Anyone else here going to this event? I know most of the talk on this forum is preservation related, but I'm sure there are "railfans" amongst you. My wife and I are both going to be going to the event on Saturday. We plan on seeing the collection, perhaps having a caboose ride and of course checking out NKP 765 under steam. I like that the let people go into the cab and see how the locomotive operates.

Personal history: When I go in there, it'll be the first time I've been in the cab of a steamed up locomotive in 20+ years...keep in mind I'm 27, heh. First and only time I ever went into the cab of a fired steam engine was at French Lick, Indiana. We went for the excursion "train robbery" ride there, which at the time was still being pulled by steam (most likely the "loaner" engine 208, but I have little memory of the finer details and I don't know of any family photos of that day). After returning, they were allowing the children to go up into the cab and blow the steam whistle. Lucky me, I was a child at the time. :) I was always interested in trains as a child, but this really cemented steam engines into my mind. I understand the history, and why dieselization happened, but steam will always have a soft spot with me.

Sorry about the personal history lesson, I felt compelled to share. Needless to say, I'm fairly excited about this weekend and not much would stop me from going to see this. I'd like to ride one of the excursion trains pulled by 765 in Ohio some day. Would be fun.

Well, the wife and I went on Saturday and it was a fun event. I decided not to wait in line for the cab tour, though. Perhaps next year. We went on a caboose ride which was fun. Just 15 minutes down track then reverse back to start. They used a small diesel creeper to pull two cabooses, the one we rode in was a 1909 Cupola and the other was a bay window. While waiting in line, we got blasted by 765's whistle from about 100 feet away. They were cutting off the cab tours and doing some back and forth demonstrations throughout the day. Perhaps we can do one of the excursions pulled by 765 some time. Not sure if we can swing the ones in Ohio next month, but it's something I plan on at least seeing. I want to see 765 chuff under load, heh.

All in all, great fun. On the way up to Fort Wayne, we caught a glimpse of an NS stack train high-balling through and it was long gone by the time we got to the level crossing. He must have been travelling 55 MPH or better. While there, we got some photos and I took a video with my phone of one of the demos, just before leaving. Also, while in the area we also found a science museum and on the way home we met one of my wife's college friends in Muncie. While at a McDonald's in Muncie, we saw two mixed freight trains roll through, CSX and NS. Eventful day.