Steam Railroading Institute to Kick Off Birthday Celebration in Cadillac and at Curwood Festival

The Pere Marquette 1225’s first trip of its 75th Birthday season tour will be from Mt. Pleasant to Cadillac on June 4th, 2016! Sponsored by the Cadillac Area Visitors Bureau, the train will depart from Mountain Town Station in Mt. Pleasant and will head to Cadillac on Saturday, June 4th, at 9:00 am.

This year, the Back to the Bricks - Cadillac, Saturday schedule is as follows:

9:00 am -12:00 noon - Registration

10:00 am - Godfrey Blessing of the Classics

11:00 am - Safelite Lakes Cruise

12:00 noon – Shoreline Show & Shine <<NEW this year>>

12:00 - 6:00 pm - Forest Fun Run

12:00 pm - Pere Marquette 1225 Arrives

12:00 - 4:00 pm - Music, Vendors in the Park

4:00 pm - Pere Marquette 1225 departs for Mt. Pleasant

Passengers riding the train to the Saturday festivities will be able to hear Live Music by The Moonhowlers with Rob & Bob in the park, get food, shop, and this year there will be a casual shoreline show & shine in the parking lots adjacent to the Lake after the Safelite Lakes Cruise. The 1225 will drop off passengers and leave to turn the train around then will return to be on display during the layover in Cadillac around 1:00 pm. The train crew will be demonstrating routine maintenance of the steam locomotive in preparation for the return trip home throughout the afternoon. The train should arrive back in Mt. Pleasant around 7:00 pm.

There are also many activities that will be happening during this weekend in Owosso at the Steam Railroading Institute:

In conjunction with the annual Curwood Festival, SRI will be hosting a FREE open house weekend, offering free behind the scenes tours and 7 ½” gauge train rides.

A Hands on the Throttle event will be held on Saturday and Sunday with Steam Engines Flagg Coal 75 and Pere Marquette 1225. For this event alone we have folks coming from all over Michigan as well Ohio, Indiana, Wisconsin, Ontario and Nevada.

On June 3-5, SRI will be hosting a film production crew, Up In The Air Productions, as they continue producing the public television series “Have Steam Engine Will Travel” sponsored and distributed by American Public Television.

On Sunday June 5th we will be offering $5 and $10 ticket prices for short excursions behind the Steam Engine Flagg Coal 75.

This Diamond Jubilee Kick off Celebration weekend is sponsored by Cadillac and Shiawassee County Convention & Visitors Bureau’s, SLH Metals and Owosso Mainstreet.

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