Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society press conference 10:30 AM

THANK GOD the MARS light is back on....At least someone over there has their head on straight!

PennsyPride94 posted:

THANK GOD the MARS light is back on....At least someone over there has their head on straight!

Are you absolutely SURE that the Mars Light has been reinstalled?  Photographic proof would be nice.

There not shelving the 765 are they?!

Jack,

They are live streaming right now on FB, but the connection is not very good on my end at least. They have no doubt renumbered her to be 767 and have placed the MARS light back on. Paying homage to her Lawton Park days.

J Daddy posted:

There not shelving the 765 are they?!

What?  What would they use in her place?

The 1361 of course...

PennsyPride94 posted:

Jack,

They are live streaming right now on FB, but the connection is not very good on my end at least. They have no doubt renumbered her to be 767 and have placed the MARS light back on. Paying homage to her Lawton Park days.

Maybe it is temporally "mounted", as I can't seem them drilling holes in that beautiful new cast front smokebox door assembly.

Mars light is back on and she's been re numbered 767

The streaming is so bad I can't make out what they are saying. Back to work anyway

Here's a picture from a railfan page on FB:

Look to me Jack that the MARS light is bracketed into the top of the headlight, but I'm no expert at how they are designed to mount so you are probably more correct. According to the video she will be numbered 767 for the rest of the year, whether the MARS light stays on for the rest of the year wasn't directly stated when I listened quickly.

Looks good, but why the number change?

NKP put the Mars lights on the 700's in 1951 so the S-2's spent half of their career without the Mars light and the final half with the Mars light.  The Mars light will stay on the 765/767 indefinitely, perhaps years.  The front number plate is worthy of mention.  You may notice that it is "5-sided".  After the real 767 wrecked with the WAB passenger train in New Haven's NE tower in 1951, the Conneaut shop made a replacement front number plate that was five sided and that is what she carried the rest of her career.  Check out the 1955 dedication photo of the downtown Fort Wayne "elevated" and you'll see that this is the correct plate.  A reproduction was made of the 5-sided design, proper numerals were cast and that is what you see today.  A white border was added, just like in the 1955 dedication photo.

Press release

PennsyPride94 posted:

THANK GOD the MARS light is back on....At least someone over there has their head on straight!

I don't really care one way or another, but I have never understood why so many people are so enamored by the **** things.  To me, it's just something else to clutter up the clean lines of the locomotive.  Of course I also don't understand all the complaining about the white tires and running boards.  In my opinion, they make a steam engine, ANY steam engine look about 1000% better.  If they are actually historically accurate, then all the better.

Wow big changes.....she looks good.

When 765 came out of the most recent rebuild, I recall they went for a "as built" look that included a steel (war time) bell instead of the brass bell she got after the war.  Has this been swapped out since she now has a 1955 look?  Was the brass bell (which IMHO, sounds nicer) swapped out prior to this change?  IMHO, it is entertaining to have these locomotives change looks from time to time.

Bob

I'll be at the Open House tomorrow. Love what they did and just wait until everyone gets to see 767 in action at Steam in the Valley at the CVSR. Imagine all the questions from the people who don't follow trains, particularly, "Where'd they get this one? I thought it was supposed to be 765?" 

TrainWizard5972 posted:

Imagine all the questions from the people who don't follow trains, particularly, "Where'd they get this one? I thought it was supposed to be 765?" 

No doubt.

The Collings Foundation owns/flies several different former military aircraft including a B-24J bomber. They're repainted it several times and their crew has told me that each time they've repainted it, and they go back some place they've been, it never fails that someone will say, "Someone else came through here with another B-24 a few years ago" which is highly unlikely because the CAF is the only other group with a flying B-24 (actually a highly modified LB-30). The public can't accept it's the same plane, they said, even though most people are aware you can repaint stuff!

I don't think I like the engine  having  a new number. It's just doesn't feel right and how would you like if your mother changed your name   say from Gregg to Ralph.   It's just not right.  I think of Rich& the 765 . Oh well .

BTW what was the original number? 765?

Gregg posted:

I don't think I like the engine  having  a new number. It's just doesn't feel right and how would you like if your mother changed your name   say from Gregg to Ralph.   It's just not right.  I think of Rich& the 765 . Oh well .

The event os obviously to commemorate the original event. Since the original REAL 767 was scrapped, the NKP needs a "replacement" for the significant donation to Fort Wayne, Ind. The 765 just happened to be chosen, renumbered and given to the city as 767. 

BTW what was the original number? 765?

Yes, 765 was HER original road number. When she was removed from the display site, and restoration begun, she was returned to her original 765 number.

When the NKP completed "The Elevated" (the elevated main line through downtown Fort Wayne) it was a BIG DEAL for the city! It eliminated severe traffic congestion in downtown Fort Wayne and opened the city to future development. NKP 767 was the loco that broke the ribbon at the dedication ceremony and led the first train over the new line.

When the city wanted a steamer to display in Lawton Park, they asked for the 767, however it had already been scrapped. The 765 was sitting in the East Wayne engine house. An ingenious roundhouse foreman quietly renumbered the "765" to "767" and the city got their wish.

Now you know...the rest of the story.

Dieselbob posted:

PennsyPride94 posted:

THANK GOD the MARS light is back on....At least someone over there has their head on straight!

I don't really care one way or another, but I have never understood why so many people are so enamored by the **** things.  To me, it's just something else to clutter up the clean lines of the locomotive.  Of course I also don't understand all the complaining about the white tires and running boards.  In my opinion, they make a steam engine, ANY steam engine look about 1000% better.  If they are actually historically accurate, then all the better.

Well the only reason I'm for the MARS light is because when I think of a NKP berk "look" I think of the MARS light above the headlight. Now that wasn't always there, but it has become synonymous so to speak over time. When I think of any other berk on any other railroad I certainly don't think of a MARS light like the NKP berks had. Most people know of that look as well and it is probably what they are referring to since to my knowledge most if not all of the NKP berks at the end of steam had them. Different tastes for different eyes.

In terms of the white walls, ask the guys at UP, heck any railfan, how they felt about them being on the 3985/844. I think we can mostly all agree here, although again it comes down to taste, that white walls don't belong on a 3000 or 800 class locomotive.

Are Lionel and MTH taking note of this?

Tom

Was this EL just for the NKP. or was it a "Union" or "Joint" line for other railroads?

Just the NKP. There were no other railroads which ran right through downtown Fort Wayne. The PRR main was well to the south of the downtown area.

I just think of what a pain it must be today to keep those whitewalls clean.