We’ve been workin’ on the railroad! Maybe not all the live-long day, but our volunteers are always busy with something! Check out the latest updates about everything our volunteers have been working on below.
- Do you want to help with projects like these? Consider becoming a member of the society and volunteering with us! Visit our Membership page for details about getting involved.
- You can also support these projects with a monetary donation – visit our Donate page for more information.
- These projects all require supplies and tools to make them happen. Visit our Wish List page for some ideas of the tools and materials we could use to continue these great projects.
Project Update: DWP #53101 Hits the Rails!
After some minor work by our volunteers to clean the car and reinstall the steps that were temporarily removed to allow the car to be transported over the road, this caboose is now in service! Passengers can book this car as a private caboose experience seating up to 10 passengers – perfect for families or groups of friends that want a more private ride on the rails! This caboose will eventually be restored to it’s original appearance of blue and orange, but for now it will do just fine to increase our capacity and offer yet another unique way to
Project Update: 5 Pieces of Equipment Moved
It has been a crazy last few weeks as we have moved FIVE pieces of equipment to our main trackage! In 2023, we announced that the John H. Emery Rail Heritage Trust awarded $10,000 toward the relocation of our Pullman sleeper Emerald Vale. This past Saturday, we brought the Emerald Vale to our main track for the first time in our 39 year ownership of the car. The car was unloaded in Tecumseh and arrived in Clinton by rail later that evening, an arrival that was long overdue. We plan to restore this car for use in our passenger train.
New Donation: N&W #518021
Check out our new display track! Built in 1914 by the shops in Roanoke, Virginia, Norfolk & Western caboose #518021 joins our roster as the oldest piece of rolling stock in our collection. This caboose was donated by N&W to the United Way in the 1970s, and subsequently sold to a railroad museum in Ohio. It changed hands to another museum before being sold as surplus. It eventually ended up in a farm in Hillsdale before being donated to our organization by Mr. Grover Johnson. We are excited to place this piece on permanent display and we are looking forward
Project Update: ‘Little Red’ Gets a Touch-Up
More like a makeover! Thanks to the work of a small crew of volunteers, SMRS #2022 is now repainted into a flashy full coat of red! New vinyl graphics bring our logo to the cab and will really make her pop on our trains! In addition, Maple City Glass, Inc out of Adrian helped us out when a vandal broke one of the cab windows. We are grateful for their quick ability to help us out and ensure that ‘Little Red’ is looking her best!
Project Update: Trains Return to Tecumseh and #3 Stretches Her Legs
With the completion of our track construction projects, we are pleased to announce that a train has returned to Tecumseh for the first time since 2022! These projects were a huge undertaking for our volunteers and we could not be more proud of the hard work and dedication they put in to get these projects completed! We also took this opportunity to break in #3, our newest locomotive! We anticipate #3 to enter service on one of our trains very soon. Check back for more information about our train schedules in the coming weeks. We can’t wait to have you