october 18-19, 2024
It’s been 60 years since the Nickel Plate Road was merged into the Norfolk & Western Railway, and we’re marking this occasion with our 2024 Convention in Angola, Indiana. While typically registration is only open to NKPHTS Members this year we are pleased to welcome non-members to attend. This will be a great way for you to meet up with Nickel Plate friends and meet new Nickel Plate friends, and with our excursion, you’ll also have the experience of riding behind Nickel Plate Road 765 and 358. The convention will begin on Friday, October 18th at 11:00 a.m. and run through Saturday evening, October 19th. See the schedule below for more information. Vendor set-up will start at 9:00 a.m.
HOTEL
The Wingate by Wyndam is our official hotel, located at Exit 348 (U.S. Route 20) off Interstate 69 in Northeast Indiana. The room cost per night is $144, which includes all fees and taxes for either a King or Double Queen room. Call Wyndham direct at (260) 739-1752 and be sure to tell them it is for the NKPHTS Convention, Itinerary Number 5136B437408862.
EVENTS - FRIDAY
The convention begins with an 11:00 a.m. sandwich lunch buffet at the Stueben County Event Center, where all events except the train excursion will be held. The brunch will continue until 1:30, so you’ll have time to check out the vendor tables, auction items, and the Company Store for great deals on Nickel Plate artifacts and models. The Event Center is less than 4 miles from the hotel driving north on I-69 to exit 350.
EXCURSION
Make sure you sign up for the Nickel Plate Berkshire 765 excursion, which will run on Friday afternoon. Boarding begins at 2 p.m. at the Pleasant Lake Depot, a 15 minute drive from the Event Center. After the excursion, you will have dinner on your own (a nearby restaurant list will be furnished to all registrants), followed by a reception with cash bar at the Event Center beginning at 7 p.m. For an extra charge, 765 and 358 will be doing staged night photo shoots from 7:30 until 9:00 p.m. You must be registered for the full convention to sign up for the excursion and night photo shoot.
Kitchi Gammi Club
The FWRHS has recently announced that former Nickel Plate Road business car, Kitchi Gammi Club, will join the excursion fleet for the rest of the year. Therefore, tickets will be made available for those that have registered for the convention. Members and all who have registered and purchased an excursion ticket before Sunday, August 25th at 5 p.m. will receive an email with a link to upgrade their tickets to ride this historic Pullman. Space is limited, so please ensure that you register for the convention and excursion ASAP!
SATURDAY CLINICS
We will be running clinics on Saturday. Anyone wishing to do a clinic presentation, please contact David Vaughn at nkphts.nd@gmail.com. Tables and chairs will be available in the main room for those wishing to sit and talk. Also, vendor tables and the Company Store will continue to be open.
BANQUET
Our banquet will be buffet style beginning with a cocktail hour at 6 p.m. and dinner at 7 p.m. Our guest speaker will be W.D. Miller from the Fort Wayne Railway Historical Society giving a talk on the restoration of Nickel Plate SD9 358. This will be followed by the final auction.
