|
STEAM LOCOMOTIVES
DIESEL LOCOMOTIVES
Detroit & Mackinac 44-ton Diesel
Built in 1942 by General Electric of Erie, PA, this type of locomotive was used in light switching at industrial centers. The locomotive was used until 1980 by the Detroit & Mackinac Railway, and was saved for preservation by the Pinkerton family. It is currently awaiting restoration. It will be eventually used at SRI for light switching and as backup power for our weekend excursions.
FREIGHT CARS (Under Construction!)
Ann Arbor PS-1 Box Car #1314
Chesapeake & Ohio Gondola (#31000 - series, # unknown)
Detroit & Mackinac Tank Cars X-127 & X-128 (Ex- Dept. of Defense)
Grand Trunk Western Track Foreman's/ Bunk Car #58332
Pere Marquette Automobile Car #72332
Wabash Box Cars (later Ann Arbor X4633 and X4646 (nee -#1138 & 1128))
Originally Double-sheathed wood cars from Wabash series 23000-24000, consisting of two groups of similar cars built in 1922 and 1923. These cars were later re-numbered into the Wabash 82000-82512 series. From 1946 through 1950 random cars in the Wabash 82000-82512 series were equipped with engine racks. These cars were re-numbered into the 82513-82513, 82850-82999, and 81900-81999 series. Cars not receiving engine racks remained in the 82000-82512 series. The Ann Arbor purchased 50 cars from the above series on 6/15/1954, none having engine racks. More history on these cars can be found at Ann Arbor #1100-series cars.
MAINTENANCE OF WAY/ NON-REVENUE CARS
Auxiliary Tender
A former Rock Island Railroad 5000-series steam locomotive tender, it was converted to an auxiliary water car for use behind the 1225 on longer excursions. It has an approximate water capacity of 30,000 gallons.
Grand Trunk Western Burro Crane
A former GTW Burro Crane, used for light maintenace duties, and is unusual in that it is self-propelled. At the SRI, this crane has been used for a variety of duties, including helping to set the turntable bridge.
Speeder/Gasoline Motor Car
Built in 1983 by the Plasser American Corporation for the U.S. Army. These types of vehicles replaced hand pump-cars for track gangs as they performed inspections along the line.
Ann Arbor Caboose #2838
Built in January of 1952, this caboose served the Ann Arbor Railroad between Frankfort and Toledo. During its career with the railroad, this car was serviced in the adjacent Ann Arbor Railroad shops, now operated by the Tuscola & Saginaw Railway Co. Sometime during its Ann Arbor career, this caboose suffered a fire that was started by the desk lamp, and had its interior completely rebuilt by the Owosso Car Shops of the Ann Arbor sometime in the 1960's. The caboose came to the SRI in late October of 2007 via the Blue Water Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society and restoration to its DT&I-era livery has been just begun by SRI Volunteers. UPDATE: The family and friends of Ted E. Wilson, who worked as a Brakeman for the Ann Arbor from the 1940's through 1982, made a recent donation in his memory towards the restoration of this caboose. December 1st -We recently received a $5300 grant from the Frederick Krauss Foundation to help complete the restoration, which includes interior graphic panels which explain the role that the Ann Arbor Railway played in the lives of the communities it served.
Ann Arbor Caboose #2839
Built in March of 1952, this caboose served the Ann Arbor Railroad between Franfort and Toledo. During its career with the railroad, this car was serviced in the adjacent Ann Arbor Railroad shops, now operated by the Tuscola & Saginaw Railway Co. The caboose came to the SRI in late December of 2004 and was restored by SRI volunteers. It is owned by one of our long time members, and used in our summer weekend excursions
Detroit & Mackinac Caboose/ Power Car #7 Also originally built as a troop sleeper, this car was later purchased by the Detroit & Mackinac Railway after its war service. The car was modified with a vestibule on one end, and was first used by the railroad as a caboose/ mixed train passenger car. The car later was equipped with a Detroit Diesel generator, and often accompanied the railroad's business car on trips. At present, it is under restoration for future use as an auxiliary power car. (Photo courtesy Eddie Gross)
PM Caboose #A909
Built in 1934 and used on the Pere Marquette Railway. After
retirement it was displayed on a spur west of downtown Owosso before coming to the Steam Railroading Institute. It was overhauled in 2004 by the TSB shops and is used today to give rides around the SRI site and for passengers on special SRI excursions.
PASSENGER EQUIPMENT
Baltimore & Ohio Coach #1615
Built by Pullman in June of 1950 for passenger service on the B&O, the coach originally carried the number 1615. Upon retirement, it was used by a bank in Traverse City, MI as an office where it was outfitted with forced air vents and electrical outlets. The SRI acquired it for office use and as a board/conference room. (Photo courtesy Eddie Gross)
Canadian National Passenger Coaches #5576, 5581 & 5646 (SRI Excursion Cars)
In February of 2005, the Steam Railroading Institute purchased four coaches from the Tuscola & Saginaw Railway Co. These were ex-VIA Rail Canada, ex-Canadian National cars that had been bought by the Tuscola & Saginaw Bay Railway. Co. for passenger operations. The TSB modernized the cars with Diesel generators and new heating and air-conditioning. One similar car was retained by TSB.
All four cars were part of two orders in 1952 and 1953 for 218, 80-seat coaches for the modernization of Canadian National Railways passenger service, and delivered from Canadian Car and Foundry in early 1954. Cars 5576, 5581 and 5646 were converted to 76-seat coaches in the 1960’s with the addition of luggage racks, and redecorated by VIA after 1977.
The cars were used on the Canadian National’s premier trains of the 1950’s. They were delivered in the distinguished green-and-black “maple leaf” paint scheme, and were changed to the grey-and-black scheme in CN’s 1966 image makeover. The cars may have operated through Michigan on the International and other through trains between Toronto and Chicago. (Text courtesy Aarne Frobom)
Canadian National Passenger Coach #762 (nee-#5567, #3052)
Car 762 was originally coach 5567, and was converted to coach-café car 3025 in 1965. In 1969 its vestibule was removed and it was converted to café-lounge car 762, with 22 lounge seats, 20 dining-room seats, and 5 counter seats.
Chesapeake & Ohio Pullman Sleeper “City of Ashland” #2624
Built by the Pullman Car Company in 1950, this car was dubbed a ‘sleeper’ since it provided berthing areas for passengers. While in service on the C&O it carried the number 2624 and has a classification number of 10-6. The car has since been restored and is used on long excursions for crew members and as an interpretive car for museum visitors, revealing what overnight travel was like during the twilight of steam.
Chesapeake & Ohio/ Chicago Great Western/ C&NW Combine
Built 1931 by the Pressed Steel Company for the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway as a "Jim Crow" car, it was sold shortly thereafter to the Chicago & Great Western, later the Chicago & North Western, where it was used in commuter service. It is classified
as a “combine” because the coach combines passenger seating with a baggage area. The draft gear and much of the vestibule
has been structurally rebuilt and updated under the direction of SRI in order to make it roadworthy. Currently, the interior has been removed of its seats and is used for storage.
Detroit & Mackinac Business Car #2
Built in the 1920's by the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway, it was purchased by the owners of the D&M sometime around 1960, after its original namesake, a 1903 Barney & Smith car, was donated to to the Carillon Historical Park of Dayton, Ohio. It was used until the railroad was sold in the late 1990's. The business car was the standard of luxury for the early half of the 20th century, and as such this one is outfitted with staterooms, a parlor, a dinning area, and a kitchen. Without a railroad to store the car, its owner arranged to have it housed at the SRI site on loan. It is not currently available for interior public viewing. (Photo courtesy Eddie Gross)
Pere Marquette (C&O) Baggage Car #361/ Former Troop Sleeper/ #1225 Tool Car
Originally built as a troop sleeper, it housed soldiers in wartime as a cheap alternative to passenger type sleeping cars as they traveled to seaports. After its war service, it was purchased by the Pere Marquette/ Chesapeake & Ohio and used as a Baggage Car. The car served the SRI for many years as a tool and utility car that traveled with 1225 on excursions. At present, it is used for storage.
STRUCTURES
New Buffalo Turntable
 Built in 1919 with a 90-foot length, it was put in service on the Pere Marquette Railway at the New Buffalo yard. There, it serviced a 16-stall roundhouse and continued operations until 1984 when the Chessie System, the successor to the Pere Marquette through a series of mergers, ceased operations at the New Buffalo site. Today, the relocated turntable functions much as it did during the steam era. SRI uses it to turn steam locomotives, provide service to the equipment barn (and will eventually service the proposed roundhouse), and for demonstrative purposes for visitors. Locomotive 1225 used this turntable during its service years on the Pere Marquette, despite its short length. SRI, upon purchasing the New Buffalo Turntable, added an additional ten feet to the length of the bridge making it easier to accommodate 1225 and other large steam locomotives and pieces of rolling stock.
SRI Visitor Center
The SRI visitor center is located in a renovated freight warehouse that was originally serviced by the Ann Arbor Railroad. Its construction date is unclear but a structure sat on its current foundation as early as the late 1880s. It is speculated that this structure burned down and the current one was built in the 1920s on the original foundation. The building was originally used as a creamery, then as a warehouse for storing sacks of grain. Bruckman’s Moving and Storage then leased the building from the railroad and used it for storage. In 2004, the building was purchased by the Steam Railroading Institute from the Tuscola & Saginaw Bay Railway Co. and was renovated for use as the museum’s visitor center. It contains exhibits, a model train layout, and the museum’s collection of archival materials and artifacts.
Owosso was traditionally a furniture and casket making city, known for its master woodworkers and the SRI visitor center is an example of this facet of city history. The building’s floor is incredibly solid, capable of handling heavy loads and the ceiling is of solid wood trusses with king post supports on the ceiling.
| 
