Fort Wayne: Trains, Trails and More
By Giles Kennedy
Family and Travel Columnist
(In partnership with Ohio Valley Rails)
The 1st thing that comes to mind to railfans when you say Fort Wayne is the 765.
But there is so much more than the beautiful Berkshire and its home yard (New Haven) east of the city it calls home.
Many others; especially in Indiana, know of Fort Wayne as an urban outdoor playground.
Hike and bike trails for the family, several railfan spots for the railfan, and exciting news of regular excursions with a regional rail partner will give folks plenty to see in Fort Wayne.
I was in town for one of the exclusive photo shoots held at the grounds of the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society. As aforementioned, the Nickel Plate 765, many other engines and cars call the hamlet of New Haven, Indiana home.
FWRHS has many other public events available for folks to enjoy the engine and grounds.
This May, the 765 will be in the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad for their joint 50th Anniversary “Steam in the Valley” weekends…there will be more events later this year.
The Indiana Northeastern Railroad and FWRHS have announced a partnership to have regular excursion service.(Possible start of service later in fall 2022, yet to be determined)
More details can be found at https://fortwaynerailroad.org/news/
Downtown Fort Wayne actually has some great vantage points to grab trains and be an outdoor journeyer.
One of the key areas to explore would be along the Promenade Park district; north of Downtown along the St. Marys River. The historic Cass Street Depot has been turned into an outdoor/bike store. Fort Wayne Outfitters and Bike Depot caters to bicyclists, kayakers and outdoor adventurers.
So while your friends and family hit the dozens of trails surrounding the three rivers that meet in Fort Wayne; the St. Marys, The Maumee, and the Wabash…..there are great vantage points Downtown.
The Route 27 Overpass on the northeast portion of Downtown has trains come across on the NS Chicago Line. Public parking lots are near the intersections of Superior and Lafayette Streets.
Freimann Square is also near the elevated sections of the rail lines in the heart of Fort Wayne.
https://www.fortwayneparks.org/parks/38-parks/park-page-links/292-freimann-square-.html
What many railfans don’t realize; FWRHS is moving forward to have a home near Downtown.
A preview center featuring a gift shop, coffee shop, ice cream parlor, and restored passenger car will be available later this year. The preview center will feature info on Headwaters Junction; an area on Fort Wayne’s Riverfront.
https://headwatersjunction.com/
https://headwatersjunction.com/2021/05/phase-i-announced/
The Phase 1 project is right next to Fort Wayne Outfitters in the Wells District. This up and coming area of pubs, restaurants, microbreweries and art galleries surprises even long time residents.
https://www.facebook.com/wellsstreetcorridor/
There is so much more in Fort Wayne. Historic museums, a children’s zoo and great city parks.
So whether railfanning, urban exploring or looking for a hidden gem microbrew; Fort Wayne is worth the trip.
https://www.visitfortwayne.com/
