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Michigan Train Rides and Excursion Trains

Michigan train rides offer a wide selection of options and if you are interested in catching an excursion pulled by steam then a visit to the state is a must. The famous Huckleberry Railroad operates a quite large fleet of five locomotives while the Little River Railroad in Coldwater pulls tourist trains using a 4-6-2 Pacific. And then there is the Steam Railroading Institute, owner of the famous 2-8-4 Berkshire #1225. If you want to catch a ride behind this large beauty you will certainly need to plan ahead as trips are only offered during certain times of the year. Often forgotten but Michigan is also home to the small Tahquamenon Falls Wilderness Excursion which uses a small section of narrow-gauge track near Soo Junction. Please be aware that Michigan features a wide range of railroad museums as well. To learn more about these please click here.

If there was one excursion train I would recommend you see when in Michigan it would have to be the Steam Railroading Institute. Not only do they own and operate the #1225 but they also offer quite a range of excursions (especially during the holidays) using climate-controlled cars. As such, it enables the organization to begin their operating season in February, well before most other tourist railroads. Of note, Michigan train rides also include the Adrian & Blissfield Railroad and Coopersville & Marne Railway. If you are interested in catching one of the finer dinner train operations in the country, the Adrian & Blissfield is worth the visit offering wonderful scenery of southeastern Michigan as well as some great eating. While the Coopersville & Marne, on the other hand, isn't known for incredible food or luxurious onboard accommodations they do offer very reasonable prices with several different excursion options to choose from. In any event, to learn more about all Michigan train rides please read on below.

Michigan Train Rides and Excursion Trains

Adrian & Blissfield Railroad

The Adrian & Blissfield Railroad, based in Blissfield, Michigan is well known for its fabulous dinner trains. The railroad offers a wide variety of dinner trains to choose from, from simply a meal to a murder mystery, and much more. While trains board at Blissfield you can also catch them from nearby Charlotte as well. For more information about visiting the railroad please click here.

Coopersville & Marne Railway

The Coopersville & Marne Railway, based in Coopersville, Michigan offers a wide variety of train rides to choose from including train robberies, "Pizza Trains", and seasonal trips. For more information about visiting the railroad please click here.

Huckleberry Railroad

The Huckleberry Railroad is part of the Crossroads Village & Huckleberry Railroad Park, a popular tourist attraction in Flint that offers much more than just train rides (such as camping, boating, paddleboat rides, fishing, beaches, and more). While the railroad’s star attractions are two steam locomotives, #2 and #464 the Huckleberry actually owns seven locomotives in total. For more information about visiting the railroad please click here.

Little River Railroad

The Little River Railroad is based in Coldwater, Michigan offering rides as far west as Quincy, about 6 miles away. The railroad normally uses its 4-6-2 Pacific steam locomotive to pull trains although they also have a small 0-4-0 tank engine on hand for special events as well, which occur at various times throughout the year. For more information about visiting the railroad please click here.

Steam Railroading Institute

The Steam Railroading Institute, based in Owosso, Michigan is the home of Pere Marquette 2-8-4 #1225, star of the hit movie The Polar Express. Throughout the year SRI operates diesel-powered excursions and on rare occasions does so using one of its operable steamers, such as #1225. During the Christmas season they operate their North Pole Express using none other than #1225. If you want to ride on the true Polar Express train, this is it! For more information about visiting the railroad please click here.

Tahquamenon Falls Wilderness Excursion

The Tahquamenon Falls Wilderness Excursion located in Soo Junction, Michigan operates a short-stretch of narrow-gauge trackage in the state's beautiful upper peninsula. For more information about visiting the railroad please click here.

Please Click Here To Return To The Main Tourist Railroads Section

If you may be interested in reading about Michigan's history with trains please click here. Also, for more information about Michigan train rides you might want to consider the book Tourist Trains Guidebook, which is put together by the editors of Kalmbach Publishing's Trains magazine. The guide below is the latest, released in just April, 2011 that now includes more than 470 museums and tourist trains (it also lists all of Alabama's rail museums). In any event, if you're interested in perhaps purchasing this book please visit the link below which will take you to ordering information through Amazon.com, the trusted online shopping network.

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