorming, cross-country steam excursion required a superpower. They needed the 759.
#NickelPlate759 #NickelPlate765 #Steamtown 
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Learn how a brief mainline steam revival became the catalyst for the grassroots steam locomotive preservation movement: fortwaynerailroad.org/2021/05/steam-right-on/
Thank y’all for uploading this video.
Since 757 is being restored why not double head with 765 and 757 and 611
I want 759 to be restored and run again
I feel the same way this is my favorite train of all-time
I wished Shining Time Station used that footage for the show.
I love how this is told from the point of view of 759
It really is pretty charming.
Agree very unique Epic
There was a similar program that focused on the GG-1s that was told through their perspective.
@@fortwaynerailroad is Ross Rowland considering running 765 on the AFT in 2026?
the voice is very fitting, charming, country boy-like, a man lost in the past brought back to the present and treated like a celebrity even though he only was doing what he did best, it fits 759 pretty well tbh
20:43
A wild Doyle McCormack has been spotted! Lol
"I'm quite self-centered and temperamental and I demand lots of attention!" I believe that's the best way to describe a steam locomotive I've ever heard.
It all started with one.
Will there be another 759 and 765 reunion one day?
This is going to be a wild ride!
Damn right
What does that mean?
It means that two NKP Berkshire’s are reuniting with each other.
Thank you for sharing this. While it's a shame how 759's career ended, 759's legacy lives on with every steam locomotive, like her sibling 765, who are restored and operated today. So in a way, a part of 759 thunders on today.
Loved the steam derrick coaling 759's tender at the beginning!
If I had the opportunity I would save it and put it back on the rails
Just fantastic. Never have seen any footage before of the "Horseshoe Curve Special". Dad and I rode. Sept 1970.
If there's a better modern-day historical video out there...I'd love to see it. Excellent narration and well written !!!
759 had the honor of hauling the N&W's last passenger train
Beautiful documentary of the NKP 759!
If anyone could get 759 up and running it would be the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society. If you ever decide to pull another worn-out steamer out of a park and bring it back to life consider our old friend, 759.
Let's face it if it hadn't been for 759's operations the 765 would've not be running now
Kool videos. Takes me back to being a kid and when steam excursions were just about everywhere!
A great video I loved 759 as much as I do 765 today and even though her Excursion career didn't last as long at least she is remembered and thanks to 765 and in a way she helped get 765 Revival started as well I do hope someday another Nickel Plate Road Berkshire will join 765 I do hope that 763 will be restored to operation someday at the age of steam Roundhouse and I hope someday she will be reunited with 765 and I do hope that 587 and possibly 624 will be restored to operation someday as well out of all class 1 railroads in the United States I would have to say my top favorite ones are the Nickel Plate Road and the Chesapeake and Ohio because I loved the Berkshires they are my number one favorite steam locomotive and I liked Berkshires of all other railroads including Pere Marquette thank you for sharing this wonderful video to pay tribute to this once great Excursion star
The video team at Fort Wayne does an amazing job! Who ever thought of the idea of having the story told from NKP 759’s point of view deserves a raise haha! Bravo! Keep them coming! Hopefully some day 759 will be fired up again!
I like the style this was done. Fort Wayne always delivers on the promos
That was great! I never thought I would see footage of the 759 rounding the Curve, and in such good quality! Thanks for uploading this.
Thanks for this....I don't think I've seen this much sound footage of 759 before now. Dad worked for High Iron in 1969-70 and helped restore the '9 in the roundhouse on West (not South!) Jackson Street here in Conneaut. Looked for him in the footage but I don't think he made the Horseshoe Curve trip.
Chris, what was your dad's name? My dad, Larry Haines and I were also involved in the The High Iron Co. I spent a few weeks in Conneaut volunteering during the initial steaming and break in run, then on and off back east for many of the fan trips. It's so bizarre to stumble across a video on youtube and see an early version of yourself (me at 3:15 and Dad at 3:25). It's great to see a number of familiar faces on this video although I'm sure those faces look a bit different today as does mine.
Bob Bartone
@@cmbart1 The name is familiar but I can't say that I remember him. Fifty three years has blurred all but the the most basic details. The whole era was a great adventure.
Don't mind me, I'm just reading the comments🍿 Thanks for sharing this documentary!
This really does take you back to a time when steam was truly king, to times when the iconic iron horses ruled the rails once again in a different life, pulling scores of cars filled with people riding back in time, she had a great life indeed
NKP 759. Is my second favorite locomotive I’ve seen it before in person at steam town and that the person who returned it to operation witch was Ross Rowland I’ve met before at new hope, PA while ride NH&I 40
Same here, I'm actually friends with it's VP fireman Hank Webber
How did you meet him?
#BringBack759
This is one of the best film about the phenomenon of steam that I have ever seen. It really captures the appeal and even with the first-person narrative stuff it never crosses the line into cringeworthy or cheesy. High Iron Co. really knew what they were doing, in more ways than one. Thank you for posting this, and I really hope you guys will be able to pull off some more high speed mainline 765 excursions like the Metra trips!
Great camera work in this film. 13:49 is not typical railfan cinematography.
Happy June 765 and 759!
Beautiful program.
Steam engines are living breathing beast. Like the animal it got named after in the west it's wild, it's hard to tame, and its something that can only be described as awe inspiring. The 759 is the example of this.
I recognize some familiar sights from back in the Southern Tier of NY, scenes I saw last night watching videos of the 2015 trip the FWRHS took on the old Erie lines through there. Also the sights in PA are stunning in this video.
I Love 765 A Lot But Her Sister Is Also My Best Favorite
Simply fantastic!
1:39 ".. Actually, my name is unimportant.."
It's Alan isn't it?😏 You sound like an Alan Frank, lol. Seriously though, from 759's Perspective as a man, it's always reinforced for me that these locomotives we're not only alive, but truly do have a personality in every aspect of life within itself and others that work with, on or gaze upon these mechanical marvels. Steam will always have a special place in my heart.
If it wasnt for 759's sacrifice, 765 may have too been lost. The segue at the end was borh heartwarming and bittersweet.
Beautiful 💓
759 should be restored! Steamtown should at least lease the engine to Strasburg or reading and blue mountain to fix the cracked pipes in the boiler! Just any organization willing to restore her!
I like the way you think! 759 will return to the High Iron, despite what some butthurt idiots might say.
@@BenBensonStudios hella based!
I agrree
@@BenBensonStudios as long as Steamtown owns it, it will sit.
@@LRF152 steamtown is more of a “diesel town” in terms of how many operational locomotives are there. They only got that small Baldwin 26 locomotive. I would pay money to see 759 return to steam
Omg there fotage of the curve and 1361
#759forPOTUS
] have a personal connection with Nkp 759, and Nkp 765. My grandparents rode on the Golden Spike Centennial Limited from Chicago to Omaha back in 1969, and they loved it. My dad would then ride in the cab of the 759 during the Scranton Excursions in 1971-1972. I visited Steamtown and I remember getting special access to 759 as Nkp 765 pulled up alongside it.
edit: What is so significant about the Nickel Plate Berkshires having a mars light?
ayyyy it’s out good ol buddy chum pal lad friend or foe strange being, **inhales** 759
Yes.
#makesteamtownrespectBlountagain! He saved them all so they now rust! The Real Steamtown is in Maine, they preserve Blounts legacy there!
have you ever thought of 765 actually wearing 759 whistle, then that's something to hear from 759 whistle
Could you imagine if the fort Wayne railroad historical society restored 170?
YES!!!!!
I have a collection of o gauge train.Take a guess of what type of steamer I have? That is right the berkshire type.I have a lionel post war 736 I have sevel berkshire type.I have 2 C&O Berkshires and 1 L&N big emmaAnd a scale 765 and a lionel tmcc Virginian berkshire.Why would some one who was born after the steam has been gone.Well might have something to do withThe fact I went to a school right beside the train track of the SEABOARD COAST LINE.To me the steam locomotives of this country did the job.See their side rods a blurr always gives me chills.
NKP 759 "The Forgotten Sister of 765"
i feel like that nkp 759 doesn't get enough attention
The Steam Locomotive that started steam excursions the first NKP Berkshire that ran specials the amazing
*NKP 759*
Fire up 759
Will 759 be restored
Unlikely at this point, but who knows for sure.
They should restore her. Imagine 759 765 and 1225 tripleheading
I'd like to see the 765, 759, and either the 763 or the 779 all restored to run! Not likely tho.
And yes I know, the 765 already runs. But the others, especially last 2, would be awesome!
1225 runs
Yeah, but they say the 759 is a tired engine. How though? How can a machine be tired?
@@greatandpowerfulSUZI Sure. I was just talking about an all NKP lineup there. But the 1225 is a close cousin.
759
Tried to buy the Listen for the Whistle documentary but it’s out of stock, are you going to get more in? I’m also about 2 hours away if you have a gift shop.
is 759 going to be restored like it's sibling 765
fort wayne railroad historical society, is there any chance this will be available on dvd? if so, I would really be interested in a copy?
The deeply ingrained appeal of railroads and locomotives is due the fact that they equalize our pathetic physiology and our harsh and unyielding environment, allowing us to neutralize an extreme disadvantage. What do humans spend most of their time doing? Schlepping things around, and schlepping our bodies to and fro. Unaided, we are limited to what we can carry with our hands and on our backs. We can't move much of a load over much of a distance, and as the terrain gets more difficult, we get frustrated, and yearn for a better way of doing it. When steam powered locomotives drawing trains over railroads made their appearance in the 1800s the entire human race fell in love. All over the world. It is only natural that we feel an affinity to them. We have collectively reckoned that no matter how much environmental damage railroads have done, it is a minuscule price to pay for the benefits they provide. There is something so satisfying, and on such a deep level, at having beaten nature into submission, that it can't be explained.
brother vs brother who will win
RIP NKP 759
Oi, it might not be operational but it's still preserved.
@@Jimboliah3985 you got a point Jim.
Will an interview with Ross Rowland be included hopefully?
This comment section is aids right now
The FRA is monitoring this section.
759 and 765 are better than 2716
In about 1973 or 74, Glenn Brendel arranged to get a copy - maybe THIS copy- and the newly formed FWRHS showed it at one of our local Fort Wayne membership meetings. It was almost as good as watching it go through Ohio and Indiana in May 1969 with the Golden Spike Centennial Limited. Glenn, Skip and John saw it going westbound at the connection of the Nickel Plate Road and Wabash at New Haven, IN. Wayne saw it heading eastbound at Celina, OH and Gary saw it a few minutes later at St. Marys, OH. They both caught up with the 759 spending the night at Lima but didn't meet each other for several years. There was lots of 60-70 mph running and the 759 was indeed the inspiration that one of these industrial dinosaurs could be brought back from the dead to live and breathe again!
Nope! C&O RR Kanawha 2700’s were far better engines, the envy of all railroad men.
2716 is bigger, newer, faster, more powerful, heavier, safer, and better looking!
No i mean, i dont like 2716, because it trumped the 587
2716 DESERVES TO BE SCRAPPED, THE CANAWA I WANT TO SE IN EXCURSION SERVICE IS 2700, YOU HEARD ME, I HATE 2716
Alex Life
Cheer up man! No need for hate. It’s only an old piece of iron and brass. There’ll be brighter days ahead for steam engines and I’m sure that ole 587 will be running again soon!