Steam & Excursion > What Berkshire? - NKP 765

About ten o'clock at night on September 21, 1979, I received a phone call from two fellow members of the Akron Railroad Club - Paul Woodring and Mark Perri. I didn't even know them, but then one of them said, "They're firing up a Berkshire in Fort Wayne. Do you want to go?"
What Berkshire? I didn't know about any Berkshire being fired up. Still they seemed sincere. Paul and Mark were calling up members of the ARRC to see if anyone would take them as they were considered to young too rent a car. I guess we met at the Akron-Canton airport, Everything is a blur, but I rented a car, and we were off. What a great way to start two friendships!
Forty-one years today NKP 765 was run for the public for the first time since its restoration. Here she is in New Haven, Indiana on September 22, 1979.
Thanks for the invite Paul and Mark. A special thanks goes to all who participated on the restoration and the keeping running of 765 - especially her crew. She's a beauty.
Bob



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/22/20 15:44 by refarkas.

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My first HO model was a non-powered all-plastic kit (...like the model aircraft kits) of an NKP Berk that I bought in the late 'Fifties or early 'Sixties.  Beautiful lines.

Greg Stadter
Phoenix, AZ

Nice testimonial on the power of yes.

AA

Stanford White
Carmel Valley, CA

I've always wondered about the yellow hand rails on the engine when it was first restored. 

This was the NKPHTS convention weekend. If you look behind the stack, you can see a guest whistle mounted. It has an amazing story. This was the first time that this short, five chime Nathan stair step whistle had been blown since 1943. See page 263 in THE NICKEL PLATE STORY, the bible of all things NYC&StL.

The last time that this whistle had been blown was when 2-8-0 382 was in a head-on collision with Berkshire 717 at Albany, IN. The Consolidation was destroyed but a neighboring farmer grabbed this whistle.

Twenty five years later the farmer brought it to a traction engine show at Greenville, Ohio. I bought it and a decade later brought it to the NKPHTS Convention where it was blown after a 36 year interval. The head end crew on the 382 died in that collision.

Posted from Android

Paul Woodring and Mark Perri sound like two really nice people to me.
Thanks for posting your very nice #765 roster photo.
ALLEN

Thanks for your "guest whistle" story.
Bob