National Register of Historic Places

Nickel Plate Road Steam Locomotive No. 587

Beech Grove, Indiana
Listed
November 15, 2021
Type
Structure
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
84000313

About this property

Nickel Plate Road 587 is a preserved H-6o class 2-8-2 "USRA Light Mikado" type steam locomotive built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works (BLW) for the Lake Erie and Western Railroad (LE&W) as its No. 5541. In 1923, the LE&W was merged into the New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad (NYC&St.L), commonly referred to as the "Nickel Plate Road", and allocated No. 587 as its new number in 1924. Following a lengthy service career with the LE&W and the Nickel Plate, the locomotive was retired to Broad Ripple Park in Indianapolis, Indiana, in the mid-1950s. In the 1980s, No. 587 was restored to operating condition and went on to operate public excursions for 11 years. From 2003 to 2018, the locomotive was being restored by the Indiana Transportation Museum (ITMZ) in Noblesville, Indiana. However, in 2018, the museum was being moved to Logansport, Indiana, forcing No. 587 to be stored in Ravenna, Kentucky by the Kentucky Steam Heritage Corp. Since its arrival in Kentucky, No. 587 has been sold by the Indiana Transportation Museum to a private owner. There are plans to continue the locomotive restoration, but if and when that will happen is unknown. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984 but was delisted on November 15, 2021. In 2025, No. 587 was to be auctioned off due to unpaid storage fees, however the auction was withdrawn in favor of a settlement agreement with the locomotive's former owner.

Location

Beech Grove, Indiana
39.72087, -86.07733
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Christian Park School No. 82
Industrial
2.8 mi
St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church
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2.9 mi
Horner-Terrill House
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3 mi
Benton House
Industrial
3 mi
Graham, William H. H., House
Industrial
3.2 mi

Questions about this property

When was Nickel Plate Road Steam Locomotive No. 587 listed on the National Register?

Nickel Plate Road Steam Locomotive No. 587 was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 15, 2021.

What type of historic resource is Nickel Plate Road Steam Locomotive No. 587?

Nickel Plate Road Steam Locomotive No. 587 is classified as a structure in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Nickel Plate Road Steam Locomotive No. 587?

The period of significance for Nickel Plate Road Steam Locomotive No. 587 is recorded as the industrial era.

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