Steam Railroading Institute facts for kids

The Steam Railroading Institute is a cool place in Owosso, Michigan. It helps keep old trains working and teaches people about them. It started in 1969 as a club at Michigan State University. Later, it became the Michigan State Trust for Railway Preservation. Now, it's known as the Steam Railroading Institute.

This group works hard to save, fix, and run old railroad equipment. They have a special heritage railroad. Sometimes, they offer fun train rides using amazing steam locomotives. Their most famous steam engines are Pere Marquette 1225 and Chicago and North Western 175.

History of the Steam Railroading Institute

The Steam Railroading Institute teaches everyone about old steam trains. It grew from the Michigan State Trust for Railway Preservation (MSTRP). For many years, the MSTRP focused on one special steam locomotive: Pere Marquette Railway No. 1225.

After engine 1225 stopped working for the railway, it was given to Michigan State University. A man named Cyrus Eaton thought the university's engineering students could learn a lot from a real train. He convinced the university to accept it. The train arrived on campus in 1957.

Engine 1225 sat on campus for a while. Students would sometimes paint it, and visitors could see it on football weekends. Then, in 1969, some students became very interested in the locomotive. They formed the Michigan State University Railroad Club.

In 1970, a student named Randy Paquette had a big idea. He suggested they fix engine 1225. Their goal was to use it to pull trains full of fans to university football games. The students worked on the locomotive for many years.

The club later changed into the Michigan State Trust for Railway Preservation. This happened after the club president talked with the university president. The university decided to give the locomotive to this new group. The MSTRP officially started in July 1979.

Over the past 35 years, the Steam Railroading Institute has grown a lot. It now has two steam locomotives and many passenger cars. It also has other pieces of "rolling stock," which are all the vehicles that run on train tracks.

The Institute is located where the old Ann Arbor Railroad yard used to be. Here, you can see how real steam locomotives work up close.

Train Equipment at the Institute

The Steam Railroading Institute has many different types of trains. They have locomotives that pull the trains and other cars for passengers or freight.

Locomotives You Can See

These are the main engines that pull trains.

Locomotive details

Number	Builder	Images	Type	Build date	Status	Notes
1225	Lima Locomotive Works		Steam	1941	Operational	This is a famous steam engine.
175	American Locomotive Company		Steam	1908	Under restoration	This steam engine is being fixed up.
1313	General Electric		25-ton switcher	1940s	Operational	A smaller engine used for moving cars around.

Locomotives That Visit

Sometimes, other locomotives come to visit or help out.

Number	Builder	Images	Type	Build date	Status	Notes
75	Vulcan Iron Works		Steam	1930	Operational	This steam engine is rented from another owner. It sometimes pulls special rides.
4428	General Electric		Diesel	1954	Operational	This is a diesel engine, also rented.
7471	Electro-Motive Diesel		EMD SD40	1966	Operational	This diesel engine is rented from Precision Locomotive.
57	Electro-Motive Diesel, Morrison-Knudsen		EMD GP40WH-2	1968 (original), 1993 (rebuild)	Operational	This diesel engine is also rented from Precision Locomotive.

Locomotives That Used to Be Here

These engines were once part of the Institute's collection but have moved on.

Other Train Cars (Rolling Stock)

"Rolling stock" includes all the cars that ride on the tracks, like passenger cars and freight cars.

Passenger cars:

• VIA Rail coaches: 5447, 5485, 5576, 5581, and 5646. These are cars for people to ride in.
• VIA Rail diner/lounge car 762. This car has a dining area and a lounge.
• Chesapeake & Ohio coach 1615. This car is owned by a private person.
• Chesapeake & Ohio Pullman Sleeper "City of Ashland" 2624. This car has beds for sleeping.
• Chesapeake & Ohio/Chicago Great Western/Chicago & Northwestern Baggage/Combination Car 462 (now 4062). This car is sometimes used to sell snacks on train rides.
• PRR 8275 "Norristown Inn"/ SEMTA/ MARC 147 coach. This car is now owned by the Institute.
• US Army 89639/ Amtrak 1363/ MSTX 1363 baggage car. This car is currently stored.
• Three old Amtrak/ATSF Hi-level cars. These include one coach and two lounge cars.

Freight cars:

• Ann Arbor PS-1 Boxcar #1314. A car used for carrying goods.
• Chesapeake & Ohio/Pere Marquette Gondola #31262. An open-top car for carrying heavy materials.
• Detroit & Mackinac Tank cars X-127 & X-128. These were fixed up to look like old Pure Oil and Dow Chemical tank cars.
• Detroit & Mackinac Gondola #3514. Another open-top car.
• Pere Marquette Automobile car #72332. A car designed to carry cars.
• Wabash Boxcars (later Ann Arbor X4633 and X4646). More cars for carrying goods.
• A couple of flat cars. These are open, flat platforms for carrying large items.

Maintenance of Way (MOW) Equipment: These are special vehicles used to keep the tracks and trains in good shape.

• Rock Island #5000-series tender/Auxiliary Tender #5000. This used to be part of a large locomotive. Now, it carries extra water for engine 1225 on long trips.
• Pere Marquette #361. This used to be a troop sleeper car. Now, it's used to carry tools for engine 1225.
• Grand Trunk Western Track Foreman's/Bunk Car #58332. A car where track workers might have slept or worked.
• Detroit, Toledo & Ironton/Grand Trunk Burro crane #15027. A small crane that moves itself and is used for light jobs.
• Ex. US Navy Speeder/Gasoline Motor Car. A small car that runs on gasoline, used for quick trips on the tracks.
• Ann Arbor Caboose's #2838 & 2839. A caboose is the last car on a freight train.
• Pere Marquette Caboose #A909. Another caboose.
• Detroit & Mackinac power car #7. This car used to be a troop sleeper.

Buildings at the Institute

The Steam Railroading Institute has some new buildings and some old, historic ones. These include an original Pere Marquette turntable and an old Ann Arbor Freight house.

The New Buffalo Turntable

The turntable is a very old machine, built in 1919. It was used to turn locomotives around at the Pere Marquette railyard in New Buffalo, Michigan. It worked for many years, helping trains get ready to go in different directions.

In 1984, the railyard closed. The Institute bought the turntable and moved it to its current spot. They even made it 10 feet longer to fit bigger trains like the Pere Marquette 1225. This turntable still works just like it did when steam trains were common! Engine 1225 used this very turntable many times when it was in service.

The SRI Visitor Center

The Visitor Center is inside an old freight warehouse. This building was used by the Ann Arbor railroad. We don't know exactly when it was built, but its foundation is from the 1880s. People think the first building might have burned down in the 1920s, and the current one was built after that.

It was first used as a creamery, which is a place where dairy products are made. Then, the Ann Arbor railroad used it to store things like grain. Later, a moving and storage company rented the building. In 2004, the Institute bought the building. They fixed it up to be their Visitor Center. Inside, you can find exhibits, a model train display, and the museum's collection of old train items and records.