Category Archives: Meetings

Che sorpresa ti aspetta nel vivace casinò lazybar: generosi bonus, giri gratuiti e una selezione di giochi colorati renderanno la tua serata fantastica.
Meetings

MARP checks out the situation in Flushing on July 20, 2013

MEETING ANNOUNCEMENT
Michigan Association of Railroad Passengers
Saturday, July 20, 2013, 10:00 am – 1:00 pm
Flushing Area Museum and Cultural Center
431 W. Main, Flushing MI 48433
Map& Directions

The train from Durand arrives at the Flushing Michigan Depot in 1890. (From the Flushing Historical Society)
The train from Durand arrives at the Flushing Michigan Depot in 1890. (From the Flushing Historical Society)

Mary and Don Wilson, Flushing Area Historical Society Director and Treasurer respectively, will be our hosts and guides when MARP members gather on July 20 at the former railroad depot in Flushing MI.

The Flushing Depot was built in 1888 and provided passenger service until 1971. In 1975 it was converted to the “Depot Restaurant,” but in 1980 a fire gutted the building leaving only the outside walls standing. In 1984 the former owners donated the remains of the building to the Flushing Area Historical Society. Under the leadership of Paul Wightman, the Depot was restored to its former appearance and opened as the Flushing Area Museum and Cultural Center on June 7, 1997.

The Museum has parking for about 17 cars, with plenty of street parking on Emily St. We have been asked to please NOT park at the businesses on the other (west) side of the railroad track.

Following the business meeting, we will adjourn for lunch at  Kathy’s Restaurant and Lounge , 126 E. Main, 3 blocks from the museum.

QUESTIONS? Send email to marprail@yahoo.com

See You in Flushing!

Michigan Association of Railroad Passengers

www.flushinghistorical.org

The Situation in Flushing

Meetings

MARP meets in Vicksburg, MI on June 15, 2013

MEETING ANNOUNCEMENT
Michigan Association of Railroad Passengers
Saturday, June 15, 2013
10:30 am – 1:00 pm
Vicksburg Historic Village And Depot Museum
300 N Richardson St, Vicksburg MI 49097

VicksburgUnionDepot(MarkWorrallCollection)The June 15th MARP meeting will give us another glimpse into history as well as the exhilarating experience of the frequent CN trains that don’t slow down as they roar past the grounds of the Vicksburg Historic Village.

The very interesting story of Vicksburg’s Sunset Lake ice harvesting and the Grand Trunk will be the subject of Dr. Ronald D. Smith’s presentation. MARP member Gerald “Smitty” Smith (is there a relationship here?) will have some stories about the place of railroading in the history of Vicksburg.

>We will meet in a building constructed in the 1890’s to serve as one of two original Brady Township Halls. The building was restored by volunteers with the help of the Heritage Company of Kalamazoo, who donated authentic period windows and doors. Township Hall contains displays explaining both the development of local townships in the 1830’s and a brief history of the Native Americans who resided in the area.

Following the presentations and the business meeting, we will adjourn for our usual no-host lunch at the Main Street Pub, a few blocks away. If you would like to carpool to the meeting with someone from your area, please reply to this email.

The Historic Village is operated by the Vicksburg Historical Society and the Village of Vicksburg and currently consists of a Depot Museum, Express Office, Caboose and Boxcar, Print Shop, School House, Farm House and Barn, Gazebo, Township Hall and Cemetery. All the buildings and equipment will be open to us.

John Langdon is organizing a car pool for people that plan on riding Amtrak Train #351 to Kalamazoo and need a ride from their to Vicksburg. Contact him at john-langdon@sbcglobal.net

Please plan to attend!

Michigan Association of Railroad Passengers

Announcements, Meetings

MARP meets April 20, 2013, at historic Niles station

ANNOUNCING
MARP Member Meeting
Saturday, 20 April 2013,
10:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Niles Amtrak Station 598 Dey Street Niles, MI 49120
Great American Stations
Great American Stations

One of Michigan’s finest historic stations will be the site of the April 20 MARP meeting in Niles MI. On the agenda is Rodney Pena, Amtrak Deputy Division Engineer, who will talk about ROW and track engineering on the Amtrak- and MDOT-owned  trackage in Michigan. With the recent purchase of Norfolk Southern property, the majority of the Wolverine route in Michigan is controlled by either Amtrak or MDOT. Amtrak has a maintenance facility east of the passenger station in Niles.

If you live along the Wolverine route, we hope you will join those who are taking the train to the meeting, something we can seldom do because of unaccommodating schedules. And remember, the train flies at 110 mph between Kalamazoo and Niles!
Because Wolverine Train #351 is an express train and doesn’t usually stop in Niles, you will have to buy a ticket to Chicago. HOWEVER, THE TRAIN WILL MAKE A SPECIAL STOP IN NILES TO DISCHARGE MARP MEMBERS, arriving at approximately 10:13 am. Eastbound Train #352 departs Niles at 3:33 pm.
Visit www.Amtrak.com to take advantage of several special offers:
  • Buy one regular adult ticket and get a second at 42% off
  • After selecting your itinerary, choose Senior, NARP, Veteran,  AAA Adult, or Student Advantage to get 10% off
  • If you are a Guest Rewards member, get double points
We will have lunch following the meeting at the Nuggett Downtown Grill , which is 0.7 mile from the station. If necessary, we will arrange for Dial-A-Ride transportation ($3 each way).
If you plan to attend, please reply to this email with this information:
  1. I plan to take Train #351
  2. I will be driving to Niles (in my own car or with someone else)
  3. I can walk the 0.7 mile to and from the restaurant.
  4. I will need transportation to get to and from the restaurant.
Thinking ahead, please MARK YOUR CALENDARS and make plans now for a special August 9-11 weekend event for MARP members aboard the historic train car ferry S.S. City of Milwaukeemoored in Manistee. Watch for details in the Spring issue of The Michigan Passenger and in the online bulletin ON TRACK.
We look forward to seeing you Niles!

Michigan Association of Railroad Passengers

Announcements, Meetings

MARP meet in St. Johns on March 9

MARP MEMBER MEETING
Saturday, March 9
10:00 am – 1:00 pm
Grand Trunk Railroad Depot
107 East Railroad Street, St. Johns MI
MAP & Directions

stationsbookMARP members and community friends have a special treat in store when our regular monthly meeting convenes on March 9 in the restored Grand Trunk Railroad Depot in St. Johns. Michael H. Hodges, author of the recently published Michigan’s Historic Railroad Stations, is scheduled to take us on a historical and architectural tour of 31 of our state’s most interesting and picturesque railroad stations.

He describes his own odyssey in researching and photographing these architectural gems as “giddy seasons spent crisscrossing the state, windows down, iPod on, poking into unknown little towns, searching, sometimes high and low, for railroad tracks that may or may not have been removed.”

Mr. Hodges, who is the fine arts writer for the Detroit News, traces his fascination with architecture to his years as a student at the Cranbrook School. He became intrigued with railroad stations while working on a story about a homeless man living in Detroit’s abandoned Michigan Central Station.

Following his talk, Mr. Hodges has graciously offered to sign copies of the book purchased at the meeting or brought with you.

The building in which our meeting takes place, the former Grand Trunk Railroad Depot, has its own interesting history which we will hear more about from Jenny and Gary McCampbell, volunteer managers of the Clinton Northern Railroad Museum which occupies the building. Jenny and Gary are on a mission to instill an appreciation of the rich history of railroading in the area.

On display at the station is a 1903 RPO car, which now receives children’s letters to Santa each Christmas. In the early stages of restoration is a 1902 Smith & Barney Sleeper car whose journey here is another interesting story that the McCampbells may tell us more about.

If you are interested in ride-sharing to the meeting, please reply to this email. We will put you in touch with others in your area.

See you in St. Johns!
Michigan Association of Railroad Passengers

 

Michigan’s Historic Railroad Stations
by Michael H. Hodges
Wayne State University Press, 2012 ISBN: 9780814334836 $39.93

http://wsupress.wayne.edu/books/subjects/architecture

Meetings

MARP meets in Capac Feb. 9

MARP Member Meeting
Saturday, February 9, 2013,
10 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Capac Historical Society Museum & Depot 401 East Kempf, Capac MI 48014
(Between Lapeer and Port Huron)
810-395-2859

winter-pics-007T.J. Gaffney will be the featured speaker at the February MARP meeting in Capac, Michigan. T.J. is well known to many of you as the former Director of the Steam Railroading Institute and the past Curator of Collections for the Port Huron Museum. He is the owner of Streamline Historic Services, serving as a consultant and contract historian to the museum and preservation fields.  He has written articles on rail, maritime and local history and is the author of two books. The most recent is Rails Around the Thumb, part of Arcadia Publishing’s “Images of Rail” series.  At our meeting he will talk about railroads and railroad operations in Michigan’s Thumb area. He will have copies of the book with him to sell and can likely be prevailed upon to sign your copy.

We will also hear from a member of the Capac Historical Society about the founding of Capac – does anyone else wonder about the origin of the name? – and about the work of the Society in preserving historical documents and artifacts from an area covering Port Austin to New Baltimore.

John Grzyb, President of the Society, will open the museum for a brief visit. Following the meeting, we will adjourn to a local eatery for our usual “no host” lunch. Please plan to stay and join in the socializing and conversation.

Capac is located between Lapeer and Port Huron, along the route of the Grand Trunk Western Railroad and Old M-21.

To reach the Capac Historical Society Museum, travel north from I-69 Exit 176 on Capac Road to the second blinking light, approximately 1.8 miles. Turn right (east) and look for the small museum signs.

If you would like to find someone to carpool with, please reply to this email. We’ll put you in touch with someone in your area.

See you in Capac!

Michigan Association of Railroad Passengers