NEWSLETTER OF THE FORT WAYNE RAILROAD HISTORICAL SOCIETY WINTER 2015 • A brief revisit to an elevated railroad • At the throttle of the Detroit Arrow IN THIS ISSUE • Santa Train breaks records again • Joe Knapke elected to board of directors NEWSLETTER OF THE FORT WAYNE RAILROAD HISTORICAL SOCIETY WINTER 2015 Homeward bound on the 765’s last trip of 2014. Brandon Townsley When the extraordinary becomes commonplace, it is no less remarkable Volunteer Ken Wentland engages passengers within the warm confines of Nickel Plate Caboose no. 141. By Kelly Lynch, Editor The long steel rail and our 400-ton time accomplishment in the steps of the 765 and her Record breaking Santa Train carries on community tradition machine took us on another adventure in crew - the kind that engine crews in their crisp By Kelly Lynch, Editor 2014. The famed Water Level Route made for denim and chore coats must have once felt at Last December, our long-running Santa Train event expected to be able to immediately board the train, most fast, easy running on employee appreciation the end of a day’s shift 60 years ago. received a significant upgrade by way of offering advance were content with a wait no longer than 45 minutes, a tour specials for Norfolk Southern between Elkhart, In August, we had our first planning ticket sales for the first time in history. of the 765, and kids had the option of watching the Polar Indiana and Bryan, Ohio. The 765 muscled meeting for 2015 with Norfolk Southern. Over 3,000 passengers visited us in 2013, at times Express while they waited. The advance ticketing also through Chicago-land on trips out of Calumet, This year will be the last official year of the extending the wait time to over two hours. While we can inserted an air of unexpected calm at the start of each hour Illinois, and swept thousands of passengers 21st Century Steam program. The railroad appreciate the popularity of the event, we wanted to and we gauged the success of each Saturday by the number from around the world on a trip from Detroit, recognizes that the 765’s draw continues to improve the customer experience by lessening the wait time of crying babies we heard (there were no more than 3.) The Michigan to downtown Fort Wayne. be an asset, and that their provision for our and guaranteeing visitors spot on the train. Santa Train also enjoyed press coverage by every major In our third year operating in the operation is vital to the 765. Additionally, they Another consideration was weather and parking. media outlet in Fort Wayne on the first weekend, despite the 21st Century Steam program with Norfolk have praised the continued seamlessness of our Even as the weather worsened last year, the number advance sales being sold out. We’ve posted these stories on Southern there was a feeling of familiarity in combined efforts. It seems unusual to refer to of passengers continued to increase, forcing us to close our website in the News section. the sights inspired by the train: the gracious and this type of preservation and outreach as being early due to the condition of our parking lot on the final Next year, we’ll further refine the process and likely appreciative employees; the supportive staff anything other than commonplace, but we weekend. In offering tickets online, we also set aside a offer tickets in half hour blocks instead of hour long and management of busy terminals; the great, are proud - and you should be too - that we’ve limited number of walk-in tickets to try and make the sections and possibly add yet another hour of operation pursuing crowds in the 765’s shadow along been granted the chance to make our hard transition easier for customers. It’s a good thing we did, each Saturday. Route 6, and the many double takes and long work recognizable, results appreciable, and the because tickets sold out in less than sixteen hours; faster Our Santa Charters, a 45-minute evening ride with looks as the 765 marched into the old Nickel remarkable almost commonplace. than even the quickest selling 765 trips in recent memory Santa, gifts, and refreshments sold out quickly, too. It’s Plate station in downtown Fort Wayne. The next time you see no. 765 storm and without a cent of paid advertising. possible that we will dedicate Sundays next year to these That feeling of familiarity isn’t borne out by, or settle in your coach seat, or watch Online ticketing helped us better control the quality operations, because Santa’s elves are typically pretty beat of boredom in this kind of work. It emanates those trackside smiles whiten and eyes widen, of the experience, and on separate weekends we had after a long day running trains. from participating in the movement of a well- remember that once upon a time, this was visiting Girl Scouts and a brass band entertain customers. Special thanks to our train crews, conductors and oiled machine, whose routine is measured in commonplace, and how these partnerships With a head-start, we were able to handle about 120 engineers, as well as our souvenir, sales, and car host customer satisfaction as much as it is in dollars make the extraordinary seem almost customary passengers an hour and by the final weekend were running volunteers for making this small but important event a earned. There is a measure of confidence and again. a half an hour early. Though some first-time customers complete success once again. Runnin’ By the Bar By Rich Melvin and Gary Bensman When Aaron Sherman published the operating schedules for our Detroit trips last year, I was honored that he had assigned me to run the return trip on both Saturday and Sunday. I was especially pleased to see the Sunday schedule. Aaron had assigned Gary Bensman to be my fireman. Gary and I often worked together on the 765 back in the early and mid- 1980s. Back then I spent more time in the left seat firing than I did running. I fired for Gary many, many times back in those days. Recently he had fired for me on a few occasions, but we had never before been officially assigned as the engine crew. Prior to Saturday’s trip, Gary and I got to talking about how best to run the 765 on this trip. We had a 21-car train, so we had enough tonnage to allow the 765 to work efficiently. There are only very small grades on the line between Fort Wayne and Detroit. This lightly rolling profile, combined with the tonnage of a 21-car train would allow us to run the 765 using a technique that was a standard operating practice on the Nickel Plate Road; David Boe that is, “Runnin’ by the Bar.” Between Fort Wayne and Detroit I would have to make With a short cutoff setting, the 765 would run with 100 psi The Sunday trip turned out to be really special for me. the right speed to maintain steam pressure within a three-pound small adjustments to the 765’s power output to maintain a steady cylinder pressure and about 4 psi of back pressure. At a longer With Gary assigned as the fireman on Sunday, we had two NS- range, while the water level stayed steady at 2/3 glass. All the 40 mph over the rolling profile. When adjusting the power output cutoff setting, the cylinder pressure would drop by half to only 50 approved engineers in the cab. My wheels started turning and while, Gary was runnin’ ’er by the bar, keeping the 765 right at 40 of a steam locomotive, there are two ways to do it. If big power psi, but the back pressure would only change very slightly, rising a unique idea came to me. When I met Gary at East Wayne mph. changes are required, the engineer has to change the throttle to around 5 psi. As far as the fireman was concerned, the draft Yard, I told him my idea, and he loved it. When we relieved the After almost an hour Gary asked the called NS engineer if position. But if only small power changes are needed, he can on his fire did not change even though the engineer may have inbound crew at East Wayne, I took the engineer’s seat, and Gary he would like some time at the throttle. Of course he accepted. change power output of the locomotive by changing the cutoff. changed the engine’s power output by almost 50%. held down the left side tending to the firing chores. We backed With only a few minutes of instruction on the movements of the This is done by adjusting the reverse gear, the Johnson Bar. While Once we got out of Fort Wayne yard limits on the return downtown and coupled to the train. With an on-time departure power reverse to control the cutoff, the NS engineer was also the two methods achieve essentially the same result, what happens trip on Saturday, I accelerated the train up to 40 mph. Upon from the old NKP elevated Fort Wayne station, we headed east. runnin’ ’er by the bar. Next it was time for the NS road foreman to the engine as it achieves those results is very different. reaching 40, I set the throttle and cutoff to yield what I figured About two hours into the trip, I looked over to Gary and gave to run for a while.