Day 6: Ludington to Grand Haven

PengembaraThis proud locomotive, one boxcar, and two cabooses (and the location having been a railyard) are reminders of the railroad that was once an important part of downtown Grand Haven. Engine No. 1223, was built for the Pere Marquette Railroad in 1941 for freight transport between cities throughout lower Michigan and nearby states. Its 3,000 hp could pull a mile-long freight train at 50 mph. The nearby coaling tower was used to load locomotives with fuel. After being retired in 1951, this locomotive was displayed at the Michigan State Fairgrounds in Detroit until its move to Grand Haven in 1961.

PengembaraThe concrete coaling tower is both a monument of the Grand Haven skyline and a vestige of the railroad era that played a major role in the development of the Tri-Cities. Located at the mouth of the Grand River, Grand Haven became a major port for transporting passengers and freight and propelled the development of the railroad system and stations in the area. The railroad was synonymous with prosperity as it improved accessibility and communications, and the train depot became the social and business center of town. The coaling tower was built in 1925, an expensive endeavor that only the most prosperous railroads could afford to build. Railroad hopper cars loaded with coal were pushed under the tower's arch. The coal was dumped into a large pit beneath the rails and conveyed to storage bins at the top of the tower. The coal could then be loaded into the tender behind the locomotive through metal chutes on either side of the tower. Two locomotives could be coaled at one time. The coaling tower is the only structure of its kind in Michigan that is readily accessible to the public. It remains a historic community resource, and in 1994 was placed on the Grand Haven Historic Register.

PengembaraTech heads only, please. The two steam cylinders of the MB stoker are apparent beneath the locomotive cab. The stoker engine rotates a long screw that delivers coal from the tender into the firebox in a different and less-effective way to the HT model. The fireman had better control of the distribution of coal onto the firebed with the HT.