Nickel Plate Road 587 is a 2-8-2 type USRA Light Mikado steam locomotive built in September 1918 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works for the Lake Erie and Western Railroad as its No. 5541. In 1923, the LE&W was merged into the New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad, commonly referred to as the "Nickel Plate Road", and allocated 587 as its new number in 1924.

(RattlerJones, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons)

LAKE ERIE AND WESTERN RAILROAD

Not to be confused with New York, Lake Erie and Western Railroad.

The Lake Erie and Western Railroad was a railroad that operated in Ohio, Indiana and Illinois. The Lake Erie and Western main line extended from Sandusky, Ohio, 412 miles (663 km) westward to Peoria, Illinois, passing through Fremont and Fostoria, Ohio, Muncie and Lafayette, Indiana, and Bloomington, Illinois. It also had main lines extending from Indianapolis to Michigan City, Indiana and from Fort Wayne to Connersville, Indiana. Principal branch lines extended from St. Marys' to Minster, Ohio and from New Castle to Rushville, Indiana.

The Lake Erie and Western Depot Historic District at Kokomo, Indiana, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2008.

Map of the Lake Erie & Western Railroad system.

(Wikimedia maps | Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors)

Beginning and growth

The Lake Erie and Western Railroad was incorporated in Illinois, February 10, 1887. The "Natural Gas Route" had its beginnings in several railroads dating back to the mid-1850s, the oldest being the Peru and Indianapolis Railroad, incorporated in Indiana, January 19, 1846. The Seney Syndicate linked several short railroads in Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois along with the first "The Lake Erie and Western Railway Company" of 1879. Subsequent consolidations and foreclosure sales resulted in variations of the Lake Erie and Western name, culminating in the Lake Erie and Western Railroad.

Postcard photo of the Lake Erie and Western Railway depot at Argos, IN.

(Public Domain, via W. Lenheim Collection)

Control

The Lake Erie and Western itself controlled and leased the Northern Ohio Railway and jointly controlled 10% of the Peoria and Pekin Union Railway.

In 1900, the Lake Erie and Western came under the control of the New York Central Railroad. After operating it as a separate entity for two decades, the New York Central sold the Lake Erie and Western to the Nickel Plate in 1922.

Nickel Plate Road 2-8-2 587, locomotive still in Lake Erie and Western Railroad livery.

(Internet photo, Fair use, Title 17, Section 107)

Overview

Headquarters: Peoria, Illinois
Locale: Midwestern United States
Dates of operation: 1887–1923
Predecessor: Lake Erie & Western Railway
Successor: New York, Chicago & St. Louis Railroad
Technical
Track gauge: 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Length: 709.91 miles (1,142.49 km)