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Nickel Plate Heritage Railroad

Nickel Plate Heritage Railroad preserves Indiana's oldest railway, promoting tourism and community engagement through railbike experiences and events. Their mission is to revitalize the historic rail corridor for economic growth and cultural heritage.

Be among the first to experience railbikes in Tipton at our exclusive Tipton Sneak Peek Night. Hosted by Nickel Plate Heritage Railroad in partnership with the City of Tipton, this special preview event will kick off Nickel Plate Railbike rides during the Tipton Pork Festival and offer guests an early look at the exciting future of the historic rail corridor. Enjoy heavy hors d&rsquo;oeuvres and drinks at The Shack while learning more about Nickel Plate Heritage Railroad and our vision to create new tourism opportunities and economic impact in Tipton. We are grateful to The Shack for generously welcoming us and providing the perfect setting for this special evening. Throughout the event, guests may participate in a silent auction benefiting the restoration and preservation of this historic railway&mdash;the oldest in the State of Indiana.Admission is complimentary, though donations are highly encouraged. Space is limited, and advance reservations are required. Guests may select one of two complimentary railbike ride times during checkout:5:30 p.m. or 7:15 p.m. Food and drinks will be served from 5:00&ndash;8:00 p.m., with brief remarks beginning at 6:30 p.m. Join us at The Shack for a memorable evening and help us celebrate the next chapter of rail tourism in Tipton.

Tipton Railbike Sneak Peek Night

Nickel Plate Heritage Railroad&rsquo;s Silent Auction helps keep local rail history on the move. Your bids support hands-on experiences like train rides and railbikes that connect people of all ages to our working railroad. 🚂 Browse the items, place your best bid, and know you&rsquo;re helping preserve historic equipment, maintain the tracks, and welcome more guests aboard. Every winning bid keeps our community rail story running. ❤️

Nickel Plate Heritage Railroad's Silent Auction

Bid on unique railroad experiences and local treasures while supporting Nickel Plate Heritage Railroad. Your participation helps us preserve local rail history and keep our train rides and railbike adventures rolling for all ages. Browse the silent auction items, place your best bid, and check back often. Every winning bid directly supports safe operations, equipment care, and hands-on rail experiences that connect our community to the tracks that helped shape it.

Test Auction

Annual Meetings shouldn&rsquo;t be boring. Join us for the Nickel Plate Heritage Railroad Annual Meeting on Tuesday, May 5 for a fun, come-as-you-are annual meeting with a view. 4:30&ndash;5:30 PM | Social Hour Enjoy a margarita and light snacks, mingle with fellow supporters, and take an optional caboose or engine ride over Morse Reservoir. 5:30&ndash;6:00 PM | Quick Program&nbsp;Hear our&nbsp;2025 Year in Review&nbsp;and what&rsquo;s&nbsp;rolling down the tracks in 2026. It&rsquo;s a great way to end your Tuesday and support Nickel Plate Heritage Railroad.

Annual Meeting

Welcome to the Nickel Plate Heritage Railroad Shop 🚂 Every purchase helps preserve and share the railroad history of the Nickel Plate region through hands-on, educational excursions and community programs. Choose from souvenirs, apparel, and gifts that celebrate classic railroading. Your support keeps our trains rolling, our stories on track, and our riders&mdash;young and old&mdash;curious about how railroads shaped our communities.

Welcome to the Nickel Plate Heritage Railroad Shop 🚂Every purchase helps preserve and share the railroad history of the Nickel Plate region through hands-on, educational excursions and community programs.Choose from souvenirs, apparel, and gifts that celebrate classic railroading. Your support keeps our trains rolling, our stories on track, and our riders—young and old—curious about how railroads shaped our communities.

Nickel Plate Heritage Railroad's Shop

Help Bring the Railroad Back to TiptonFor more than a century, the railroad has been an important part of Tipton&#39;s history&mdash;connecting people, supporting local businesses, and creating memories for generations. Today, you have the opportunity to help write its next chapter.Nickel Plate Heritage Railroad is launching a long-term campaign to restore the Tipton rail corridor. Our estimated restoration cost is $1,000,000, funding critical track improvements needed to support permanent railbike operations and, one day, the return of excursion train service to Tipton.This journey has already begun. Railbike experiences are being introduced to the corridor now, with the goal of making them a permanent attraction by the end of 2026. As restoration continues, every improvement brings us one step closer to welcoming passenger trains back to Tipton.Your donation will help fund essential infrastructure such as railroad ties, spikes, ballast, rail repairs, crossings, drainage, and the specialized equipment and labor required to safely restore the line. Whether you give $25 or $2,500, every contribution helps move this project forward.This isn&#39;t just about repairing railroad tracks&mdash;it&#39;s about preserving local history, creating new tourism opportunities, supporting our community, and ensuring future generations can experience the magic of the railroad.Every spike driven. Every tie replaced. Every mile restored.Together, we can bring the railroad back to Tipton. Donation amounts &amp; what they fund:$25 &mdash; Spike Sponsor Help fund the spikes and hardware that secure the rails to the track.$150 &mdash; Tie Sponsor Help replace a railroad tie, providing a strong foundation for safe railbike and future train operations.$500 &mdash; Rail Restorer Support the repair and restoration of the rails, ballast, and other critical track infrastructure.$2,000 &mdash; Track Champion Make a transformational investment in bringing the railroad back to Tipton by helping fund major restoration work, specialized equipment, and labor.

Help Bring the Railroad Back to TiptonFor more than a century, the railroad has been an important part of Tipton's history—connecting people, supporting local businesses, and creating memories for generations. Today, you have the opportunity to help write its next chapter.Nickel Plate Heritage Railroad is launching a long-term campaign to restore the Tipton rail corridor. Our estimated restoration cost is $1,000,000, funding critical track improvements needed to support permanent railbike operations and, one day, the return of excursion train service to Tipton.This journey has already begun. Railbike experiences are being introduced to the corridor now, with the goal of making them a permanent attraction by the end of 2026. As restoration continues, every improvement brings us one step closer to welcoming passenger trains back to Tipton.Your donation will help fund essential infrastructure such as railroad ties, spikes, ballast, rail repairs, crossings, drainage, and the specialized equipment and labor required to safely restore the line. Whether you give $25 or $2,500, every contribution helps move this project forward.This isn't just about repairing railroad tracks—it's about preserving local history, creating new tourism opportunities, supporting our community, and ensuring future generations can experience the magic of the railroad.Every spike driven. Every tie replaced. Every mile restored.Together, we can bring the railroad back to Tipton.Donation amounts & what they fund:$25 — Spike SponsorHelp fund the spikes and hardware that secure the rails to the track.$150 — Tie SponsorHelp replace a railroad tie, providing a strong foundation for safe railbike and future train operations.$500 — Rail RestorerSupport the repair and restoration of the rails, ballast, and other critical track infrastructure.$2,000 — Track ChampionMake a transformational investment in bringing the railroad back to Tipton by helping fund major restoration work, specialized equipment, and labor.

Tipton Rail Campaign

Join us for Nickel Plate Heritage Railroad Community Day 2026!Bring your family and friends for a fun-filled day celebrating railroads, history, and our community! Community Day is Nickel Plate Heritage Railroad&#39;s annual open house and family festival, bringing together local organizations, first responders, businesses, food vendors, and railroad enthusiasts for a day of hands-on activities and entertainment.Explore impressive Touch-a-Truck vehicles, meet community partners, enjoy live demonstrations, play family-friendly games, visit interactive vendor booths, and learn more about the people and organizations that make Hamilton County a great place to live.Whether you&#39;re climbing aboard emergency vehicles, enjoying delicious food from local vendors, touring the train cars, or discovering the rich railroad history of Noblesville, there&#39;s something for everyone to enjoy.Your support helps Nickel Plate Heritage Railroad continue preserving Indiana&#39;s railroad heritage while providing educational programs, family events, and memorable experiences throughout the year. Every donation and every attendee helps keep our mission moving forward.We can&#39;t wait to welcome you to Community Day, come celebrate community, history, and the railroad with us!

Nickel Plate Heritage Railroad

Nickel Plate Heritage Railroad

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Nickel Plate Heritage Railroad's Shop

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Tipton Rail Campaign

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