Little River Railroad: A colorful autumn ride on a steam locomotive
On the next three Sundays, there is a unique way to see the Branch County’s fall foliage colors with a trip on the Little River Railroad.
Each Sunday in October, the steam locomotive with a train of cars chugs east from Coldwater to Quincy and back, drawing crowds from all over the area and sometimes farther, judging by license plates in the parking lot.
Tree colors started to change last week from green to orange, yellow, and red, with peak color expected in the county over the next three weekends, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
This past Sunday, over 250 rode in coaches, three cabooses, and even two open cattle cars for the nearly two-hour trip, which included a stop in Quincy and a chance to buy local pumpkins for Halloween.
The cost is $22 for ages 12 and up. For those 3 to 12, tickets are $15. Two and under ride free.
Tickets can be purchased online at www.littleriverrailroad.com or by calling (517) 227-5488. Reservations are recommended
The train leaves from the old rail station in Coldwater just west of Division Street at 29 West Park Ave.
Sunday, the Stoney Creek Model Railroad Club out of Macomb County had a caboose to themselves as they experienced a real train ride.
Terry Bloom bought engine 110 in 1974 and restored the 50-ton coal-fired steam engine.
The now 73-year-old Bloom ran the train in Pleasant Lake, Indiana, then moved to Coldwater before moving to White Pigeon in 1996. The train returned to Coldwater in 2005 after tracks between the St. Joseph County and Branch County communities were abandoned.
Subscribe: Support local news. Subscribe to the Daily Reporter.
Bloom is an engineer, his son Travis is a fireman, and his grandson Hudson is fire-in-training. All the working crew, including conductors, are licensed by the Federal Railroad Administration.
Come December, the train makes two trips daily, December 2, 3, 9, and 10, with Santa aboard for the Holiday Express.
Contact Don Reid: dReid@Gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Coldwater Daily Reporter: Little River RR color run
