Nickel Plate Road 779

Nickel Plate Road 779 is a 2-8-4 or "Berkshire" type steam locomotive built for the New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad, (reporting mark NKP) completed on May 13, 1949, for use on fast freight trains. It was the last new steam locomotive to be delivered to the Nickel Plate Road, and alongside L&N 1991, another 2-8-4 for the Louisville and Nashville, is the last of 36 steam engines completed by Lima-Hamilton from 1947 to 1949, and the final 2-8-4 locomotive on standard gauge completed in the world. L-H's first diesel, A-3080 demonstrator #1000 was completed the same day as #779. NKP also received the first production A-3080, NKP #305, one of 4 delivered by Lima-Hamilton in 1949.

Nickel Plate Road 779
NKP 779 pictured at Lincoln Park in Lima, Ohio
Type and origin Power type Steam Builder Lima locomotive works Serial number 9380 Build date May 13, 1949
Specifications Configuration: ​  • Whyte 2-8-4  • UIC 1'D2'h Gauge 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge Leading dia. 36 in (0.914 m) Driver dia. 69 in (1.753 m) Trailing dia. 43 in (1.092 m) Length 100 ft 8+3⁄4 in (30.70 m) Height 15 ft 8 in (4.78 m) Adhesive weight 264,300 lb (119,900 kg; 119.9 t) Loco weight 444,300 lb (201,500 kg; 201.5 t) Total weight 808,820 lb (366,870 kg; 366.87 t) Fuel type Coal Fuel capacity 44,000 lb (20,000 kg; 20 t) 22 short tons (20.0 t; 19.6 long tons) Water cap. 22,000 US gal (83,000 L; 18,000 imp gal) Boiler 89.0625 in (2.26 m) diameter × 42 ft (12.80 m) length Boiler pressure 245 psi (1.69 MPa) Superheater Elesco Cylinders Two Cylinder size 25 in × 34 in (635 mm × 864 mm)
Performance figures Maximum speed 70 mph (113 km/h) Tractive effort 64,135 lbf (285.3 kN) Factor of adh. 4.12
Career Operators Nickel Plate Road Class S-3 Number in class 80 (Entire 2-8-4 fleet on the Nickel Plate Road). L-H built 10 of these S-3s for the NKP. Numbers NKP 779 Nicknames "The Last S-3", "NKP's Last Steam Engine", "Last Berkshire" and "Lincoln Park's Locomotive" Retired 1958 Preserved 1966 Current owner City of Lima, Ohio Disposition On static display

Before her retirement in 1958, the locomotive had logged 677,095 miles.[1]

In 1966, the locomotive was donated to the City of Lima, Ohio, and placed on display in Lincoln Park, where it remains to date.[1]