Hello everyone, I am new here and figured I would post a bit about myself. Basically, right now I am what I would consider a 'regular' volunteer at SRI in Owosso, MI. To get by I do freelance photography/some portrait work. I got the nickname 'huckleberry foamer' from one of the engineers at SRI who decided to start calling me that out of the blue. Anyways, I figured I would post one of my recent photos.The photo is of the HuckleBerry Railroad in Flint, MI.

Those are some nice passenger cars. What can you tell us about them?Alan S. Levy

welcome to the site. we used to vacation in Frankenmuth every summer during the Bavarian Festival. We stopped at the Huckelberry often. Very nice town and trains. If I remember correctly, those passenger cars are Civil War era?

Is that Marty Knox in the fireman's seat?dave

Nope.

The clerestory coach first seen behind the tender is F.C. Unidos de Yucatan 42, and the arch roof car next is FCUdeY 102, however it is more special than that. It is the only know surviving Catskill Mountain Railway coach. A photo of it is on page 127 of Gerald Best's Ulster and Delaware book. All of the Huckleberry original coaches date from 1880-1900, however, for any old passenger coach, they are like Paul Bunyan's axe: six new handles and three new heads!Steve ZuiderveenFireman, HRR1979-81

Thanks, I didn't know that Huckleberry has a car from the Catskill Mountain. Where was the car before Huckleberry received it?Also some of the cars are from the D&RGW and the RGS. The Colorado RR Museum had received three coach bodies when the last all wood cars were retired by the Rio Grande from Silverton service. CRRM kept one and sold two to the Huckleberry. Also I think another one is the ex-RGS 260 which was built by D&RG for the RGS.The ex-Yucatan cars came by way of a unbuilt operation in Southern California. One of the FCY cars was a baggage-mail which was to give up its running gear to a new built (about 10 years ago) combine/handicap car.Other cars started out as converted freight cars that were slowly rebuilt to include windows and make them more like passenger cars.

Thanks, I didn't know that Huckleberry has a car from the Catskill Mountain. Where was the car before Huckleberry received it? Early West Railways/Puddingstone Reservoir collection in California.Also some of the cars are from the D&RGW and the RGS. The Colorado RR Museum had received three coach bodies when the last all wood cars were retired by the Rio Grande from Silverton service. CRRM kept one and sold two to the Huckleberry. Also I think another one is the ex-RGS 260 which was built by D&RG for the RGS. Chile Line coaches 306 and 320. Correct on the GRS 260. These three cars are on the head end of the train in the photo; 306 and 320 have traditionally always been on the head end of the Huck train because they have the most steel in the underframes. They all run on trucks salvaged from unrestorable coaches from the Early West Railways collection.The ex-Yucatan cars came by way of a unbuilt operation in Southern California. Early West Railways (see above). The equipment was mostly ex FC UdeY and FC CyZ.One of the FCY cars was a baggage-mail which was to give up its running gear to a new built (about 10 years ago) combine/handicap car. This was an ex FC Coahuila y Zacatecas car. "Running Gear" is generous. It was mostly end underframe steel parts and handrails. The combine is probably 90% new.Other cars started out as converted freight cars that were slowly rebuilt to include windows and make them more like passenger cars.This would include (I recall) HRR 9, which I think is a Diamond and Caldor flat via Camino, Cable, and Northern; and EBT flatcars 104, 112, and 114. There are a few more I cannot remember if they are still open gons or have been converted.Steve Zuiderveen

They also have a North Pacific Coast Kimball built coach. I think its No 8, via NCO and Hal Wurmunder. I beleive its rarely used.

Make that "never used!" The car body is fully restored, but the running gear was never finished (brake gear mostly) and it sits in the shops, open for tours during Railfan Weekend. With a graceful "duckbill" style clerestory roof, cut glass clerestory windows, wooden slat shutters instead of window shades, it's a lovely car. No. 8 is just too nice to be subjected to the rigors of normal passenger service. Maybe someday the running gear will be finished and it will be used on specials, but there are always higher priority jobs that need doing first.

Steve, thank you for the information. I had no idea that that one of the cars from Early West Railways was a Catskill Mountain Ry car. Did it come via Mexico as all the Early West Railways equipment I know of came from there?Randy, regarding the #8, I never heard that Wilmander owned the car. The story I heard is that the car body was on the ground at Wendell, where a number of ex-N-C-O cars on the ground for housing, etc. Since Wilmander was engaged to obtain equipment for the Huckleberry he could have also have owned the car as he had owned (or been involved with) the #2 and any other Camino Cable & Northern equipment that went to Flint. The number #8 is likely the number when the car was on the North Pacific Coast; I think it was either #5 or #7 on the N-C-O.

It came via Mexico. 102 is its UdeY number, the CMRy number is unknown. A postcard showing it or a sister on a CMRy train can be found by clicking http://www.udrrhs.org/html/catskillmountain.htm and then clicking on the button for "South Cairo".Steve

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Marty could reply with more authority, but I believe he is pretty busy at the moment. The 464 is test running and breaking in this weekend, I believe; while 2 is holding down the regular job until 464 comes on. 2 is close to the end of its 1472 boiler days, so I expect it will be boiler wash and reserve locomotive, and will then get its 1472 day boiler work and other general necessary repairs this winter (or next winter depending upon budgets).Steve