One Lucky Donor to Ft.WRHS Diesel Restoration Effort to Get a Day-Long NKP 765 Cab Ride

The Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society will give away a cab ride and train tickets to donors who contribute to the restoration fund of former Nickel Plate Road SD9 No. 358.

The society is seeking to raise $20,000 to complete the mechanical restoration of the locomotive, which society officials expect to be operable by next year.

Two donors of $35 or more will receive tickets to ride the Oct. 1 Indiana Rail Experience excursion between Edon, Ohio, and Hillsdale, Michigan, featuring Nickel Plate Road 2-8-2 No. 765.

A donor of $385 or more will win a day-long cab ride in the 765 during that sold-out Oct. 1 excursion.

All donations made through Aug. 21 will be matched. Donations can be made via mail at Project 358, PO Box 11017, Fort Wayne, IN 46855 or made online at https://fortwaynerailroad.org/project-358/

In an email blast sent out last week, the society said once the fundraising goal has been met the 385 will be sent off for painting and test runs.

The diesel locomotive is expected to be part of the consist of FtWRHS excursions next year as part of the Indiana Rail Experience.

It is being restored to its 1957 appearance with the NKP’s black and imitation gold striping.

Ft.WRHS Fires Up SD9 it is Restoring

The Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society announced that it reached a milestone last weekend when it fired up for the first time a historic former Nickel Plate Road diesel that it is working to restore to operating condition.

SD9 No. 358 was donated to the society by Norfolk Southern in 2010. It was built in 1957 by EMD. It was initially used to haul coal on the NKP’s Wheeling & Erie District.

NS last operated the locomotive in the late 2000s. Last weekend’s firing up of the 358 was the first time that had happened since the unit was retired.

FtWRHS members have been working to restore the locomotive since at least 2017. At the time, the group said it would restore the 358 cosmetically and eventually to operating condition.

“What follows will be several weeks of testing, adjustments, and then prep work for paint to return it to its original 1957 appearance,” the Society wrote on its Facebook page.

Donations are still being sought to complete the project. They can be made at https://fortwaynerailroad.org/donate/

Fundraising Goal Met in Restoration of NKP Diesel

The Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society said earlier this month that it had exceeded its goal of receiving $5,000 in December in donations that will be used to restore a former Nickel Plate Road SD9 locomotive.

An anonymous donor offered to match up to $5,358 to Project 358 if other donors would collectively provide that much by Dec. 31.

The Society did not say in its social media accounts how much money it raised last month.

However, it indicated that the restoration of NKP No. 358 could be completed this year.

When the fundraising campaign began late last year, FtWRHS said it needed $18,000 to complete the restoration and if the December fundraising campaign reached its goal it would put the total funds raised to $13,000.

The Society plans to restore No. 358 to its as-built appearance in operating condition.

Project 358 Fundraising Goal About Halfway There

The campaign by the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society to raise more than $5,000 to match a challenge grant is halfway toward its goal.

An anonymous donor offered to give up to $5,358 to Project 358 if other donors would collectively match that by Dec. 31.

Project 358 is raising money to restore a late 1950s built EMD SD9 that operated on the Nickel Plate Road for several years before being retired by eventual successor Norfolk Southern. It was donated by NS to the FtWRHS in 2010.

Donations can be made online at fwhrs.org/donate or via mail at Project 358, PO Box 11017, Fort Wayne, Indiana, 46855.

Project 358 needs $18,000 to complete the restoration of former NKP 358 and if the current fundraising campaign reaches its goal will put the total funds raised to $13,000.

The Society will use the funding to restore No. 358 to its as-built appearance.

The locomotive still needs electric work, painting and fabrication work.

Challenge Grant Made for NKP Loco Restoration Fund

A donation of up to $5,358 will enable the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society to take a major step forward in its restoration of Nickel Plate Road SD9 No. 358.

The society said the restoration is nearly complete, but more funding is needed.

The recent donation was made by a person who wishes to remain anonymous and was intended to be a challenge grant.

Every donation made toward restoring the 353 will be matched dollar for dollar through Dec. 31.

More information is available at  https://bit.ly/2L7Jexe

No. 358 was built by EMD in the late 1950s. It was last operated by Norfolk Southern into the 2000s and donated to the FtWRHS in 2010.

The restoration is part of the group’s Project 358 that is restoring the unit to its as-built condition appearance.

The Society plans to use 365 as a roving educational resource in excursion and exhibition service.

The restoration project also got a boost in October when the Nickel Plate Historical & Technical Society made a $3,000 grant.

If fully matched, the donations would amount to $13,000, putting completion of the project within reach of its $18,000 budget.

Other donations have come from Norfolk Southern, Steel Dynamics, and Progress Rail.

Work that remains includes electric work, along with painting and fabrication work.

FtWRHS Reaches Pact With Indiana City on Moving, Restoring NKP Steam Locomotive 624

The Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society has reached an agreement with the City of Hammond, Indiana, for the moving of former Nickel Plate Road steam locomotive 624 to an undisclosed site where it will be restored.

Hammond has owned and displayed the 624 since 1955. Deterioration caused by prolonged exposure to the elements prompted discussions between the FtWRHS and the City of Hammond about a new home for the 624, a Mikado-type built in 1922 by Lima Locomotive Works.

FtWRHS officials said that the 624 could be restored to operating condition depending on what the society finds when inspecting it.

Kelly Lynch, a FtWRHS vice president, said space limitations at the society’s shops at New Haven, Indiana, means that the 624 restoration work will be undertaken at a private site in Northeast Indiana.

A private donor is funding the move of the 624 to that site and the restoration work. The FtWRHS will offer technical support.

The 624 is expected eventually to be displayed at the proposed Headwaters Junction railroad park in downtown Fort Wayne.

In a related development, the FtWRHS is also working to preserve a former Nickel Plate Road SD9 diesel.

Overseeing that project is former Akron Railroad Club member Chris Lantz.

Thus far, the society has sought to stabilize the locomotive in preparation for cosmetic restoration and eventual mechanical operation.

Initial work has involved removing surface rust on the car body doors, cleaning, painting and installing door latches.

No. 358 was built in 1957 by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors. The NKP SD9 fleet was seen as a replacement for the railroad’s Berkshire steam locomotives, including No. 765, which the FtWRHS owns and operates.

No. 358’s original assignment was hauling coal trains on the NKP’s Wheeling & Lake Erie District.

It operated for NKP successors Norfolk & Western and Norfolk Southern through the early 2000s, often based in Bellevue.

FtWRHS officials estimate the cost of mechanical work and replacement parts at $100,000.