PLEASANT LAKE, Ind. — The Indiana Rail Experience operated its second cigar train using Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society passenger cars on Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024, on host railroad Indiana Northeastern.
The “Rocky Patel Rolling Smoke Cigar Train” train operated behind Nickel Plate Road SD9 No. 358 in pull-pull fashion from Pleasant Lake to Hillsdale, Mich., and back, with Indiana Northeastern GP30 No. 2185 leading the return trip from Hillsdale.
The restored SD9 — one of 20 units built for the Nickle Plate to replace steam engines like the historical society’s star Berkshire No. 765 — is one of the few operating versions of that model in the United States. Norfolk Southern donated the SD9, already being scrapped, to the Fort Wayne society in 2010. Volunteers worked on the EMD locomotive in Ft. Wayne until 2021, when its 16-cylinder 567C engine once again turned over. The locomotive was then moved to Progress Rail in nearby Muncie, Ind., which restored it to its as-delivered paint scheme, releasing it in July 2023.
Indiana Northeaster shop forces then performed several hours of troubleshooting and repairs at the railroad’s state-of-the-art engine facility at Hudson, Ind.
“It’s incredible,” said Kelly Lynch, executive director of the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society. “I’ve never felt emotional about a diesel, but No. 358 — when it was unveiled at Progress Rail there wasn’t a dry eye in the house.’’
The SD9 performed flawlessly on Saturday’s six-car train. “It’s a sweetheart,” said volunteer engineer Will Carney, an Amtrak road foreman of engines from St. Louis, “but my favorite is GP30 No 2185.’’
Many of those aboard, however, were attracted by the cigars, not the railroading. The train was sponsored by Rudy’s Cigar Shop in Ft. Wayne and featured Rocky Patel Premium Cigars. Patel was onboard the train talking to ticket holders about his hand rolled brand, manufactured in cigar plants in Central America, including Honduras, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic. The trip featured three classes of tickets, with passengers all receiving associated Patel cigar “swag.”
Detroit Police Officer Greg “Smittie” Smith said, “I’m a cigar afficionado. The ride was exuberant, peaceful, exhilarant, and different. It’s like six hours just went away.’’
Grace Voelker, one of three cigar girls working the train and selling cigars said, “It’s a great experience. It pulls you out of the normal day and takes you back to a bygone era.’’
Two former Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus elephant cars have been converted for excursion service, with four large Dutch doors providing open-air access for passengers enjoying fall colors and a beautiful day on the nearly seven-hour ride. The trip is one of several themed rides during the year, making what was one a rare-mileage railroad for enthusiasts part of a highly successful excursion operation.
As the train passed me at Montgomery, Mich., under the watchful eyes of a Michigan State Police patrol car, the smell of No. 358’s diesel exhaust mixing with cigar smoke easily reminded me of my late father, an avid cigar smoker. “Rolling Smoke’’ indeed.
