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Artidoxie — Traverse City Railroad 400

Published: 2016-05-07 17:43:10 +0000 UTC; Views: 405; Favourites: 6; Downloads: 4
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Description For 30 years the Spirit of Traverse City, a ¼ scale steam train made in 1948, traveled around the Clinch Park Zoo in Traverse City, Michigan.In 2012, the Northwest Michigan Engine and Thresher Club, otherwise known as the Buckley Old Engine show, obtained the Spirit of Traverse City and moved it to their show grounds one mile west of Buckley, Michigan. In the winter of 2012, all of the passenger cars were restored from the ground up with all new wood.  A caboose was built during the winter of 2013 to house an air compressor for the new air brakes that were installed on each train car. Throughout the summer of 2014, a very dedicated crew of club members laid over 2000 feet of railroad track and built an amazing trestle for the train to travel through. They also restored the locomotive and gave it a beautiful new paint job. All of this was done just in time for the 2014 show. The Spirit of Traverse City was a huge hit, thousands of kids and adults enjoyed rides during the four day show.

Located in the pinkie of the mitten that is the State of Michigan is a small village known as Buckley. The tiny little town is home to truckers farmers and people of moderate walks of life. Though several times a year a group known as the Buckley Old engine Club groups together to meet and prepare in their own special not so little hideaway for the Buckley Old Engine show which is a gem for the old machine lover both petrol and steam alike. While some come bringing gifts of old tractors and hit and miss engines what most fans come for are the steamers. Steam traction engines, and stationary steam ranging from walking beam engines to the massive Corless factory steam engines which powered the world for at least two centuries. But while that may be all fun and beautiful to look at more fans still come to ride the steam trains. Tucked away in the western side of the campgrounds on a small two mile loop of track is Buckley's own railroad. In operation only twice a year on the two show dates two turn of the century vessels of steam sit waiting for their turn on the tracks hauling a pair of ex Ann Arbor Central passenger cars saved from the scrappers by a bee infestation.
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