Photos of the derelict 2-8-0s on this defunct Michigan tourist railroad. Anyone know exactly where and when they were taken? The turntable looks newly installed. Is it still there?http://www.ngdiscussion.net/cgi-bin/NGDFcook.pl?read=68155

That's the turntable that was put in right at the Marquette end of the line, actually north of town, adjacent to the LS&I ore dock at Presque Point (sp?).The track in the photo runs southwest to join the ore dock lead someplace just before the LS&I yard. The track that curves past the TT in one of the photos runs east along the north side of the dock aproach to a depot building that was moved to where the highway passed under the dock trackage.These photos must have been taken in the late seventies, after Mr. Zerble (sp?) passed away and the operations shut down. The TT was there when I was there in the late sixties. I don't know where the TT originally came from.The engines are all LS&I; most look to be 20 class engines, one or more which went to the GCRR. The last in line might be the 35, now at the Illinois Railway Museum, sister engine to the 34 that now runs as "WM 734".

Can someone give us the story of this tourist line? Did they own the line or lease it. Did the operaters own all the 2-8-0's or was the 23 leased. I think the story behind some of these "daisy picker" early tourist lines is interesting. Mostly because they just dove right in, no restoration to speak of. They would find a steamer in good shape, dust it off and light the fires ( well, maybe it wasn't THAT simple). All the info most of us have is from our early Steam Passenger Directory's.Thanks in a advance for any info. Happy agood weekend everyone!

See below link for a website with some history and photos of this defunct tourist line.http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Flat ... egards,Jim Robinson

Sounds a lot like the " Morris County Central of Michigan". So sad, but again, like the MCC, was way ahead of it's time.

The line actually survived (barely) into the 80's. Its one of my first steam experiences; by that point only #23 was operable. Never thought any of those rusted hulks would be running ever again, let alone over four of them! For that matter, never thought I'd have a small hand in bringing back one of their sisters, #33!TJG

Being in the middle of nowhere on the way nowhere (at least being far away from any real population source) couldn't have helped either. Scenery is spectacular though ---- I've been up there many times since, and always kind of makes me a little sad to see from a car what you could from a train. So many places like that now, I guess. TJGTJ

Probably a lot more of that equipment than one might suspect survives one way or another. At the Illinois Railway Museum combine CNW 7700 sees regular operation (a steel car with ghosts of the M&HM lettering still discernible) and an ex GB&W wood passenger car with bay window grafted on needs a LOT of attention to make it more presentable, let alone operate.Once something is 'saved' does not stop the deterioration or insure its long term survival.Bob Kutella

Dennis:I think that all seven of the LS&I SC-4 class 2-8-0's are still with us at one place or the other, although I am not quite sure what happened to # 18 that the Grand Canyon Railway restored to start their operation but recently took out of service. The four "big" 2-8-0's however, fared almost as well, with 33, 34 and 35 still around. The fourth engine in the series however (# 32), was supposedly sent somewhere down south and used for target practice by the U.S. Air Force and presumably was eventually scrapped. But recently I ran across a website that indicated that the 32 might still be around too. Unfortunately, I cannot recall just what website I read that on. Finally, 2-8-0 # 29 is also still with us and is currently in service on the Grand Canyon Railway. There is another LS&I locomotive still in existance; 2-8-2 # 14, but I don't think she was ever on the roster of the M&HM.Les Beckman (Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum/North Judson, Indiana)

When this tourist line started up in the mid-1960's there was a nice write up (full page, if I remember correctly) in Trains Magazine. Unfortunately, I don't have my old back issues handy at the moment and can't cite the specific issue.Alan Maples

Weren't they offering stock in M&HM via a large ad in Trains Mag about the time they started operating?

If I recall correctly, LS&I 34 also passed directly from the railroad to Herb Hanson / IRM without going through M&HM ownership. While stored off site, vandals started the coal in the tender on fire, which did considerable damage to the cab. After the M&HM folded, IRM obtained LS&I 35 because it had an example of something lacking in the collection, a tender booster engine, and the 34 was de-accessioned.I should point out, as it may not be evident from the photos because they are faded and the engines dusty, but the boiler jackets were dark green on these engines, not black. This isn't an example of scenic RR hokey, but was true to LS&I practice, the only thing that changed was the initials on the tender. The LS&I was (and still is) a class act.

Howard,I recall seeing the ads for the M&HM start up around 1963-64. They were offering a chance to buy into the operation and share ownership and work on the line. I believe they were asking about $200 to become a part-owner.I don't know if they ran the same distance over the whole span of their operation, but at the start, they ran all the way to Big Bay, MI. That was a fairly long ride through the woods.RTK

Bob Kutella said, "At the Illinois Railway Museum an ex GB&W/M&HM wood passenger car with bay window grafted on needs a LOT of attention to make it more presentable, let alone operate."Hi,Did GB&W or M&HM convert GB&W 109 coach to a comboose?Thanks, Roger

There is an excellent website on the Green Bay & Western that states that this car was converted to a caboose coach in 1947.http://www.greenbayroute.com/passenger.htmAlso on this site is a C. 2005 photo of a nee-GBW caboose purchased by Dr. Sabin, that remains in the Marquette, MI area.http://www.greenbayroute.com/6052004.htmI remember seeing a C. 1950 photo of caboose/coach 109 on the web recently - Those interested may want to inquire at:http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/GBW/Regarding the 109, as I recall its current exterior condition and configuration is very close to how it looked following its conversion to a caboose. It would be nice to see it at the Mid Continent Railroad museum with their GB&W equipment. There is a M&HM roster with dispositions at:http://www.railroadmichigan.com/mhm.htmlAlso at this site are a photo of a very deteriorated nee-CB&Q heavyweight coach and (what I believe to be) a ex-Chicago and Western Indiana Stillwell coach (nee-Erie, of course) that remain near a power plant there. Both seem to be execellent candidates for archaeological demolition.Tom Cornillie