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The Wakarusa Historical Society is a place for discovering the past, and how people in Northern Indiana lived many years ago. Though I live in Ohio, I've donated a lot of hours painting the railroad equipment. The museum has several themed buildings (some original), all which played an important role in Wakarusa's history. Newer buildings include a schoolhouse and Blacksmith shop. The depot, which has been moved from its original spot 100 yards to the east, contains numerous railroad artifacts from the Wabash, N&W and NS railroads. Norfolk & Western gave the museum a caboose (#518193 built 1917) and coach car (#1007 built 1941). Every spring, the Maple Syrup Festival brings all kinds of events to town. Railroad employees show safety films in the coach car, and give presentations on the importance of public safety around the railroad. Others are drawn to the authentic 1/4 scale railroad located nearby, which gives a 1 1/2 mile trip next to the original Wabash property behind a 1/3 scale Wabash diesel (see below). The Historical Society is usually open on the fourth Sunday of each summer month, but is also available year round by appointment. For more info on events concerning the Wakarusa Historical Society & Museum, contact:
BOX 2, 208 S. Elkhart St., Wakarusa, IN 46573
PHONE: 574-862-2519
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Photos of the Wabash depot and rail cars on display. The waiting room was rebuilt in 2005, and had been missing since N&W removed it years ago. I got the task of creating blueprints based on just a couple photos (see below). This station was a stop on the 4th district line from Chicago to Toledo. The last train ran in '86 and the tracks were removed along most of that route. I repainted the passenger car and lettering in 1994 to match the original N&W scheme, and retouched the lettering and roof in 2003, 20 years after it was donated to the museum. The car, #1007 (formerly 1732) was primarily used in Chicago from 1941 until the late 70's. The class CF caboose #518193 will also be receiving its proper lettering soon, but not before years of faded paint and rust are scraped away. "Wabash" was painted on it since we wanted one car representing the line's major carrier over the years. The Wabash had a few of these, but there's no evidence that this caboose was one of them.
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An original photo of the Wakarusa depot, followed by ones showing the waiting room that was added in 2005. The construction crew did a fantastic job.
This is a privately owned caboose also in Wakarusa, sitting where the Wabash crossed St. Rt. 19 just south of town. It is ex-AT&SF #1627, one of 34 purchased by Grand Trunk Western before being sold in the early 90's to its current owner. GTW renumbered it 75018, but it carries no markings from its Santa Fe days. The interior is being redone, and the exterior will once again wear the colors it displayed while operating for the Santa Fe Railway.
Anyone that has an interest in railroad history, especially the companies that ran in Ohio, must stop by Mad River & NKP RR Museum in Bellevue, OH. My first visit was in June 2001, and I was impressed with the quality of both museum exhibits and staff. They have worked countless hours to preserve man's most beloved form of transportation. Nickel Plate rolling stock (along with Wabash, Erie, B&O, etc.) are brought together on the grounds of the former New York Central and Nickel Plate main lines through Bellevue. There is so much to see here, you will need a few hours to get through it all. At least half of the equipment is accessible so you can see inside, and they have placed numerous display cases and artifacts from all over the country inside and around the cars and buildings.
The real thrill for me was getting to climb aboard their Wabash F-7 diesel. The F-7 was once the most common locomotive anywhere, found by the thousands across the country. Only a handful survive today. They are my favorite model, due to their streamlined front and overall ease of operation (the E unit 6 axle passenger versions are just as nice). They singlehandedly wiped out the steam era and brought a new wave of efficiency and reliability to the rail world. This diesel served on the Canadian side between Windsor and Buffalo, even after the 1964 merger with N&W. It was intially considered for use on an executive train, but N&W opted for newer units. Thus it was repainted to its original colors and donated to the museum around 1981.
1996 saw a repaint minus the details. In 2005 I volunteered to add the Wabash flag and lettering back on the F7. Since it is right by the crossing, I wanted it to look good! Here are a few shots, showing the loco before and after.
The flag was challenging since there are few straight lines. The museum had a 1:1 xerox of the paint diagram so I taped that up and used a sharpie to mark edges. This is a good technique as long as the paint will cover it up! The letters were made by first putting yellow on, then marking all the letter edges. 1/2" painters tape was applied, carefully following the marks. After the blue was dry the tape was peeled away. The xacto was used to keep the paint from coming up.
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Stencils were made for the type by enlarging directly from blueprints, then transferring to cardstock which was xactoed. As with the flag letters, the xacto is handy in trimming edges when pulling stencils off.
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Finished.......for now.
In addition to the Mad River & NKP, a true Wabash fan must visit the Monticello Railway Museum in Illinois. For a donation, you are allowed to operate Wabash F7#1189 during a short "throttle time" session. These are scheduled in the spring and fall, and be sure to schedule in advance as they sell out quick. Like Mad River, Monticello has a remarkable collection, and what sets it apart is that most of it is in running condition, all the way down to the banjo signal! A Canadian National FA, Long Island RS3, and the Wabash F7 are among many active pieces of equipment there. For more photography, click HERE
I helped restore the exterior signs for this New York Central coach, which used to run on the Empire State Express. Dennis Shroyer of Wapakoneta, OH, owns this car, as well as an Amtrak baggage car and some misc. equipment. If you are traveling on Route 33, you will pass the car just east of the Interstate 75 bridge. You can access the site through an adjacent road that takes you through a trailer park. The cars are sitting on a former NYC line that ran to Bellefontaine. Now it is history, and the track used for this display had to be hand-layed.