Nickel Plate Road 587
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Nickel Plate Road 587 is a
2-8-2 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle, usually in a leading truck, eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles and two trailing wheel ...
type
USRA Light Mikado The USRA Light Mikado was a USRA standard class of steam locomotive designed under the control of the United States Railroad Administration, the nationalized railroad system in the United States during World War I. This was the standard light fr ...
steam locomotive A steam locomotive is a locomotive that provides the force to move itself and other vehicles by means of the expansion of steam. It is fuelled by burning combustible material (usually coal, oil or, rarely, wood) to heat water in the locomot ...
built in September 1918 by the
Baldwin Locomotive Works The Baldwin Locomotive Works (BLW) was an American manufacturer of railroad locomotives from 1825 to 1951. Originally located in Philadelphia, it moved to nearby Eddystone, Pennsylvania, in the early 20th century. The company was for decades t ...
for the
Lake Erie and Western Railroad The Lake Erie and Western Railroad was a railroad that operated in Ohio, Indiana and Illinois. The Lake Erie and Western Depot Historic District at Kokomo, Indiana, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2008. The beginning ...
as its No. 5541. In 1923, the LE&W was merged into the
New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad The New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad , abbreviated NYC&St.L, was a railroad that operated in the mid-central United States. Commonly referred to as the "Nickel Plate Road", the railroad served parts of the states of New York, Pennsylvan ...
, commonly referred to as the "
Nickel Plate Road The New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad , abbreviated NYC&St.L, was a railroad that operated in the mid-central United States. Commonly referred to as the "Nickel Plate Road", the railroad served parts of the states of New York (state), Ne ...
", and allocated 587 as its new number in 1924. In 2003, the locomotive was being restored by the
Indiana Transportation Museum The Indiana Transportation Museum ( initialized ITM, reporting mark ITMZ) is a railroad museum that was formerly located in the Forest Park neighborhood of Noblesville, Indiana, United States. It owns a variety of preserved railroad equipment ...
in
Noblesville, Indiana Noblesville is a city in and the county seat of Hamilton County, Indiana, Hamilton County, Indiana, United States, a part of the north Indianapolis suburbs along the White River (Indiana), White River. The population was 51,969 at the 2010 Unite ...
. However in 2018, the museum was being moved to
Logansport, Indiana Logansport is a city in and the county seat of Cass County, Indiana, United States. The population was 18,366 at the 2020 census. Logansport is located in northern Indiana at the junction of the Wabash and Eel rivers, northwest of Kokomo. Hi ...
, forcing No. 587 to be stored in
Ravenna, Kentucky Ravenna is a home rule-class city in Estill County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 605 at the 2010 census. History The US Federal Census dated 7 Aug,1820 reflects a town located in Estill Co., KY as "Ravenna", but before it was inc ...
by the Kentucky Steam Heritage Corp. Since its arrival in Kentucky NKP 587 has been sold by Indiana Transportation Museum to a private individual who will remain anonymous until more information is released at a later point. There are plans to continue the locomotive restoration, but if and when that will happen is unknown. It was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
in 1984, but was delisted on November 15, 2021.


History


Revenue service

No. 587 was originally built for the Lake Erie & Western Railroad (LE&W) in September 1918 and originally numbered as 5541. When LE&W was bought by
Nickel Plate Road The New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad , abbreviated NYC&St.L, was a railroad that operated in the mid-central United States. Commonly referred to as the "Nickel Plate Road", the railroad served parts of the states of New York (state), Ne ...
in 1922 the NKP spent the next 2 years consolidating and standardizing the locomotive number system. In 1924, LE&W 5541 was renumbered as NKP 587. Its cylinders were replaced with
Lima Locomotive Works Lima Locomotive Works was an American firm that manufactured railroad locomotives from the 1870s through the 1950s. The company took the most distinctive part of its name from its main shop's location in Lima, Ohio. The shops were located between ...
(LLW) castings during its late 1943 overhaul. NKP No. 587 served on the NKP railroad for 37 years on the route from Indianapolis to Michigan City. The locomotive remained relatively unchanged from its original design when it pull its final revenue train in March 1955 and was retired from revenue service.


Retirement

On September 9th 1955, NKP 587 was donated to the city of Indianapolis and put on display in Broad Ripple Park, Indianapolis, Indiana. Prior to being put on display, the locomotive's original tender was switched with another NKP steam engine No. 639, because the tender on 639 was in need of repair and 587's original tender was in good mechanical condition. No. 587 was originally equipped with the 16-ton, 10,000 gallon tender used behind USRA 2-8-2s, but in the 1930s, it received a larger 16RA tender that carries 20 tons of coal and 20,000 gallons of water. In 1934,
Lima Locomotive Works Lima Locomotive Works was an American firm that manufactured railroad locomotives from the 1870s through the 1950s. The company took the most distinctive part of its name from its main shop's location in Lima, Ohio. The shops were located between ...
delivered 25 22RA tenders to the NKP for Mikados. These tenders were nearly identical to those behind the
Berkshire Berkshire ( ; in the 17th century sometimes spelt phonetically as Barkeshire; abbreviated Berks.) is a historic county in South East England. One of the home counties, Berkshire was recognised by Queen Elizabeth II as the Royal County of Berk ...
s (
2-8-4 Under the Whyte notation, a 2-8-4 is a steam locomotive that has two unpowered leading wheels, followed by eight coupled and powered driving wheels, and four trailing wheels. This locomotive type is most often referred to as a Berkshire, though ...
) built by Lima. In 1955, another Mikado, No. 639 was shopped with a 22RA tender on which the stoker was inoperable, and the railroad switched tenders to keep the No. 639 running. No. 587 was displayed in Indianapolis's Broad Ripple Park with the larger 22RA tender in 1955. No. 639 was retired in 1957 and displayed in
Bloomington, Illinois Bloomington is a city and the county seat of McLean County, Illinois, United States. It is adjacent to the town of Normal, and is the more populous of the two principal municipalities of the Bloomington–Normal metropolitan area. Bloomington ...
with No. 587's 16RA tender. NKP No. 587 remained in Broad Ripple Park until October 1983. At that time the city of Indianapolis was interested in building a new public library in the park, but the only available location was where the 587 was displayed.


Restoration

A group of people called "Friends of 587" did a feasibility study and determined that the locomotive was a good project for restoration. The locomotive was then leased by the Indianapolis Parks Department to the Indiana Transportation Museum (ITM). After restoration was completed, the engine made a successful test run on August 29, 1988. From October of 1983 to September 1988, the ITM leased a work area at
Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...
's
Beech Grove Shops The Beech Grove Shops is a railway maintenance facility in Beech Grove, Indiana, outside Indianapolis. Beech Grove is Amtrak's primary maintenance facility. It also contains a very large freight yard. History The shops were originally constructe ...
. During restoration, the museum was surprised to find that when the welds holding the fire box doors closed (for safety purposes) were removed there were still ashes in the ashpan. This indicated that the locomotive was simply pulled from active service and stored until being donated to the city of Indianapolis. Restoration consumed many thousands of volunteer hours and nearly $250,000 in donated money and materials. NKP No. 587 made its first excursion run on September 17, 1988 by pulling an excursion train from
Indianapolis Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Marion ...
to
Logansport, Indiana Logansport is a city in and the county seat of Cass County, Indiana, United States. The population was 18,366 at the 2020 census. Logansport is located in northern Indiana at the junction of the Wabash and Eel rivers, northwest of Kokomo. Hi ...
.


Excursion service

No. 587 was operated by the Indiana Transportation Museum and was considered its crown jewel. It was used primarily to pull the museum's fair train from Fishers, IN to the Indiana State Fair in Indianapolis, IN and other special events. In 1989, No. 587 teamed up with N&W 611 to pull the annual Independence Limited from
Rocky River Rocky River may refer to: Localities *Rocky River, Ohio, USA * Rocky River, New South Wales near Uralla, Australia Electorates *Electoral district of Rocky River (South Australia) Streams In Australia: * Rocky River (New South Wales) * R ...
,
Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...
to Roanoke,
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
over a 4 day period from June 17-20, with 587 being added at
Bellevue Bellevue means "beautiful view" in French. It may refer to: Placenames Australia * Bellevue, Western Australia * Bellevue Hill, New South Wales * Bellevue, Queensland * Bellevue, Glebe, an historic house in Sydney, New South Wales Canada ...
, Ohio. On July 16th of 1989, 587 joined 611 and
Norfolk and Western 1218 Norfolk and Western 1218 is a preserved four-cylinder simple articulated 2-6-6-4 steam locomotive, built in June 1943 by the Norfolk and Western's (N&W) East End Shops in Roanoke, Virginia as part of the N&W's class "A" fleet of fast freight loc ...
to led a tripleheader from Roanoke to Lynchburg, Virginia for the
National Railway Historical Society The National Railway Historical Society (NRHS) is a non-profit organization established in 1935 in the United States to promote interest in, and appreciation for the historical development of railroads. It is headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsyl ...
convention held in
Asheville, North Carolina Asheville ( ) is a city in, and the county seat of, Buncombe County, North Carolina. Located at the confluence of the French Broad and Swannanoa rivers, it is the largest city in Western North Carolina, and the state's 11th-most populous cit ...
. The 587 led two excursions for the Convention, one of them with 1218. In October 1988-89 and 1993, The 587 made runs down to
Bloomington, Indiana Bloomington is a city in and the county seat of Monroe County, Indiana, Monroe County in the central region of the U.S. state of Indiana. It is the List of municipalities in Indiana, seventh-largest city in Indiana and the fourth-largest outside ...
along with a side trip over Tulip Trestle, 20 miles west of Bloomington. In 1993, No. 587 led with
NKP 765 Nickel Plate Road 765 is a class "S-2" 2-8-4 "Berkshire" type steam locomotive built for the New York, Chicago & St. Louis Railroad, commonly referred to as the "Nickel Plate Road". No. 765 continues to operate in mainline excursion service and ...
on an excursion between
Fort Wayne Fort Wayne is a city in and the county seat of Allen County, Indiana, United States. Located in northeastern Indiana, the city is west of the Ohio border and south of the Michigan border. The city's population was 263,886 as of the 2020 Censu ...
and
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...
as well as another doubleheader with 765 as part of the National Railway Historical Society convention. In 1997, with the engine needing repairs, No. 587 along with a tool car in tow, deadheaded to the
Monticello Railway Museum The Monticello Railway Museum ( initialized MRYM, reporting mark MRMZ) is a non-profit railroad museum located in Monticello, Illinois, about 18 miles west of Champaign, IL. It is home to over 100 pieces of railroad equipment, including several re ...
to receive the necessary repairs. With the repair work to the wheels completed, No. 587 made a few runs to benefit the restoration of Southern Railway 401. On November 11, 2002 with 587's
Federal Railroad Administration The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is an agency in the United States Department of Transportation (DOT). The agency was created by the Department of Transportation Act of 1966. The purpose of the FRA is to promulgate and enforce rail saf ...
mandated rebuild approaching in a few months, 587 made its final runs at the Indiana Transportation Museum. An all day excursion over the museum's entire 38 mile line from
Tipton, Indiana Tipton is a city in and the county seat of Tipton County, Indiana, United States. The population was 5,106 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Kokomo, Indiana Metropolitan Statistical Area. It was named after John Tipton, a politician. Histor ...
to
Indianapolis, Indiana Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Mari ...
. In early 2003, No. 587's operating permit expired. This is due to Federal Railroad Administration's requirements to have all of the boiler tubes and flues from the
steam locomotive A steam locomotive is a locomotive that provides the force to move itself and other vehicles by means of the expansion of steam. It is fuelled by burning combustible material (usually coal, oil or, rarely, wood) to heat water in the locomot ...
s to be replaced every 15 years, or 1,472 days of operation.


Downtime

No. 587 is undergoing its second overhaul dependent on funding and available volunteer efforts. The tubes, flues, dry pipe, super-heater and many other pieces have been removed. The dry pipe was worn too thin to support the steam pressures necessary to operate the locomotive. A new dry pipe has been formed and is awaiting installation into the boiler. The air pump has been removed and rebuilt and is in storage awaiting re-installation. Several sections of the firebox have been cut away and replaced as well as a section of the rear tube sheet that was worn too thin to support the operating steam pressure. A new tube sheet section has been cut and using the heat and beat method has been molded into place. It is now in the contractor's shop to have the new holes drilled in it. New tubes have been swaged, which is a process of reducing the diameter on one end while not cutting away any material. They have been transported to the museum in Noblesville and are currently stored until they are needed. Riveting of the firebox is nearly complete with only the front section and several rivets in the corners needing to be replaced. This will require the rear driver of 587 to be dropped into a shallow pit to allow for the riveting to take place. The locomotive was inside the Indiana Transportation Museum's shop undergoing additional work. It was lifted several inches off its supporting trucks and running gear to allow access to the leaf springs and bushings without the need to drop all the drivers. The bushings will be removed and replaced as most have worn thin from years of use. In 2008, the ownership of No. 587 was officially transferred from the Indianapolis Parks Department to the Indiana Transportation Museum.


Stored in Kentucky

On June 28, 2018, a court order required Indiana Transportation Museum to vacate its former location. The Kentucky Steam Heritage Corporation made a deal with the museum to relocate 587 before the deadline. Plans are for the locomotive to be moved to
Ravenna, Kentucky Ravenna is a home rule-class city in Estill County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 605 at the 2010 census. History The US Federal Census dated 7 Aug,1820 reflects a town located in Estill Co., KY as "Ravenna", but before it was inc ...
and have it stored alongside Chesapeake & Ohio No. 2716 until the Indiana Transportation Museum can raise enough funds for restoration, and they wanted to eventually return the locomotive back to Indiana once the restoration is complete. On July 7, most of the main components of the 587 left museum's grounds, except for the tender body, which left the grounds on July 12 and was fully unloaded on July 14. On March 5, 2021, the ownership of No. 587 was transferred from the Indiana Transportation Museum to a private individual who is working with the Kentucky Steam Heritage Corporation regarding the future of the locomotive. No. 587 will be remaining in Ravenna until a solid plan can be attained.


In popular culture

In 2000, No. 587 was selected as the starring locomotive to appear in the children's movie ''Old 587: The Great Train Robbery''. In the film, a group of kids find the locomotive in a
scrapyard A wrecking yard (Australian, New Zealand, and Canadian English), scrapyard (Irish, British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and ...
. With the help of the locomotive's old
engineer Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who invent, design, analyze, build and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while considering the l ...
, they rescue the 587 from being cut up for scrap and donate it to a museum.


See also

*
Canadian National 3254 Canadian National 3254 is a class "S-1-b" 2-8-2 " Mikado" type steam locomotive built by the Canadian Locomotive Company for the Canadian National Railway as the fifth member of the Canadian National class S-1-b. History Revenue service Ca ...
*
Grand Trunk Western 4070 Grand Trunk Western No. 4070 is a class "S-3-a" 2-8-2 type USRA Light Mikado steam locomotive originally built by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) in December 1918 for the Grand Trunk as No. 474, later re-numbered by Grand Trunk Western Ra ...
*
Grand Canyon Railway 4960 Grand Canyon Railway 4960 is a class "O-1a" 2-8-2 "Mikado" type steam locomotive built by Baldwin Locomotive Works in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1923 for the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad. Its primary use was freight service until 19 ...
* Soo Line 1003 *
Southern Railway 4501 Southern Railway 4501 is a preserved Ms class 2-8-2 "Mikado" type steam locomotive built in October 1911 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania as the first of its wheel arrangement type for the Southern Railway (SOU). In 19 ...


References

{{National Register of Historic Places
587 __NOTOC__ Year 587 ( DLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. The denomination 587 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calenda ...
Baldwin locomotives 2-8-2 locomotives Individual locomotives of the United States Railway locomotives introduced in 1918 Railway locomotives on the National Register of Historic Places National Register of Historic Places in Hamilton County, Indiana Standard gauge locomotives of the United States Rail transportation on the National Register of Historic Places in Indiana Preserved steam locomotives of Kentucky Former National Register of Historic Places in Indiana Transportation in Hamilton County, Indiana Transportation in Estill County, Kentucky