Where Was Nickel Plate 765 in 1982?

I’ve run across a photograph of a large steam locomotive hauling a heavyweight consist, with a company-printed date of JUL 1982 on the back. I can’t count wheels and there’s not a lot of detail visible, but I’m almost entirely certain it’s Nickel Plate 765, or perhaps something belonging to Ross Rowland. My guess is that the photograph was taken somewhere on N&W trackage, perhaps during an excursion to celebrate the N&W/SOU combination.

Can anyone help?

the 765 did do some excursions along the rathole in ky and tennesee.without seeing a pic i couldnt tell you.why not email www.765.org. they could tell you better than I.

stay safe

Joe

765 operated between Bellevue and Orrville on June 19, 20, 26 and 27 on trips sponsored by the Mad River and NKP Museum. It was scheduled to run during July 10, 11, 17 and 18 in the Fort Wayne area, 6 14 mile trips per day, during the Three River Festival. At about that time the Southern Railway was using C&O 2716 for their trips and it had firebox problems. They leased the 765 to fill in, but I believe that would have been during the fall of 1982.

Oh, that’s a capital idea that hadn’t occurred to me. The picture’s virtually devoid of any identifying features, other than light gray ballast and what looks like the beginning of a doubletrack segment (probably a passing siding). The treeline’s green, and that’s it. :\

Southern ran the 2716 in the Alexandria, VA, area during July and leased the 765 beginning in September.

…Sorry I can’t be specific on 1982 dates without digging out photos…{have lots of them}, taken right here in the 80’s as 765 visited. It generally pulled 15 to 20 {mostly heavy weight type cars}, as it motored down from Ft. Wayne to Muncie, In…{Here}. Generally it would lay over here for several hours and then return to Ft. Wayne.

My photos are not very well cataloged and it would be trial and error looking…765 did quite a few trips in the 80’s to Muncie. It sure did generate lots of onlookers…Perhaps in the hundreds.

Well, if the photo was dated 1982, and the engine is under it’s own power, it wasn’t Ross Rowland’s Berkshire. His (#759) was allowed to freeze up in the winter (stored outside without draining) of 1973. And I don’t believe it has ever been repaired

Pere Marquette Railway’s steam locomotive #1225,(another Berk) was under restoration between 1971 and 1988, so that one is out. Pretty muck leaving #765 as the only operating Nickle plate Berk during that time period. And #765 did run quite a bit back then, I’ve even seen pictures of it hauling boxcars on the TP&W, over in Watseka Il back around that time.

I guess there is also a Nickle Plate Mikado, #587 that has done excursions, a 282 design which might confuse some.

For a convenient recap of what became of all Nickle Plate’s Berks, look here

…Isn’t that #587 steamer based down at Noblesville here in Indiana…I also remember that Bob McClain {Channel 6 weather man in the past}, was one of the members that worked with it…I hope I’m remembering these facts correctly. It was here in Muncie too back perhaps in the 80’s and it was double headed with another one…either 765 or 611…Which right now, I’m not sure.

I’ll have to deferr to your expertise, I’m not real familiar with 587, I know it’s “out there” that’s about all.

I thought that 759 ran in the 80’s too, but not according to what I found tonight.

I had heard that they screwed it up, turning it into a museum display only, but I didn’t realize it was way back in the 70’s that it happened