Steam Railroading Institute
Railroad preservation organization in Michigan
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Steam Railroading Institute (reporting mark MSTX) is a non-profit organization that preserves, restores, and operates historical railroad equipment and items.[1] Located in Owosso, Michigan,[2] it was founded in 1969 as the Michigan State University Railroad Club[3] and later became the Michigan State Trust for Railway Preservation before adopting its present name.[4][5][6]
| Steam Railroading Institute | |
|---|---|
Steam Railroading Institute building in Owosso, MI. | |
| Locale | Michigan |
| Terminus | Owosso |
| Commercial operations | |
| Original gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |
| Preserved operations | |
| Reporting mark | MSTX |
| Length | 1 mile (1.6 km) |
| Preserved gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |
| Preservation history | |
| 1969 | MSU Railroad Club Founded |
| 1979 | MSU Railroad Club reorganized as the Michigan State Trust for Railway Preservation, Inc. (MSTRP) |
| 1983 | MSTRP moved from Lansing, MI to Owosso, MI |
| Headquarters | Owosso |
| Website | |
| https://michigansteamtrain.com/ | |
Headquartered at the old Ann Arbor Railroad railyard, the organization operates a heritage railroad that offers occasional passenger excursion trains using steam locomotives: Pere Marquette 1225 and Chicago and North Western 175.[7][8][9] It also has passenger cars and other rolling stock.[9]
History
In the late 1950s, Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Chairman Cyrus Eaton sought to donate No. 1225, a steam locomotive recently retired by the Pere Marquette Railway, to Michigan State University's College of Engineering so the students could work on a piece of real equipment and keep the locomotive from the scrapyard. He convinced University Trustee Forest Akers, but not the dean of the College of Engineering, so University President John Hannah accepted No. 1225 as a contribution to the MSU Museum. It arrived on campus in 1957.[9] There it sat, getting an occasional coat of paint and visits from the public on football weekends. In 1970, the year-old Michigan State University Railroad Club, at the suggestion of Randy Paquette, decided to restore No. 1225 and use it to pull excursion trains that would bring passengers to football games at the university.
But MSU had no interest in running a steam locomotive. Eventually, University President Edgar Harden proposed to MSURRC President Chuck Julian that a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization be founded to take ownership of No. 1225. In July 1979, the Michigan State Trust for Railway Preservation was founded.[9]
Later, the Michigan State Trust for Railway Preservation became the Steam Railroading Institute.
Equipment
Locomotives
| Number | Image | Type | Model | Built | Builder | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1225 |  |
Steam | 2-8-4 | 1941 | Lima Locomotive Works | Operational |
| 175 |  |
Steam | 4-6-0 | 1908 | American Locomotive Company | Under restoration |
| 1313 (Mighty Mouse) | Diesel | 25-ton switcher | 1940s | General Electric | Operational |
Visiting locomotives
| Number | Image | Type | Model | Built | Builder | Status | Owner | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 75 |  |
Steam | 0-4-0 | 1930 | Vulcan Iron Works | Operational | John and Barney Gramling | Leased from John and Barney Gramling. Operated in occasional excursion service. |
| 7471 |  |
Diesel | SD40 | 1966 | Electro-Motive Diesel | Operational | Precision Locomotive Leasing | Previously operated at Western Maryland Scenic Railroad and Georges Creek Railway. On lease from Precision Locomotive Leasing. |
| 57 | Diesel | GP40WH-2 | 1968 | Electro-Motive Diesel, Morrison–Knudsen | Operational | Precision Locomotive | Ex-MARC. On lease from Precision Locomotive until 2028. |
Former units
| Number | Type | Model | Built | Builder | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Diesel | 44-ton switcher | Unknown | Detroit and Mackinac Railway | Southern Michigan Railway Society. |
| 76 | Steam | 2-8-0 | 1920 | Baldwin Locomotive Works | B&O Railroad Museum |
Rolling stock
| Number / Name | Type | Built | Builder |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5447, 5485, 5576, 5581, 5646 | Coaches | 1952/1953 | Pullman Standard |
| 147 | Coach | Budd Company | 1950 |
| 462 | Dining car | 1958 | Budd Company |
| 8652 | Dining car | 1956 | Budd Company |
| 361 | Sleeper car | 1949 | Pullman Company |
| 7 | Sleeper car | 1948 | Pullman Company |
| 2624 (City of Ashland) | Sleeper car | 1950 | Pullman Company |
| 1363 | Kitchen car | 1950 | St. Louis Car Company |
| 16505 | Hospital car | 1953 | St. Louis Car Company |
| 4620 | Combination car | 1934 | Pressed Steel Car Company |
| 72332 | Boxcar | 1940s | Unknown |
| 1314 | Boxcar | 1940s | Pullman Standard |
| 1128, 1138 | Boxcars | 1920s | Unknown |
| X-127, X-128 | Tanker cars | Unknown | Unknown |
| 31262 | Gondola car | 1939 | Unknown |
| 31262 | Gondola car | 1947 | Unknown |
| 54211, 54263 | Flatcars | Unknown | Unknown |
| 2838, 2839 | Cabooses | Unknown | Unknown |
| 3674 | Caboose | 1941 | Unknown |
| A909 | Caboose | 1937 | Unknown |
| 5112 | Auxiliary Water Tender | Unknown | Unknown |
| 5112 | Bunk car | 1920s | Unknown |
| 15027 | Burro Crane | 1940s | Burro Crane Company |
Former rolling stock
| Number | Type | Built | Builder | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9936, 39970, 39975 | Hi-Level cars | 1956, 1964 | Budd Company | Naugatuck Railroad |
| Unknown | Lounge cars | Unknown | Budd Company | Naugatuck Railroad |
Structures
New Buffalo Turntable
The turntable is a 90 ft (27 m) turntable built in 1919 to serve the Pere Marquette railyard in New Buffalo, Michigan. It served a 16-stall roundhouse until 1984, when the Chessie System closed the New Buffalo yard. The SRI acquired the turntable, moved it to its site, and lengthened it by 10 ft (3.0 m) to accommodate larger rolling stock like the PM 1225.[10]
SRI Visitor Center
The SRI Visitor Center sits inside a renovated freight warehouse used by the Ann Arbor road. The foundation dates to the 1880s. It is speculated that the original structure, a creamery, burned down in the 1920s. The Ann Arbor used it to store grain and other freight, then leased it to Bruckman's Moving and Storage. The SRI purchased the building in 2004 and renovated it to serve as their Visitor Center, with exhibit space, a model train layout, and the museum's artifact and archives collection.[10]
