Steam in the Valley!
Nickle Plate Road's 765 leads the first southbound train of the morning through the Cuyahoga Valley National Park towards Peninsula, breaking the quiet with its recognizable whistle. Because the national park is free to enter, and because of the park's centrality, spectators came out in droves to witness the ageless wonder that is this intricate machine. Built in 1944, 765 is one of two remaining operating "Berkshire" locomotives today, but at one time, over 600 of these beasts roamed the rails of the United States.
The Van Swearingen Brothers standarized freight power for their railroads with nearly identical 2-8-4 Berkshires. Two of these engines are still in excursion service.
