Historic train brings sense of normalcy back to two southern Michigan towns

TECUMSEH, Mich. — The Southern Michigan Railroad Society is taking passengers on their line for the first time since 2019.

The group's train pulled into Tecumseh on July 3 at the intersection of M50 and Evans Street, marking their return after being forced to shut down last year due to the pandemic. 

“We had an absolutely overwhelming response. The public was happy to see us back in town," said Lawrence Wartenberg, a brakeman with the Southern Michigan Railroad. "They couldn’t wait to ride us. We are kind of a hit here locally.” 

Dozens of people took advantage of the chance to catch an old-fashioned train ride once again, such as Jason Goss and his daughter, Kierstin.

“Oh, it was wonderful. Yeah. I mean, it was short, but yeah, it was a very nice ride. Kierstin here enjoyed it,” said Goss.

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For over 40 years, the train has been a fixture of the local community. A twenty-dollar ticket takes you from Clinton to Tecumseh in a living piece of history.

But that all came to a halt last year. 

“By the time we had started preparing for the summer season, COVID had already taken place,” said Steven Polchinski, an engineer with the Southern Michigan Railroad.  

The pandemic put the Railroad in a position where they had no choice but to shut down - losing their only source of income in the process.

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“All of our operating expenses are covered by ticket sales and member donations and membership dues - and obviously not running for one whole year made it difficult,” explained Wartenberg.

However, the society had enough money in reserve to keep the business afloat. They were even able to take advantage of the shutdown, using the downtime to refurbish one of the train cars.

The society also cleaned the entire train from top to bottom and repaired various portions of the track.

The Southern Michigan Railroad Society was formed in the 1980s when the historic railroad line between Clinton and Tecumseh was in danger of being torn up. 

Following the repeal of Michigan’s COVID restrictions, the Southern Michigan Railroad is able to ride the rails again - and people can once more experience the fun to be had when you take the train. 

For ticket information and schedule click here.

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