Army trucks and steam trains made for an awesome show in Michigan

Several years ago, an idea was born between two brothers to bring their separate and seemingly unrelated hobbies together to combine for a big event. While Bill Thatcher has been a long-time member and former officer of the Military Vehicle Collectors Club of Michigan, (MVCCMI) his brother Bob has spent comparable time with the Steam Railroading Institute, (SRI) and they came to think that having a show that combined Army trucks with the SRI’s famed Pere Marquette 1225 locomotive would be a good idea.

Not long after, the Thatchers proposed their idea at an MVCCMI meeting, laying out a detailed plan. Bob also informed members that the SRI was interested in proceeding with a joint show. After a bit of discussion, it didn’t take long for the rest of the club to think it was a good idea, too! Thus started a year of more detailed planning to coordinate for the Arsenal of Freedom Festival at the home base of the SRI in Owosso, Mich.

Pere Marquette locomotive 1225 is an icon among train hobbyists. It was built and delivered by Lima Locomotive Works, to the Pere Marquette Railway in December 1941, and operated for 10 years, hauling freight between Detroit, Toledo, Flint, and other midwest cities. Of the 39 2-8-4 “Berkshire” type steam locomotives produced, it is now the only one left in existence. For those not in the train hobby, it is also very well known for its role in the 2004 Christmas classic The Polar Express.

To house and support their crown jewel, the SRI acquired the site of the former Ann Arbor Railroad’s steam shops and roundhouse in Owosso, Mich. They later obtained an authentic steam-era turntable which was originally built in 1919 for the Pere Marquette Railway engine terminal in new Buffalo, MI, and had it moved to the Owosso location to service the SRI rail yard. The site also houses their collection of vintage coaches, dining cars, boxcars and cabooses.

After all the planning, the show took place over the weekend of June 22-25 at SRI’s Owosso location. The weather for the entire show wasn’t perfect, but Saturday was a mild summer day with broken sunshine, which made for a comfortable afternoon, and a good public turnout. SRI personnel and local media noted that their was plenty of interers in the show from the local community, and the good attendance numbers appeared to back this up. This is especially true considering the rainy Friday, and it being a “first time” show.

Altogether, there were just shy of 30 military vehicles on display for the show. The variety was also pretty good, with roughly one-third WWII vehicles, and the balance being post-war trucks. Not surprisingly, quarter-ton vehicles were the most numerous, however, there were also seven trucks that were a ton-and-a-half or larger. In addition, with a pickup, ambulance, and command car, this was the first MVCCMI event to see three 1/2-ton Dodges in attendance.

At show time, the SRI was still completing the rebuild of its prized locomotive 1225, with their members busily guiding visitors around the completed components that awaited re-assembly. They also offered rides in a couple vintage cabooses, and demonstrated the capabilities of the turntable used to redirect the huge train cars onto other tracks. As a special treat, the cabooses were hitched to M998 HUMVEE owned by MVCCMI member Jim Tweedie, and visitors cheered as he pulled both cabooses and a small tow engine across the yard.

There were plenty of MVs offering a nice variety, and MVCCMI members enjoyed the opportunity to get the trucks out for the weekend. It was a good event for the SRI, as train buffs came to check on the progress of 1225, and the organization was able to further their mission of educating the public about steam era railroading in Michigan and the Great Lakes.

Finally, the local community was engaged, and attendance numbers were encouraging, so it appears that the little idea the Thatcher brothers had has turned out to be a pretty good one so far.