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

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.

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]