Southern Michigan Railroad Society facts for kids

The Southern Michigan Railroad Society is a fun railway museum located in Clinton, Michigan, United States. This museum has saved about 13.5 miles (21.7 km) of old train tracks. They also have many different types of railroad equipment. This includes a very rare GMDH-3 locomotive and the last GE 44-ton engine ever made. You can ride their trains during certain times of the year.

History of the Railroad Museum

The group started as "Lenawee Area Railroaders." This was a casual club for people who loved trains and model railroads. They met every month in different towns like Tecumseh, Clinton, and Adrian, Michigan. In 1981, they even started their own newsletter called "The Cross Tracks."

In 1982, they learned that a big railroad company, Conrail, was going to close down its Clinton Secondary Track. To save this important line, the group officially formed the Southern Michigan Railroad Society. It became a non-profit group run by volunteers. Their goal was to buy and protect this old New York Central Railroad line.

In 1983, the Society bought an old building next to the railroad in Clinton. They got it for a very low price from the Village of Clinton. Then, in July 1984, they made a deal with Conrail. They bought the railroad track itself for $100,000.

Early Rides and Equipment

In 1985, the Society received a small "track speeder" motorcar as a gift. During Clinton's Fall Festival, they offered rides on this speeder to the public. People loved it! This success helped the Society get more motorcars. For several years, they ran popular passenger rides using these small cars. They used the money they earned to bring in bigger, full-size train equipment. At one point, they had two "motorcar trains" running at the same time. Each train had up to five motorcars, traveling between Clinton and Tecumseh.

The first large pieces of equipment they got were a working Plymouth locomotive and two cabooses. A few years later, they added a special open-air car made from a pipe gondola. This car was used for passengers. Later, a 1920 Chicago South Shore interurban car joined the train. More locomotives arrived too, including a former Western Maryland Railway GE 44-ton engine and the unique GMDH-3.

In 2013, the Society bought a large shop building in Clinton. This 22,000 square foot building is now used to fix and restore their train equipment.

The Historic Railroad Line

The railroad line is about 13.5 miles (21.7 km) long. It runs from Clinton, Michigan, through Tecumseh, Michigan, and ends at Lenawee Junction, Michigan. This line is very special because it was the second railroad ever built in Michigan. It was also the very first branch line. It was originally called the Palmyra and Jacksonburgh Railroad. It connected Palmyra (near Lenawee Junction) and Jackson, Michigan.

Southern Michigan Railroad route map

Different Sections of the Track

During the summer, the railroad runs for about 5 miles (8.0 km) between Clinton and Tecumseh. From Tecumseh, it runs for 6.5 miles (10.5 km) to Raisin Center. This is a rural spot where the track used to cross another main railroad line. There are also two more miles of track from Raisin Center to Lenawee Junction. This part is now disconnected from the northern section.

Most trains travel between Clinton and Tecumseh. This allows passengers to stop and explore the towns. In October, the "Fall Color Tours" traditionally used the longer 6.5-mile (10.5 km) section to Raisin Center. These tours returned to their traditional route in 2016.

A very interesting part of the line is Bridge 15. This is a special type of bridge called a Howe deck truss bridge. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places because it is so important.

How the Railroad Operates

The trains usually run from May to October and again in December. Most trips are between Clinton and Tecumseh.

Special Events

The Southern Michigan Railroad Society holds several special events:

• Clinton's Fall Festival: This happens in late September.
• Color Tours: These tours run between Tecumseh and Raisin Center in October.
• Santa Train: A special train ride in December.

A typical train ride includes a South Shore car, an open-air passenger car (gondola), and one or two cabooses. A 44-ton diesel locomotive usually pulls the train.

Train Collection

The Society has many interesting pieces of railroad equipment. Here are some of them:

• Two Ann Arbor ALCO RS-1 locomotives, #20 and #21. Locomotive #20 is on display in Shepherd, Michigan. Locomotive #21 was studied in 2015 to see if it could be put back into service.
• The only General Motors GMDH-3 diesel-hydraulic locomotive ever built. It is not currently running.
• Former Western Maryland GE 44-ton switcher #75. This engine is used on most trips.
• Former Detroit and Mackinac Railway GE 44-ton Switcher #10. This engine was recently acquired and is waiting to be fixed up to run again.
• The last New York Central MU Car, #4330. This car is still mechanically complete.
• Two 1920 Chicago South Shore cars, #1 and #36.
• The former Pullman sleeper car "Emerald Vale." The Ann Arbor Railroad later used this car for work.
• New York Central bay window caboose #21692.
• New Haven Railroad caboose #C-626. For a while, it was painted as Penn Central #19882. This caboose actually ran on this line.
• A large collection of "track speeder" railway motorcars.
• A small Plymouth locomotive.
• An Ann Arbor Railroad boxcar.
• Two flat cars.
• Grand Trunk Western transfer caboose #75053.
• An NYC Pipe Gondola that was changed into an open-air passenger car.

Images for kids

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  Museum exterior

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  Museum interior