TRAINS AT HENRY FORD MUSEUM

A few more.

 

 

The roundhouse at the museum is from my hometown, Marshall, Mi., sure wish we had it back here...but good to see it on display where it is seen by multitudes of people.

 

Jim, thanks for posting the photos, we were at the Ford Museum almost 20 years ago.

John

One member of this forum, Santafe158 fires on the steam engines there.  

Dan

Thanks, John and nice to know loco-dan.

It's been 30 years since I was last there - I really have to go there again.  As I recall they had a DT&I Atlantic in the museum that looked in like new condition.  I couldn't see any wear on the bearings, brakes, etc.  That was Henry Ford's railroad, so it might have been his pet engine.  When I was there I managed a cab ride on the Torch Lake, which I believe is the last Mason-Fairlie engine in existance.

When I was last there, I sort of skipped over the trains.  I had only a little while and there was so much automotive I wanted to see . . .  I need to go back again and take more time.  

 

Thank you for the photos.  

My father was plant manager at the Ingersoll-Rand plant in Phillipsburg, NJ in the 1970s.  He donated the I-R diesels to the Ford Museum and the Illinois Railroad Museum.  I, and two of my friends, got to run one of the engines back then.  I don't remember which.

thanks for posting these pics never been there but looks like a great place to go.

The roundhouse as it sits at the village is really a new reconstruction of the 1884 Marshall roundhouse.  The original had sat neglected for many years and there wasn't a whole lot left of it, so the museum obtained what original pieces they could to use in reconstructing it in the village.

 

You can also see our brand new coaling tower in the background of one of the photos above.  It has been a long term project, but was finally constructed last winter (I believe starting in January)

 

I'm just a fireman however, so if you ever come for a visit, the presenters in the roundhouse should be able to fill you in with a little more detail.

Ford's "pet" engine was really our 1897 Baldwin 4-4-0 #7 (seen in the pictures above) which was also in the museum for many years.  It returned to service about a year ago having been under restoration for ten years and not having run since about 1927.

 

The Atlantic you mentioned is parked in the roundhouse now over a display pit that visitors can enter to see the undersides of the locomotive.  When you saw it, it was still sitting in the museum.  Ford had it cosmetically restored by his Rouge Factory railroad shop for the museum.

 

And yes, Torch Lake is the last Mason Bogie locomotive in existence, and also the oldest regularly operating steam locomotive in the country having been originally built in 1873

Thanks for posting. I got to make it to the Ford Museum before the last stop!

 

Rich in NH

Looks interesting but if I went there I would be more interested in the automobiles.

I took plenty of auto pictures too, but figured that I shouldn't post them on a train forum........  

 

It's been a decade since I was last there; most definitely my most favorite place I've ever visited.  You could call it the technology/history fan's version of Disneyland!  The roundhouse wasn't there last time I visited the village portion (that was 1996), so I definitely have reason to go back.  There has been talk of going up to Michigan some time soon to visit family, so hopefully the Henry Ford will be a possibility.  (I have specifically stated that next time, we'll need to set aside not one but TWO full days for the Henry Ford, one for each part).  It has definitely been an inspiration for the direction I want to go in HO scale.

Aaron

She's my favorite! What a beast. Thank you.

 

 

Great museum.  I was there last Christmas. 

 

Love that Allegheny.  Its the reason I bought the MTH premier to display on my mantle (I don't have any coal hoppers for it to pull).

 

It was a pleasure to see her in operation during my 2011 visit...and heck the all place is an absolute must see.

 

 

The entire Village was given a refresh around 2002/2003, so you're next visit will definitely be a different experience.  Plenty of new things to do.

So do the two engines take turns operating?  I'd like to see Torch Lake hot again, both because of my ride on it, and because I'm a former denizen of Da UP.  BTW, I fired on a steam loco up in Marquette for 3 years (and was paid to do it!).

John,

 

As SantaFe158 will also tell you, not only does the Torch Lake and Edison take turns, but as of last year, the Baldwin is in the rotation.  So we (I also work at the Village) have three working steam locomotives.  On high traffic weekends like Motor Muster or the Old Car Festival, we will run two trains with only about 11-13 minutes between arrivals of a train at one of our three stations.  Definitely worth the trip to see the whole museum complex.  And yes, budget two days for the place, one for the Museum and one for the Village. 

 

Jerry

The Torch Lake, Edison and D&LN #7 operate on about a 30 day rotation between boiler washes.  High traffic events utilize two locomotives during the day.  Of course we always have our 1942 GE USN 50 ton Diesel-electric locomotive as a backup if one of the steam locomotives doesn't want to cooperate.

 

I believe Edison is still operating currently as the other two are in the shop for some minor repairs.  I'll be inside Torch Lake's firebox for much of tomorrow with a wire wheel cleaning all the grime off so it can be inspected.

 

My Dad and I were there four months ago.We have both been there many times over the past four decades.It is always impressive to see some of the best artifacts from the USA's past on display there.

Dan

Never forget the first time I saw #1601 up there.   Quite unbelievable !   Lots of other nifty stuff too.

I definitely need to get out more - I can't believe they built a coaling tower! I buy a yearly pass every year but just haven't made it yet this season. I like the feeling of walking around the place, I feel as if I'm on a 1:1 train layout.

Is that Lionel layout a permanent exhibit?  I recall when I was at the museum in 2004 (museum only), the person at the assembly line demonstration exhibit told me about the museum acquiring a GG1 and he also said something about a Lionel exhibit.

 

One exhibit that I only got a glimpse of but didn't get to see up close was that ghostly white gothic engine.

 

I am also impressed with that coaling tower!  Is it operable?

 

Aaron

The Lionel display in the museum was a Christmas only thing that became permanent a few years back.

We do use the coal tower and demonstrate it once a day on most days during public hours.  We don't follow any set schedule as to when we use it other than that though

The Lionel layout at the Henry Ford is now permanent behind the Allegheny.  This next Saturday and Sunday is the Maker Faire - Extra Cost Admission.  The Ford Model Railroad club will have our module set up.  We will set up Thurs, test Friday and run both days this weekend.  I will have a Mohawk with Pacemaker cars.  Another member will have an Allegheny.  Thanks Bruce

You are welcome EBT Jim.  I have been there three times and have enjoyed each time.  

 

Here are some more photos from March 2014 of the train layout in the Henry Ford Museum.The entire layout is pre-war Lionel themed.The diner in the photo is standard gauge size,which Lionel never made in that scale.It is a very nice looking custom model.Watching the trains run on the layout is an impressive and memorable sight.

Dan

How late in the year do the trains operate?  I won't be getting off the ship until the beginning of October.

When Richard Kughn closed Carail, I was under the impression that the big standard gauge layout was going to the Henry Ford Museum. Any idea of where it ended up?

I believe most of the accessory/structure items shown on the layout in the photos above came from Richard Kughn's layouts.

Trains normally operate until the first weekend in November

We really enjoyed the O trains, as well as the real ones at the Henry Ford. I especially like how they have couches spaced around the interior of the museum.

EBT...Your engine will be running this weekend at Maker's Faire at the Henry Ford museum.  This is one of my favorite expieriences at the Henry Ford.  Holiday Nights is my favorite for Greenfield Village.  The engine runs great and pudrags nice coal drag or mixed freight as a rule.

 

As Bruce Clark has mentioned above, this coming weekend will be quite the train weekend at the Henry Ford with both the Ford modular group and the Glancy modular group along with the Henry Ford layout operating back by the Allegheny.