FORT WAYNE PUFFERBELLIES: All Aboard the Nicke Plate Road!

FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Paying homage to the area’s rich railroad history, the Fort Wayne TinCaps announced this evening the team will be playing as the “PufferBellies” every Wednesday night game, May through August, during the 2026 season.

The name “PufferBellies” refers to the nickname given to steam-powered locomotives which would “puff” steam into the air produced by the giant boilers located in the “belly” of the massive engines.

One of the most famous “PufferBellies” is the 765 engine, maintained and preserved by the Fort Wayne Railroad Historic Society.

“One of the things that excites us the most about the PufferBellies identity is being able to partner with the Fort Wayne Railroad Historic Society,” stated Michael Limmer, TinCaps Vice President of Marketing. “Their work to preserve the Nickel Plate Road’s 765 – a S-2 class 2-8-4 “Berkshire” type steam locomotive, is inspiring.”

The 765 engine, which is serviced and stored in the Fort Wayne Railroad Historic Society’s restoration facility in New Haven when not operating on excursions, stands 15 ft 8 in tall and is over 100 feet long. The massive feat of engineering weighs in at 800,000 pounds with a top speed of over 80 miles per hour!

The 765 was built 1944 just across the state line in Lima, Ohio by the Lima Locomotive Works. In 1963 the 765 was donated to the City of Fort Wayne and displayed at Lawton Park to commemorate the elevation of the railroad through downtown. The 1970s saw the formation of the Fort Wayne Railroad Historic Society, created in part to get the 765 back into working order, which they did, having it able to run excursion routes in the 80s and 90s. Officially retired in 1993, the 765 was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1996.

After more extensive work, the 765 was completely overhauled and returned to service in 2005 and has been going strong ever since – the admiration of young and old alike.

“Trains and baseball both have avid and dedicated fans,” said Fort Wayne Railroad Historic Society Executive Director, Kelly Lynch. “We know a train-based identity, like the PufferBellies, will be able to bring those fanbases together. We’re excited to partner with the TinCaps to educate fans at Parkview Field about this area’s rich railroad history.”

Fort Wayne has long been a center of industry - a centralized hub originally due to its location at the congruence of three rivers. However, as the country transitioned from canal transport to railroads, the area continued to be a throughway and artery for freight between major Midwest cities like Cleveland, Cincinnati, Detroit, and Chicago.

The most highly regarded railroad to run through Fort Wayne was the Nickel Plate Road, which originally spanned from Buffalo, New York to Chicago – connecting the East Coast with the heart of the Midwest. Mighty “stream” engines, the “PufferBellies”, serviced the line with giants like the 765 engine powering freight down the Nickel Plate Road. The railway would expand over its 83 years of service, eventually connecting Pittsburgh and St. Louis as well as other communities criss-crossing the Heartland.

Minor League Baseball is filled with train-themed identities, including the Hartford Yard Goats, Round Rock Express, and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, and Fort Wayne is no exception. The Fort Wayne Railroaders played in the Central League, fielding a team in 1901, 1903-1906, 1912, and 1914.

The PufferBellies primary logo features the iconic profile of steam-powered engine, also includes the PufferBellies wordmark. The wordmark font is inspired by the same font and colors used by the Nickel Plate Road – gold lettering on black background.

The interlocking “PB” hat logo draws its design from the interlocking “P” and “L” in Nickel Plate Road.

The ancillary marks are all symbols of the railway, with a friendly conductor, engine bell, and an engine number plate emblazoned with “260” in honor our community’s area code.

The PufferBellies logos were designed entirely by TinCaps Creative Director, Tony DesPlaines.

The Fort Wayne PufferBellies will also wear specially designed uniforms. The team’s jerseys will be black, gold, and teal, featuring the PufferBellies logo across on the chest. The back displays the players’ numbers in gold, while the sleeves include a teal-accented train track.

Similarly, the two-toned caps have a teal bill with a black outline and white forward front panel with the interlocking “PB” logo in the center. The uniform will be worn with black pants, belt and socks.

ABOUT THE FORT WAYNE RAILROAD

For more than 50 years, the Fort Wayne Railroad has created unique, memorable experiences celebrating the Golden Age of Railroading — a transformative era of American transportation, innovation, and connectivity spanning the 1930s through the 1950s. Founded in 1972, the nonprofit is best known for operating world-famous Nickel Plate Road steam locomotive No. 765 in public exhibitions and passenger excursions that routinely draw visitors from all 50 states and several countries.

Baseball season is right around the corner, with Opening Day at Parkview Field set for Tuesday, April 7, at 6:35 p.m. as the TinCaps face the Athletics-affiliated Lansing Lugnuts. Season Ticket Packages and Individual-Game Tickets are available now. Fans can learn more at TinCaps.com or by calling 260-482-6400.

Since Fort Wayne’s Minor League Baseball franchise was founded in 1993 (known as the Wizards through 2008), 235 players have gone on to play in Major League Baseball. Since opening in 2009, Parkview Field has been perennially ranked as the No. 1 ballpark experience in the minors by Baseball America and Stadium Journey. Over the years, the TinCaps have been awarded as Minor League Baseball’s Organization of the Year, and also received accolades for community service, hospitality, promotions, and more. In 2022, Team President Mike Nutter won Minor League Baseball’s Executive of the Year Award and was named the Journal Gazette’s Fort Wayne Citizen of the Year in 2024.