Before we departed, Bart Jennings asked if anyone would like a cab ride. Elizabeth was the first to say "yes" so she quickly detrained and hurried to the locomotive for this rare and special opportunity.
Elizabeth in the cab of former Grand Trunk Western 7014, taken by Don the engineer. At 10:00 AM our trip started as we departed Coopersville.
Our train crossed Deer Creek which is one of the few flowing streams in the area.
Out we went into the Michigan countryside.
It was still cloudy and cold this morning in Michigan.
A red barn.
A look towards the south. We stopped at Titusville for our first photo runby of the day, where Elizabeth's cab ride ended so others could have the opportunity.
The reverse move.
The Titusville station sign.
Photo runby 1.
Now Bart would pose the train for photography.
The posed pictures of our train.
The train had to reverse to clear the grade crossing for a few minutes.
It then pulled back up to the crossing so we could board the train.
Our group boarding the train. From here we went east to our next photo runby location and we all detrained. Here one could get two shots during this double runby. We all went to the same spot for the first one.
Reverse move 2.
Photo runby 2. I was the only one who moved to the other runby location.
Reverse move 3.
Photo runby 3.
The train then reversed to pick us all up.
More of that exciting Michigan countryside.
Our train crossed Sand Creek.
We arrived in Marne, were allowed to detrain and had two surprises, the first Pullman 10-1-1 sleeper "La Reine", ex. prviate owner, exx. Pennsylvania Railroad track maintenance 493827, exx. PRR 8651, nee Louisville and Nashville "La Reine" built by Pullman in 1929. It is owned by Western Michigan Society for Industrial Heritage and under restoration.
Maine Central combine 501, ex. Henry Ford Museum, exx. Otter Valley Tourist Train in Procter, Vermont, nee 470 Railroad Club built as a coach by Laconia in 1910 and later rebuilt into a combine. It is also owned by the Western Michigan Society for Industrial Heritage
We went to the back of our train to wait for the engine to run around.
The engine came down the siding by our train.
The engine then coupled onto our train and we all reboarded for a quick trip back to Coopersville. I told Bart that Elizabeth and I had to get going and to use our Speeder Trip money for the Southern Appalachia Railway Museum projects. Once we returned to Coopersville, we detrained and we drove east.
