PLEASANT LAKE, Ind. — The Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society has acquired the 141-year-old railroad station in Pleasant Lake to serve as headquarters for the Indiana Rail Experience, the tourist rail partnership of the society and the short line Indiana Northeastern Railroad.
The acquisition was made possible through a grant to develop a station and boarding site in Steuben County. While the station’s interior is largely preserved, the structure will likely receive improvements including a new platform, lighting, other amenities, and cosmetic and structural improvements over the next year.
Fundraising for the project is now underway at the society website; the non-profit organization is also seeking the donation of furniture, materials, and other objects that would have been found in a typical railroad station, such as benches, timetable racks, signage, and communications equipment.
“Harold and Carmen Haifley have been great custodians of the station and their interest in seeing it return to its intended function will have a dramatic impact on Pleasant Lake and the surrounding area,” Kelly Lynch, vice president of the historical society, said in a press release announcing the acquisition. “We believe that our increased ridership and investment will be catalytic to the area, and boost this historic community.”
The station was built in 1882 for the Fort Wayne & Jackson Railroad and later owned by the New York Central. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The station will be open to the public this Saturday, Aug. 12, to coincide with the annual Pleasant Lake Days Festival. It will also host upcoming trips including the Tails & Rails Train, Cigar Train, Fall Colors Trains, and Indiana Christmas Train. More information on those excursions and other events is available at the Indiana Rail Experience website.
This station was also utilized in the past by the Little River Railroad before it ended up in Coldwater MI.
Though the historic railroad station’s interior is largely preserved, improvements will likely include a new platform, lighting fixtures, and other amenities. Plans call for the structure and nearby property to receive cosmetic and structural improvements over the next year to host train rides and community events.
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At the turn of the 20th Century, Northeast Indiana was one of the most industrious regions in the Midwest. Connected by rail to every major city in the nation, it was also home to fast passenger trains and the revered steam locomotive. For many generations, railroading was a way of life. The FWRHS honors this industrious history through its sensory experiences, passenger train excursions, and the operation of one of the last surviving steam locomotives in North America.
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Formed in 1972, the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society (FWRHS) is a non-profit group in New Haven, Indiana that is dedicated to the restoration and operation of the ex-Nickel Plate Railroad’s steam locomotive no. 765 and other vintage railroad equipment. Since restoration, the 765 was added to the National Register of Historic Places as no. 96001010 on September 12, 1996 and has operated excursion trains across the Eastern United States. In 2012, the FWRHS’s steam locomotive no. 765 was added to the Norfolk Southern’s 21st Century Steam program.
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