The Nickel Plate Road Historical & Technical Society, Inc.

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The Nickel Plate Road Historical & Technical Society, Inc.

The Nickel Plate Road Historical & Technical Society, Inc. is dedicated to preserving and promoting the memory of the New York, Chicago, & St.

Louis Railroad Company - the Nickel Plate Road.

10/14/2026

In an alternate universe the Nickel Plate Road went national and the GE P42DC Genesis locomotives were numbered in honor of the venerable Bluebird Alco PA’s.

10/13/2026

If you enjoyed our recent Patreon article about the red, white and blue tenders of the Nickel Plate Road you’ll probably enjoy the next installment about the origin of the Class K-1 4-6-2 Pacifics.

Much like the H-5 2-8-2 Mikados and B-11 0-6-0 switchers the K-1’s were copies of a New York Central design, specifically the Class K engines of the Big Four Route.

Find out the rest of the story on Patreon!

Photo - NKP No. 164 K-1b at Buffalo, New York taken in March of 1940.

10/10/2026

During the Golden Age of Steam only three Nickel Plate Road steam locomotives were ever painted anything other than solid black.

Get the whole story about the pair of 4-6-2 Pacifics and the single 4-6-4 Hudson that went red, white and blue during World War II on our Patreon.

Photo: NKP No. 168 a K-1 4-6-2 Pacific powering Train No. 10 through Fostoria, Ohio. July 3, 1945. Taken by Richard J. Cook.

10/05/2026

It’s Mallet Monday!

On a railroad known more for its Superpower Berkshires it can be easy to overlook the 2-6-6-2’s from the Wheeling & Lake Erie Railway.

The I-3 class of 2-6-6-2’s were great examples of the United States Railroad Administration standard design built by Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1919. Numbered 8000-8010 their primary purpose was to move loaded coal trains from the mines to the port cities of Cleveland, Lorain, Huron and Toledo. Only four examples operated after the Nickel Plate Road leased the W&LE in 1949. The survivors were numbered 940-943 and were gone by 1955.

Sunset Models 3rd Rail is currently accepting pre-orders for these locomotives in their NKP and W&LE appearances in both 3-rail and 2-rail O-Gauge/Scale. If you have ever desired a hyper-accurate 2-6-6-2 for your collection now is your chance!

Link below in comments.

10/04/2026

Initial reports indicate that attendees of the Findlay Convention had an excellent time. We will have more to report in future installments but for now enjoy these photos of members enjoying Jim Canter’s Proto-48 layout.

Everyone always asks if and where the next convention will be. The answer is it is too early to say anything at all. After all there’s a great deal of work that goes into planning such an event. Early discussions are leaning towards arranging for smaller-scale regional events held throughout the year in place of one big event at a central location.

If you attended drop your photos shots in the comments!

09/25/2026

We heard there’s a new song about Cleveland in the world.

So here’s a nice photograph of Cleveland Union Terminal in 1963 when the lower levels were still bustling with intercity passenger trains instead of parking lots.

We even have an article on our Patreon all about the largest single interlocking plant in the world was controlled.

576 operating levers controlling -
3.8 miles of track
124 switch tracks of every configuration
30 3-position signals
153 4-position dwarf signals

Read it and more by becoming a Digital Supporter for just $2 a month!

https://www.patreon.com/nkphts/posts/cleveland-union-165007374

09/21/2026

Baldwin Locomotive Works was world famous for its steam locomotives but when it came to diesel-electrics that was another story.

The Nickel Plate Road only had four Baldwin AS16 type diesel locomotives. They were Baldwin’s response to Alco’s RS-11 and EMD’s GP-9. Delivered between 1953 and 1954, locomotives 320-323 quickly proved to be mechanical nightmares.

The solution was to send a pair each to Alco and EMD for conversion into RS-11 and GP-9 equivalents. The newly reengineered locomotives served well into the Norfolk & Western era before meeting their respective ends in the 1970’s.

For the full story and to find out how their appearances changed after rebuilding join our Patreon for just $2 a month.

09/14/2026

Our friends at Fort Wayne Railroad are quietly reassembling a representation of the Nickel Plate Road top priority freight train CB-12, better known as the Flying Saucer, the hottest freight train on the system. It carried fast freight and refrigerator cars from the west to eastern markets in record time.

The first thing a president of the Nickel Plate saw on their desk every morning was a telegram stating whether the train was on time or not. Most of the time it was barring calamities! Woe be anyone who held it up!

09/07/2026

The Advisory Mechanical Committee be proud of this magnificent sight. Well done Fort Wayne Railroad!

08/27/2026

They were the unsung heroes of the newly independent Nickel Plate Road but their prominence was short lived. The class H-5 2-8-2 Mikados built by the American Locomotive Company in 1917 were copies of a proven design from former owner New York Central.

Ordered and delivered almost immediately after the NYC sold the Nickel Plate to the Van Sweringen Brothers. The 35 strong class became the largest locomotives on the railroad and the first to sport the iconic “Nickel Plate Road” script on their tenders.

As we said their prominence was short lived as the following year brand new United States Railroad Administration standard designs would emerge. 85 examples of the 2-8-2 Light Mikado would soon become the favorite of the railroad until the development of the storied 2-8-4 Berkshires.

The H-5’s would solider on until the end of the Steam Era doing whatever was asked of them, including passenger trains or switching passenger consists around like No. 954 photographed in Chicago in January of 1956.

Members and NKPHTS Digital Supporters can read all about the Little Engines That Could on our Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/nkphts/posts/165101588?utm_campaign=postshare_fan

Address

Ansonia, OH
45303

Website

http://nkphts.org/

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