For the past couple of years, the Michigan Flywheelers Museum has been building a railroad.
The public will get a chance to see how they have been doing it during a special track laying demonstration coming up Saturday, Sept. 7 at 10 a.m. during the museum’s annual antique engine and tractor show.
Pat Ingalls, President of the Flywheelers Museum, tell us the plan is to fire up the historic Hanson Express grand scale locomotive that was donated to the museum in 2022, and use it to pull the ballast car along the rail that is already laid. This will be the second time in the last 50 years that the former House of David engine has been operated. The museum did a test run of the train last year. About one half of a mile of Black River Railroad has been laid so far. Once completed, the route will be over a mile long.
Volunteers, who have been working all summer on the 15-inch track, will show how the wooden ties are spaced, rail bolted down and ballast applied. There will also be opportunities for visitors to lend a hand if anyone is interested.
The Hanson engine, known as the #902, was once part of the Israelite House of David amusement park. When that closed in the 70’s, the late Merlin and Russ Hanson, local businessmen, purchased the engine along with the #903, and began a 15-year process of restoring the locomotives.
Realizing that their goal of keeping both engines in Berrien County wasn’t realistic, the #903 was donated to Lake Michigan College, and #902 found a new home at the Flywheelers museum.
The Antique Engine and Tractor Show starts Thursday, Sept. 5 and runs through Sunday, Sept. 8. Along with hundreds of antique farm machinery pieces, there is entertainment, a large outdoor flea market, antique tractor pulls, kids activities and more.
Admission is $10 per person with children 12 and under free. Admission specials include Senior Citizen Day on Thursday Sept. 5, with admission reduced to $5 for 62 and older, and the Sunday Special with admission also $5.00.
The Michigan Flywheelers Museum is located 2.3 miles east of South Haven at 06285 68th Street South, 49090.
For more information, contact Pat Ingalls at 269- 639-2010, michiganflywheelers@yahoo.com, www.michiganflywheelers.org or on Facebook.
Flywheeler Dan Kevit works on laying track for Hanson Express on muserum grounds near South Haven
