When Nickel Plate 2-8-4 765 was donated to Fort Wayne, Indiana, it was renumbered 767, as that was apparently the last steam locomotive to operate there. The real 767 was cut up, but here it is in the Spring of 1958, still hauling freight. Quite a sight.

http://abpr.railfan.net/abprphoto.cgi?n ... 803-rs.jpg

And, by the looks of it, another railfan for life riding with the fireman. That's an interesting pilot and running board combination.

Fred S.

Those 'setup' shots are not so impressive for the
more modern eye. A black cloud of unburned coal,
pops tossing away steam not to mention the
assualt on clean air! Looks more like a runby
on a fan trip.
Give me a well run engine! :-)

Yes, the clean air issue... You are absolutely correct, but measure into the equation that this does not look like a highly populated area and most of that stack plume is solid particles, like cinders, that will rapidly fall to the ground. Artistically speaking, it's a great shot. Lastly, I think somebody aboard the cab recognized that the little guy on the firemans lap was witnessing something grand that was about to disappear forever. The fireman and engineer were imbuing the child with a sense of something soon to become intangible.
Clean stack is good for the air; thick plume, good for the soul.

Some more background:

Nickel Plate Berkshire 767 (Train 51, the Flying Saucer) had been involved in a wreck after ramming a Wabash passenger train at a crossover in New Haven, Indiana, thus making her unfit for cosmetic restoration and display.

The city of Fort Wayne requested 767 for display because she officially opened up the elevated Nickel Plate trackage through the downtown. 765, considered to be one one of the two "best engines in the west" along with 763, had been parked in the East Wayne Enginehouse until being used in 767's stead. 765 in 767 guise sat a few blocks within sight of the elevation before being removed for relocation, restoration, and operation in the 70's.

The "Elevate the Nickel Plate" campaign is famous in Fort Wayne history, as it was an ongoing battle between the city, it's citizens and the railroad. The city proposed a lot of preposterous rerouting plans and elevation, while extremely expensive, always seemed the best literal route of action. Once the NKP elevated, Fort Wayne's landscape was altered dramatically. The city flourished northward, no longer held back by trains snarling traffic. It can be said that the elevation of the Pennsy just a few miles away brought prosperity to the southern portion of Fort Wayne, but once the north opened, the south part of Fort Wayne became the "bad side" of town. It is often forgotten how strongly railroads impacted the cities which they built and ran through...

-Kelly Lynch
"nathanfivechime"

Not to get into a food fight here, but the dense pall "for
the camera" is as hard to understand now as then.
Now it is way bad PR for steamers and then was poor
operating practise at best and might get you a few
blacks marks at worst.
Remember how Link had to make sure the smoke
was white or N&W wouldn't use the picture.
OK, no more comments. Back to eyeballing the
offerings!