My View from the Pilot house By Mike Boys Pilot News Consultant
Hey, RAILROAD BUFFS! Here is an opportunity to visit the Hoosier Valley Railroad Mu-seum AND ride a steam locomotive and it is all right next door — in North Judson. It is only a short drive from Plymouth and you will find it worth the while. My son and I made the trip there last Saturday and we were amazed at what they have to offer. The people there were very cordial and knew their railroad history. I really recommend it — and it is FREE. If you are a steam locomotive buff, like me, there are two of them on display. One is a 1947 2-8-4 Chesapeake & Ohio #2789 and the 0-4-2T Switcher Hoosier Valley # 6 for your viewing and photographic pleasure.

TAKE A RIDE ON A HISTORIC STEAM  LOCOMOTIVE: Beginning Memorial Day Weekend ol’ Nickel Plate Road number 765 steam locomotive will be returning to the mainline after a four-year restoration period and will be pulling 10 passenger cars which will accommodate 600 people. This locomotive, built in 1944, will operate on the former Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad line for a two-hour roundtrip to La-Crosse as a guest of the Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum at North Judson. The Nickel Plate #765 locomotive and passenger cars will be appearing here courtesy of  the Fort Wayne Railroad Hist-orical Society.
MARK THESE DATES ON YOUR CALENDAR — (Memorial Day Weekend) May 23, May 24 and May 25. Then again on June 20 and 21 during North Judson’s Annual Mint Festival. On these five days, the train will depart three times per day beginning at 10 a.m. then at 1 p.m. and again at 4 p.m. Central Standard Time.
All trips departing North Judson will feature special photo opportunities for passengers and observers to enjoy the sights and sounds of the historic steam era. Passengers are advised to wear closed-toe shoes and arrive no less than 30 minutes before their schedule departure times. Tickets for these trips are now on sale.
WELL, WHERE DO I GET TICKETS? It’s easy! You can buy tickets for the trips online at www.765.org  — OR — you can buy them at the North Judson Depot situated at 507 Mulberry Street every Saturday between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Central Standard Time. Phone 574-896-3950.
WHAT ABOUT THE MUSEUM and WHY NORTH JUDSON? The Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum actually began in Miami County in 1961 under the name of Miami County Steam Locomotive Association and in 1985 was moved to North Judson. Then in 1992, because it was no longer situated in Miami County, the name was changed to what it is called today. The museum now boasts 270 members from all over northern Indiana, southern Michigan and Illinois and is celebrating its 20th anniversary.
The Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum wants to keep the North Judson railroad heritage alive with its displays and operation of vintage rail equipment. The museum owns over 75 acres of ground plus miles of track lines, 10 refurbished buildings, 33 cars of rolling stock, six engines, towers, signals and railroad memorabilia. By the way, all of the signals are in working order for display purposes.
ABOUT THE TOWN . . . The small village of North Judson (population 1,676) had as many as 125 trains every day and achieved its distinction as “railroad crossroads” because four railroads intersected there. Those railway lines were: Pennsylvania R.R. this line was built in the 1860s which connected Chicago and Logansport; Erie R.R. came through North Judson in 1833 on the Chicago-New York route; New York Central R.R.; arrived in North Judson in 1866. This line stretched northeast from the Illinois coal fields and was originally called the Indiana, Illinois & Iowa; and finally the Chesapeake and Ohio R.R. arrived in 1902 and it offered the most direct route between Chicago and Cincinnati. The C&O Railroad offered a limited passenger service.
ABOUT THE C&O #2789:  This steam locomotive  tips the scales at 230 tons, the tender carries 30 tons of coal and 22,000 gallons of water. Major dimensions are: Cylinders are 26” in diameter with a 34” stroke.  Drivers are 69” in diameter with a boiler pressure of 245 psi. The C&O used this engine until 1955 when it was retired in 1961 and donated to the Miami County Steam Locomotive Association for display. The engine was then moved to North Judson in 1986 where it now sits at the museum.
POP QUIZ: What was North Jud-son’s original name? If you are lucky enough to get the correct answer, you could win a piece of rail ballast.
ANSWER TO LAST POP QUIZ: The question was: Including Plymouth, Indiana, how many Plymouths are there in the United States? The answer: 20. And here they are: PLYMOUTH,  Indiana, California, Connecticut, Flor-ida, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Massach-usetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Utah, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin.
Well, that’s it for now . . . so until next time . . . this is my view from the Pilot house.
Mike Boys is a lifelong Marshall County resident, former newspaper owner and former public officeholder. The dictionary defines a Pilot House as “an enclosed area on the bridge of a ship, from which the vessel is guided.” His views, opinions and news appear occasionally on the Pilot News Opinion page.