The Indiana Rail Experience, the rail excursion partnership of the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society and Indiana Northeastern Railroad, will return for its second season with an expanded schedule of events beginning May 27-28 and continuing through December.
Excursions will feature diesel locomotives as well as Nickel Plate Road 2-8-4 No. 765 on select occasions, with trains featuring vintage equipment including coach, first class, lounge and dining cars. Group packages and private passenger car charters will be available.
The schedule will begin with Ice Cream Trains operating out of Angola, Ind., on Memorial Day weekend. Other events on the calendar include all-day excursions to Hillsdale, Mich.; Wine & Whiskey Trains; a Railroad Open House featuring steam and diesel locomotives at the Indiana Northeastern shops in Hudson, Ind., and Fall Colors and Christmas trains.
Information is available at the Indiana Rail Experience website. Ticket sales for the initial events will begin April 19 at 6 p.m.
“This is only a new era not only for our organization but for cultural heritage tourism in the Northeast Indiana region,” said Kelly Lynch, vice president of the Fort Wayne organization. “There is no other tourist railroad that connects three states together like this one and it presents a significant opportunity to use our transportation history and attractions as a way to welcome thousands of people to this region. This is just the start of a series of exciting announcements this year and we anticipate this program will continue to grow, especially in Steuben County.”
The increased schedule also means the all-volunteer Indiana Rail Experience is recruiting for positions in event administration, docents, operations, gift store, on-board, and customer service roles. Those interested can apply here.
