Steam Railroading Institute

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Steam Railroading Institute
Locale Michigan
Terminus Owosso
Commercial operations
Original gauge4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Preserved operations
Reporting mark MSTX
Length1 mile (1.6 km)
Preserved gauge4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Preservation history
1969MSU Railroad Club Founded
1979MSU Railroad Club reorganized as the Michigan State Trust for Railway Preservation, Inc. (MSTRP)
1983MSTRP moved from Lansing, MI to Owosso, MI
Headquarters Owosso
Website
https://michigansteamtrain.com/

The Steam Railroading Institute is located at 405 South Washington Street, Owosso, Michigan. [1] It was founded in 1969 as the Michigan State University (MSU) Railroad Club. [2] It became the Michigan State Trust for Railway Preservation, and later adopted its present name. [3] [4] [5]

Contents

The Steam Railroading Institute is an organization dedicated to the preservation, restoration, and operation of historical railroad equipment and items. [6] It operates a heritage railroad which offers occasional passenger excursion trains using steam locomotives: Pere Marquette 1225 and Chicago and North Western 175. [7] [8]

History

The Steam Railroading Institute, dedicated to educating the public about steam-era railroad technology, is the product of the Michigan State Trust for Railway Preservation Inc. For many years, the MSTRP centered on a single steam locomotive, former Pere Marquette Railway No. 1225. After 1225's retirement, the locomotive was donated to Michigan State University. Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Chairman Cyrus Eaton thought that the University College of Engineering ought to have a piece of real equipment to work on and convinced the MSU University Trustee Forest Akers that this was a good idea. Eaton didn't like seeing these relatively new locomotives cut up for scrap. The Dean of the College of Engineering was not convinced, so then University President John Hannah, accepted the engine as a contribution to the MSU Museum. It arrived on campus in 1957. [9] There it sat, getting an occasional coat of paint and was opened to the public on football weekends until 1969 when a group of students took an interest in the locomotive. The Michigan State University Railroad Club was formed by student rail fans who were interested in Trains and Locomotives in general. In 1970 at the suggestion of Randy Paquette, they adopted the ambitious goal of restoring 1225 and using it to power excursion trains that would bring passengers to football games at the university. After toiling away at the locomotive for many years, the Michigan State University Railroad Club evolved as the Michigan State Trust for Railway Preservation after then MSURRC President Chuck Julian discussed the subject of how this engine would run when finished, with then University President Edgar Harden. Harden proposed that they form a 501(c)(3) that would allow the university to give the Trust the locomotive. MSU had no interest in running a steam locomotive. The MSTRP started its corporate run in July 1979. Harden kept his promise and had the university donate the locomotive to this new organization. [9]

In the past thirty-five years the Michigan State Trust for Railway Preservation and its Steam Railroading Institute have grown tremendously, now housing two steam locomotives, a fleet of passenger cars, and numerous pieces of rolling stock. [9]

Situated on the site of the old Ann Arbor Railroad yard, the Steam Railroading Institute exhibits the intricacies of working steam locomotives. [9]

Equipment

Locomotives

Locomotive details [10]
NumberBuilderImagesTypeBuild dateStatusNotes
1225 Lima Locomotive Works PM1225.jpg Steam 1941Operational [7]
175 American Locomotive Company Quincy Smelter tour 3.jpg Steam1908Under restoration [8]
1313 General Electric 25-ton switcher 1940sOperational

Visiting locomotives

NumberBuilderImagesTypeBuild dateStatusNotes
75 Vulcan Iron Works Flagg Coal 0-4-0T No75.jpg Steam1930OperationalOn lease from John and Barney Gramling. Operates in occasional excursion service.
4428 General Electric Diesel1954OperationalOn lease from Great Lakes Locomotive.
7471 Electro-Motive Diesel WM 7471 Frostburg.jpg EMD SD401966OperationalPreviously operated at Western Maryland Scenic Railroad and Georges Creek Railway. On lease from Precision Locomotive.
57 Electro-Motive Diesel, Morrison-KnudsenEMD GP40WH-21968 (original), 1993 (rebuild)OperationalEx-MARC. On lease from Precision Locomotive.

Former units

NumberBuilderTypeBuild dateNotes
10 Detroit and Mackinac Railway GE 44-ton switcher UnknownThis engine was sold to Southern Michigan Railway Society.
76 Baldwin Locomotive Works Steam1920Built by Baldwin for the Jonesboro, Lake City and Eastern Railroad in December 1920. It was used by the Frisco Railroad from 1925 to 1947, when it was sold to the Mississippian Railway. After 1966, it went through several transfers, and in 2005, the SRI purchased the locomotive from the Ohio Central Railroad to restore it to operating condition. By 2016, however, the rebuild was cancelled for various reasons, and No. 76 was subsequently sold to the Oakland B&O Museum in Oakland, Maryland were it went under a cosmetic restoration and renumbered as B&O No. 476. [11]

Rolling stock

Passenger cars:

Freight cars:

Maintenance of Way:

Structures

The SRI has a few new and historic structures including an original PM turntable and an old Ann Arbor Freight house.

New Buffalo Turntable

The turntable is an original 90 ft (27 m) PM turntable built in 1919 to serve the Pere Marquette railyard in New Buffalo, Michigan. It operated and served a 16 stall roundhouse for many years until Chessie System took over in 1984 and ceased operations at the New Buffalo yard. The SRI acquired the turntable and had it relocated to the site. Upon purchasing, the SRI added an additional 10 ft (3.0 m) to the turntable to better accommodate larger rolling stock like the PM 1225. Still functioning like it did during the steam era, the turntable was used by the 1225 during its service years on the PM many times despite its short length.

SRI Visitor Center

The SRI Visitor Center is located inside a renovated freight warehouse used by the Ann Arbor road. Its construction date is unclear but the foundation dates back to the 1880s. It is speculated that the original one burned down in the 1920s and the existing structure was built. Originally a creamery, the Ann Arbor used for freight storage for things like grain. Bruckman's Moving and Storage then leased the building from the railroad for storage use. The SRI purchased the building in 2004 and renovated it as their Visitor Center containing exhibits, a model train layout, and the museum's artifact and archives collection.

Related Research Articles

The Pere Marquette Railway was a railroad that operated in the Great Lakes region of the United States and southern parts of Ontario in Canada. It had trackage in the states of Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, and the Canadian province of Ontario. Its primary connections included Buffalo; Toledo; and Chicago. The company was named after Jacques Marquette, a French Jesuit missionary who founded Michigan's first European settlement, Sault Ste Marie.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grand Trunk Western Railroad</span> American railroad

The Grand Trunk Western Railroad Company was an American subsidiary of the Grand Trunk Railway, later of the Canadian National Railway operating in Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio. Since a corporate restructuring in 1971, the railroad has been under CN's subsidiary holding company, the Grand Trunk Corporation. Grand Trunk Western's routes are part of CN's Michigan Division. Its primary mainline between Chicago and Port Huron, Michigan serves as a connection between railroad interchanges in Chicago and rail lines in eastern Canada and the Northeastern United States. The railroad's extensive trackage in Detroit and across southern Michigan has made it an essential link for the automotive industry as a hauler of parts and automobiles from manufacturing plants.

<i>Michigan Services</i>

Michigan Services are three Amtrak passenger rail routes connecting Chicago, Illinois with the Michigan cities of Grand Rapids, Port Huron, and Pontiac, and stations en route. The group falls under the Amtrak Midwest brand and is a component of the Midwest Regional Rail Initiative.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michigan Central Railroad</span> US railroad established 1846

The Michigan Central Railroad was originally chartered in 1832 to establish rail service between Detroit, Michigan, and St. Joseph, Michigan. The railroad later operated in the states of Michigan, Indiana, and Illinois in the United States and the province of Ontario in Canada. After about 1867 the railroad was controlled by the New York Central Railroad, which later became part of Penn Central and then Conrail. After the 1998 Conrail breakup, Norfolk Southern Railway now owns much of the former Michigan Central trackage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great Lakes Central Railroad</span> Railway company in the United States of America

The Great Lakes Central Railroad is an American shortline railroad, operating in the state of Michigan. It was originally called the Tuscola and Saginaw Bay Railway, which was formed on August 26, 1977, to operate over former Penn Central lines from Millington to Munger, and from Vassar to Colling. TSBY's name was derived from the three counties it operated in: Tuscola, Saginaw and Bay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grand Trunk Milwaukee Car Ferry Company</span>

The Grand Trunk Milwaukee Car Ferry Company was the Grand Trunk Western Railroad's subsidiary company operating its Lake Michigan railroad car ferry operations between Muskegon, Michigan, and Milwaukee, Wisconsin, from 1905 to 1978. Major railroad companies in Michigan used rail ferry vessels to transport rail cars across Lake Michigan from Michigan's western shore to eastern Wisconsin to avoid rail traffic congestion in Chicago.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pere Marquette 1225</span> Preserved PM N-1 class 2-8-4 locomotive

Pere Marquette 1225 is a class "N-1" 2-8-4 "Berkshire" type steam locomotive built in October 1941 for the Pere Marquette Railway (PM) by Lima Locomotive Works (LLW) in Lima, Ohio. No. 1225 is one of two surviving Pere Marquette 2-8-4 locomotives, the other being 1223, which was on display at the Tri-Cities Historical Society near the ex-Grand Trunk Western (GTW) coaling tower in Grand Haven, Michigan, and both have the distinction of being the only surviving Pere Marquette steam locomotives left in preservation. No. 1225 was well known to be the basis for the locomotive used in the 2004 film The Polar Express, earning itself the nickname "The Real Polar Express."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pere Marquette 1223</span> Preserved PM N-1 class 2-8-4 locomotive

The Pere Marquette 1223 is a steam locomotive on permanent display in Grand Haven, Michigan. It is one of two surviving Pere Marquette 2-8-4 "Berkshire" type locomotives, along with sibling engine No. 1225, the inspiration for the locomotive in the book and movie versions of The Polar Express, which is in operating condition.

<i>Pere Marquette</i> (Amtrak train) Amtrak train route between Illinois and Michigan

The Pere Marquette is a passenger train operated by Amtrak as part of its Michigan Services on the 176-mile (283 km) route between Grand Rapids, Michigan, and Chicago, Illinois. It is funded in part by the Michigan Department of Transportation and is train 370 eastbound and train 371 westbound. The westbound train leaves Grand Rapids during the morning rush, and the eastbound train leaves Chicago after the afternoon rush, enabling same-day business travel between the two cities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of railroads in Michigan</span>

Railroads have been vital in the history of the population and trade of rough and finished goods in the state of Michigan. While some coastal settlements had previously existed, the population, commercial, and industrial growth of the state further bloomed with the establishment of the railroad.

The Michigan Northern Railway was a railroad that provided service to the northern part of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan from 1976 to 1986. At the beginning of service on April 1, 1976, the MIGN operated the former Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad from Comstock Park to Mackinaw City and the Walton Junction Branch to Traverse City. In 1982, the MIGN assumed operation of the former Chesapeake and Ohio Railway from Grawn to Williamsburg and from Charlevoix to Petoskey, and the former Ann Arbor Railroad from Alma to Frankfort.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grand Trunk Western 6325</span> Preserved GTW U-3-b class 4-8-4 locomotive

Grand Trunk Western 6325 is a class "U-3-b" 4-8-4 "Northern" type steam locomotive built in 1942 by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) for the Grand Trunk Western Railroad. As a member of the dual service U-3-b class, the 6325 handled heavy passenger and freight work for the Grand Trunk Western. In 1946, the 6325 gained notoriety for pulling United States President Harry S. Truman's election campaign train through the state of Michigan. Retired in 1959, the locomotive was donated for display to the City of Battle Creek, Michigan where a failed restoration attempt left 6325 in danger of being scrapped. Purchased in 1993 by Jerry Jacobson of the Ohio Central Railroad, the locomotive sat in storage for six years until being restored to operating condition on July 31, 2001, for use on excursion trains across the Ohio Central System. The locomotive is in storage, on static display at the Age of Steam Roundhouse in Sugarcreek, Ohio.

The Bluewater Michigan Chapter of the National Railroad Historical Society, colloquially called Bluewater, was a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization which offered events/trips involving historical railroads. Bluewater NRHS ceased to operate at the end December 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East Saginaw station</span> Railroad Station in Saginaw, Michigan

The Flint & Pere Marquette Union Station, commonly known as the Potter Street Station, is a former railroad station built in 1881 and used until 1950 located at 501 Potter Street in Saginaw, Michigan, United States. It was designed by New York City architect Bradford Lee Gilbert. The station is 285 feet by 40 feet with 2½ stories.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ferries in Michigan</span>

Due to its unique geography, being made of two peninsulas surrounded by the Great Lakes, Michigan has depended on many ferries for connections to transport people, vehicles and trade. The most famous modern ferries are those which carry people and goods across the Straits of Mackinac to the car-free Mackinac Island but before the Mackinac Bridge was built, large numbers of ferries carried people and cars between the two peninsulas. Other ferries continue to provide transportation to small islands and across the Detroit River to Canada. Ferries once provided transport to island parks for city dwellers. The state's only national park, Isle Royale cannot be reached by road and is normally accessed by ferry. The largest ferries in Michigan are the car ferries which cross Lake Michigan to Wisconsin. One of these, the SS Badger is one of the last remaining coal steamers on the Great Lakes and serves as a section of US Highway 10 (US 10). The Badger is also the largest ferry in Michigan, capable of carrying 600 passengers and 180 autos.

<i>Pere Marquette</i> (C&O train) American streamlined passenger train

The Pere Marquette was a streamlined passenger train operated by the Pere Marquette Railway and its successor the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway (C&O) between Detroit and Grand Rapids, Michigan. It operated from 1946 to 1971. It was the first new streamliner to enter service after World War II. Although discontinued in 1971 on the formation of Amtrak, in 1984 Amtrak revived the name for a new train between Chicago, Illinois and Grand Rapids.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SEMTA Commuter Rail</span> Former commuter rail line in Detroit, Michigan

SEMTA Commuter Rail, also known as the Silver Streak, was a commuter train operated by the Southeastern Michigan Transportation Authority (SEMTA) and the Grand Trunk Western Railroad between Detroit and Pontiac, Michigan. It began in 1974 when SEMTA assumed control of the Grand Trunk's existing commuter trains over the route. SEMTA discontinued operations in 1983. Amtrak began offering intercity service between Detroit and Pontiac in 1994 as part of its Michigan Services.

<i>Resort Special</i> Seasonal train

The Resort Special was a seasonal night train from Chicago, renowned for serving resort towns such as Traverse City, Charlevoix, Petoskey on the northwestern part of Michigan’s lower peninsula. Begun by the Pere Marquette Railway, it was a rare instance of a named Pere Marquette train continuing after the Chesapeake & Ohio absorbed the Pere Marquette Railway in 1947. In 1960s, the C&O shifted the Resort Special name to a White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia to New York City route.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Louisville and Nashville class M-1</span> Class of 42 American 2-8-4 locomotives

The Louisville and Nashville M-1 was a class of forty-two 2-8-4 steam locomotives built during and after World War II as dual-service locomotives. They were nicknamed "Big Emmas" by crews and were built in three batches between 1942 and 1949.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chicago and North Western 175</span> Preserved American 4-6-0 locomotive

Chicago and North Western 175 is a preserved R-1 class 4-6-0 "Ten-Wheeler" steam locomotive built by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) in December 1908. The locomotive was used for pulling various passenger and freight trains throughout Wisconsin, until the Chicago and North Western (C&NW) Railroad ended commercial steam operations in 1956.

References

  1. ↑ "2020 Steam Railroading Institute | Michigan Life". michiganlife.com.
  2. ↑ Elford, Karen (November 9, 2016). "The Historic Pere Marquette 1225 Turns 75".
  3. ↑ Walker, Micah (August 11, 2019). "All aboard: Experience fall colors on these historic trains in Michigan". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved September 9, 2021.
  4. ↑ "Railroad Club Records UA.12.3.10". archive.lib.msu.edu.
  5. ↑ Lustig, D. (January 2005). "HOLLYWOOD'S STEAM LOCOMOTIVE : WHEN THE PRODUCERS OF THE ANIMATED THE POLAR EXPRESS WENT LOOKING FOR A LOCOMOTIVE, THEY FOUND PERE MARQUETTE 1225". Trains. 65 (1). The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Retrieved September 9, 2021.
  6. ↑ Magazine, Trains (May 4, 2009). Tourist Trains Guidebook. Kalmbach Publishing, Co. ISBN   9780871162731 – via Google Books.
  7. 1 2 Keefe, Kevin P. (2016). Twelve Twenty-Five: The Life and Times of a Steam Locomotive. Michigan State University Press. doi:10.14321/j.ctt1dnncc6.1. ISBN   978-1611862027. JSTOR   10.14321/j.ctt1dnncc6.1.
  8. 1 2 Rath, Tim (June 7, 2018). "A chance to steam again". The Argus-Press. Retrieved August 27, 2020.
  9. 1 2 3 4 "Steam Railroading Institute to Celebrate 50th Anniversary". www.owossonow.com.[ permanent dead link ]
  10. ↑ "Equipment" . Retrieved November 5, 2023.
  11. ↑ "The Frisco Survivors" (PDF). All Aboard, The Frisco Railroad Museum, November, 1987 (accessed on CondrenRails.com). Retrieved January 20, 2021.
  12. ↑ "Tracking the Ex-Pacific Parlour Cars". www.rtabern.com. February 27, 2023. Archived from the original on November 30, 2022. Retrieved July 14, 2023.

42°59′40″N84°10′13″W / 42.99438°N 84.17028°W / 42.99438; -84.17028

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