$1.3M Mott Foundation Grant To Help Rebuild Rio Grande 2-8-2 No. 464

Published: February 18, 2026

Crossroads Village & Huckleberry Railroad—one of Michigan’s best-known living-history attractions—has received a major financial boost aimed squarely at keeping steam-era railroading alive for future generations. A $1.3 million grant from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation will fund critical work on steam locomotive No. 464, the railroad’s 1903-built 2-8-2 “Mikado” that has been out of service awaiting heavy repairs.

The project centers on the kind of behind-the-scenes investment that can make or break a steam program: boiler and mechanical renewal work that must be completed to modern safety standards before the locomotive can pull passengers again. While No. 464 is widely recognized as the “star” engine at Crossroads Village, the reality is that steam operations depend on continuous, expensive maintenance cycles—especially for a locomotive that’s now more than a century old.

In this view of #464 the 2-8-2 leads a Huckleberry Railroad excursion near Flint, Michigan on July 22, 2009. Drew Jacksich photo.

Locomotive Rebuild

According to details released with the award, the grant is being provided to the Genesee County Parks & Recreation Commission to support critical maintenance on Huckleberry Railroad Engine 464 at Crossroads Village. The work will include boiler repairs, the single most consequential (and costly) component in returning a steam locomotive to operation.

That emphasis is significant. Steam locomotives are governed by strict inspection and maintenance requirements, and the boiler is essentially the locomotive’s pressure vessel “heart.” Boiler work can involve extensive internal inspections, repairs or replacement of worn components, and upgrades needed to ensure safe, reliable operation for public excursions. The grant, in practical terms, helps secure the long-term future of No. 464 as a working exhibit rather than a static display.

Local officials have also framed the funding as an investment in regional heritage. In Genesee County’s own year-in-review messaging, the award was described as ensuring “this piece of living history” can be enjoyed by future generations—language that underscores the broader mission behind the project: preservation through operation.

Rio Grande 2-8-2 "Mudhen" #464 (K-27)

For many visitors, No. 464 is simply “the steam engine” that powers the Huckleberry Railroad. For historians and rail preservationists, it’s something more: Denver & Rio Grande Western (D&RGW) No. 464, a member of the famed K-27 class of narrow-gauge Mikados—nicknamed the “Mudhens.” Only two K-27s survive today, and No. 464 is one of them—making this locomotive a rare representative of a class that helped define Rocky Mountain narrow-gauge railroading in the early 20th century.

Built in 1903 by Baldwin Locomotive Works, No. 464 was part of a 15-engine fleet constructed for the Denver & Rio Grande’s narrow-gauge system, numbered 450 through 464. As a K-27, the locomotive was designed for demanding mountain service where curves were sharp, grades were steep, and rail infrastructure often favored the lighter, cheaper-to-build narrow gauge.

Over the years, the K-27s evolved mechanically. Historical documentation notes that the class was originally built as Vauclain compound locomotives and later converted to conventional single-expansion operation, with multiple engines ultimately receiving superheaters, piston valves, and Walschaerts valve gear during subsequent upgrades—improvements that reflected the railroads’ drive for greater power and efficiency.

No. 464’s own story is notable even within the class: it was the last K-27 to remain in D&RGW service, reportedly working at Durango, Colorado, before being retired in 1962. After retirement, the engine spent time on display and then entered the theme-park world when it was sold to Knott’s Berry Farm in California in the 1970s.

The locomotive’s next chapter began in the Midwest. Accounts of the engine’s preservation path indicate the Huckleberry Railroad acquired No. 464 in 1981, undertook a lengthy restoration effort, and ultimately returned it to service later in the decade. Over time, No. 464 became the signature steam locomotive at Crossroads Village—an eye-catching Colorado narrow-gauge Mikado hauling excursion trains through a Michigan county park.

More recently, No. 464’s operational timeline entered another familiar phase for steam preservation: the engine last operated in the late 2010s/early 2019 timeframe and has since awaited a major overhaul—precisely the kind of expensive, specialized work that the new Mott Foundation grant is intended to address.

The Huckleberry Railroad

The Huckleberry Railroad is a narrow-gauge heritage railway located in Genesee Township near Flint, Michigan, and it operates as a key attraction of Crossroads Village, a living-history museum owned and maintained by the Genesee County Parks & Recreation Commission.

What visitors experience

Crossroads Village is built around the idea of stepping into a Great Lakes community from the turn of the 20th century, featuring dozens of historic structures and period experiences. The Huckleberry Railroad complements that mission by offering a working rail experience—steam (when available), vintage coaches, and the sights and sounds that make rail history feel immediate rather than distant.

The railroad itself traces its name to a long-told bit of rail folklore: the line was supposedly slow enough that someone could hop off, pick wild huckleberries, and hop back on without much trouble.

Roots in Michigan railroad history

While the modern Huckleberry Railroad is a heritage attraction, its story connects to earlier rail development in the region. Summaries of the corridor’s past describe rail activity that developed in the late 19th century, with expansions that ultimately created a longer route between communities—followed by abandonments in the early 1930s.

The heritage operation associated with Crossroads Village opened in 1976, aligning with the debut of the village attraction itself—an origin date that makes the Huckleberry Railroad one of the longer-running heritage operations in the Midwest.

Today’s locomotive lineup

In recent years, official park materials have noted that No. 464 has been out of service undergoing renovation, with other locomotives (including steam No. 152) handling day-to-day operations when steam is running. That context helps explain why restoring No. 464 is such a big deal: it isn’t merely a cosmetic project, but a return of a marquee locomotive that adds capacity, flexibility, and historical “pull” to the attraction’s operating season.

To learn more about the Huckleberry Railroad and the Crossroads Village please click here to visit their website.