I spotted Nickel Plate 765 as it was heading north through Ann Arbor on Tuesday, September 27, 2011. It was easy to recognize from the clouds of black smoke and the distinctive steam whistle.
This is the historic steam locomotive no. 765: a high-stepping, fourteen wheeled magnificent machine that stands 15 feet tall, weighs 404 tons, and goes over 60 miles an hour; restored to the way it looked and sounded when it was built by the Lima Locomotive Works in 1944.
More background from the account of the 2009 journey; this video is from Ross Orr, and is used with permission (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0).
