Chasing 765: a battle plan for Upstate New York

Fort Wayne (Ind.) Railroad Historical Society's Nickel Plate Road No. 765 steams at speed, somewhere in Pennsylvania. An August excursion out of Buffalo will take this black beauty on the old Erie Railroad mainline to Corning, N.Y.

UPDATED

YEEEEEEEEEEEEOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW! 

Nickel Plate Road No. 765 is going to steam in Western New York on the old Erie Railroad mainline Aug. 1 and 2.

It's the first time since 1985 that that beautiful, black 2-8-4 steaming iron horse has visited where I grew up.

Thir-tee looong years.

Little 'ol me was barely able to print my name in crayon or work the antennae on the television set in 1985, let alone remember the brief presence of a thundering Berkshire.

When she steams between Buffalo and Corning, N.Y., this August, I'll be ready.

So if you're coming with me, here's the battle plan: 

If the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society starts 765 at Norfolk Southern's Bison Yard (ex-Delaware, Lackawanna & Western), that would be a nice tip of the hat to a city that was once second only to Chicago (legend has it) for rail yards, trackage, and freight traffic.

Heading east from Bison, 765 will travel over level land on the old Erie through Sloan, Cheektowaga, Depew, and Lancaster: industrial suburbs with plenty of crossings and side streets. I'm going to high-tail it for Erie Street where the country starts. Erie Street runs right next to NS tracks for almost 5 miles. 765 should be up to its permitted track speed there through gently rolling hills, a lot like Northeastern Ohio.

From then on, choices are hard. Parallel roads get rare until further south, but country crossings are plentiful. In chase mode, Attica, Warsaw, Silver Springs, and Castile all provide nice un-modernized small-town scenes with brick and wood-clapboard downtowns. Attica Hill will be awesome. All are nice places to shoot and run.

I'm going to go for the "great" shots nearly 90 minutes away by automobile near Portageville at Letchworth State Park. Railfans will pile up here to get a glimpse at 765 grinding uphill to the 820-foot wrought-iron Portage Bridge. NS restricts trains over the 1875-built bridge to 10 mph or less. AND, word has it that NS crews are actively clearing 100 years worth of trees and brush to make way for a replacement span. This is the last chance to watch steam over that historic bridge - ever. Thank you to NS for permitting this "coincidence."

After Letchworth, I'll beat a path to State Route 70 through Canaseraga for more parallel running and then on to Route 36 to Hornell. In Hornell, it's gas and go time before MORE parallel running in the Allegheny Mountains on Routes 119 and 417. It's because of this area that I call the Erie Railroad that makes up NS' Southern Tier line the only western railroad east of the Mississippi River. The line is high and wide and it runs through unblemished rural scenery. It's here that 765 will have a chance to show what real railroading looked like back in the day.

Don't expect real-time selfies, Facebook updates, or for me to call you and tell you where I'm at. Cell phone service is next to non-existent. (And that's OK.)

For those who chase 765 on this route, it will be a tiring, pedal-to-the-metal, brake-smoking, whirlwind of an adventure - maybe once-in-a-lifetime.

So who's with me?

UPDATE, July 30, 2015: After months of anticipation for an uncommon adventure, Steve will not be able to attend this 765 trip in Western New York. WHY? Well, other unexpected and equally uncommon opportunities presented themselves which need extra prep time and mean staying in Wisconsin for the time being. Watch Train of Thought for details in late August and early September.