PM 1225 Running at Howell Melon Festival, Aug. 20-21

[fmilhaupt]

This coming weekend, #1225 will pull a series of short trips north out of Howell as part of #1225's 75th Anniversary Year and the Howell Melon Festival.

Trips will leave from the former Ann Arbor Railroad depot at Wetmore and North Walnut Streets every two hours from 10am-6pm Saturday, and 10am-4pm, Sunday. Tickets range from $10 for a child's coach fare to $25 for an adult's caboose ticket. You can purchase tickets in advance from the Steam Railroading Institute's web site at http://michigansteamtrain.com until mid-week. After that, they are available at the boarding site. Adult caboose tickets seem to be sold-out for most trips, now.

I rode one of the similar trips they offered at the Hamburg Family Fun Festival back in June. It was a nice short trip that provided my early-summer steam fix without tying up an entire day or a full weekend. These are great trips for kids who might not be able to cope with a day-long trip.

[Ypsi]

Unless this is derastically different than the Hamburg trips AVOID at all cost purchasing COACH through whistle tix and buy at the train. You can avoid the fees if you do so, I figured the trips would be busy for Friday at Hamburg fun fest so I bought in advance, however we rode the 6pm trip with about 25 people total. Waste of $20 paying processing on 5 tickets. I figure these should be the same deal, not sold out. For caboose however it may be better to purchase in advance.

As a side note the cars were all well air conditioned so even with the heat this won't be a problem.

[BerkshireKid]

remember when complaining of ticket fees.... If everyone uses the "buy at the train option" trips can be cancelled for lack of advanced sales and the operator thinking they wont be able to make money or at least break even. It already happened this year when 765 didnt get enough ticket sales to justify the Chicago - Galesburg trips. Yes they didnt have much advanced time to sell but still the same concept.

[chapmaja]

I wonder how much it would really cost the SRI and the Fort Wayne Historical Society to set up their own ticket purchasing system, rather than use what appears to be a third party ticket seller that charges an additional fee. Doing ticket sales in house would potentially save the organizations the lost revenue caused by people not buying advanced tickets due to associated fees.

IIRC both organizations already handle merchandise sales online in some fashion. A similar system could be implemented to the donation and merchandise sales to handle ticket sales.

Also, one of the big issues I am hearing about is the lack of payment from people who just watch the trains go by, rather than ride the train (I fully admit, this describes me). Maybe there is some way for these organizations (namely Fort Wayne) to set up events while on excursion trips for up close access to the locomotives for a small fee. This would allow them to make money, potentially at the same time that they are rewatering the train. I know when 765 was going south and stopped overnight in Milan 1 year there were a lot of people out there watching what was going on. Using times like this to charge a few bucks for a tour of the cab might be an additional way to make money. It would still be happening when the until is sitting idle, so it would not be taking money from other sources of income.

What I don't want to see is trips getting cancelled because the organizations are having trouble getting rides to make the trips cost effective, in part due to outside fees.

[strugglin]

Funny, I just logged on to start a thread for the trips this weekend, and I see someone beat me to it!

I'll be traveling up from Columbus, Ohio to spend the weekend up north, this will be my first time seeing PM 1225 running on the south end of the GLC, unfortunately I skipped the Hamburg trips in June because of the afore mentioned NKP 765 Chicago-Galesburg trip which I had planned on attending the weekend after, then found out the Friday of the Hamburg Trips weekend that 765 was canceled, wish they would've announced it just a day or two sooner, I would've had time to adjust to make the trip up for Hamburg.

I normally don't ride the trains and only chase, but with tickets selling for a mere $15 for adults, I will certainly ride at lease one of the 9 trips they will be making for the experience to say I rode behind PM 1225. I do have one question regarding the train, was there an open gondola car or open vesitbules on the Hamburg trips? I'd much prefer to have my head out a window or vestibule while riding, I'd also certainly by a caboose ticket if that factors in.

I also wanted to inquire about the ferry moves for this trip, from past experiences with PM 1225, I know they don't like to leave the engine outside anywhere other then Owosso unless they absolutely have to, so I'm guessing they will depart Owosso south through Durand very early am on Saturday, then most likely return north to Owosso immediately upon the conclusion of the 4pm trip on Sunday? I'm actually more interested in chasing the ferry moves to and from Howell then I am the Melon Festival trips.

[KenB]

Which way will the Howell trips run. North out of Howell or South?

[BerkshireKid]

Why set up a costly computer software program for ticket sales, have to maintain it and then employ more workers to maintain the system and answer phones? The technology is already in place and works. If a few dollars in ticket fees makes you not buy tickets maybe you don't have as much money as you thought and should save and not spend on train tickets...
Ferry move will be Saturday AM
Trips leave NB from Howell

[MRC_Andrew]

I do have one question regarding the train, was there an open gondola car or open vesitbules on the Hamburg trips? I'd much prefer to have my head out a window or vestibule while riding
.

On the Hamburg trips there were open vestibules. I would think they would have the same arrangement on the Howell trips, but don't know for sure. One thing for certain: It was the best $15 I spent all summer!

[Ypsi]

While I agree with advance sales being important, I basically paid for a 6th ticket and was discouraged from doing so again. Little river railroad has free will call set up via whistle tix. Something like this would be much more appealing than paying $4-6 a ticket in fees for will call. It was also annoying to spend the extra money on a train that only had 20-30 people on it, if the train was sold out or close to such, I wouldn't have been so annoyed. In addition If it was an all day excursion for $50-100 range the fee would be less substantial, but on a $15 ride that's an extra 25% basically. Not saying I don't see the reasons for the service or fees, but just a warning to others who would also rather avoid the extra charge if possible. And by no means am I discouraging riding the train is was a great ride, and well worth the time and money spent.

As for 765 if you don't sell the tickets in advance you will likely not sell them for an all day excursion/ multiple hour excursion as a walk up (not sayin it doesn't happen but is less likely). For these 1225 runs I know obviously advance is better (and heck the SRI marketing was probably better ) but I would have to guess much of the marketing is targeted at walk ups from the festival or people who don't know how these runs work.

[Saturnalia]

I'd include that processing fee in the posted ticket price. The additional fee just sounds unappealing, especially these days when people are constantly being fee'd.

[strugglin]

So PM 1225 was facing north for the Hamburg trips in June, safe to assume it will be facing north for these Howell trips?

That would mean a GLC diesel should lead the train south through Durand on Saturday am, then I'm guessing they'll put the diesel in front of PM 1225 on the return ferry move north through Durand on Sunday night to satisfy CN rules & regulations on the Holly Sub?

Just trying to get ideas for shots of PM 1225 passing Durand Union Station, and if I'll need to crop out the diesel for the shot or not.

[NS3322]

How far will the train go north of Howell? Will it turn around in Cohoctah?

[Norm]

How far will the train go north of Howell? Will it turn around in Cohoctah?

It might reverse but it Ain't gonna turn around.

[strugglin]

How far will the train go north of Howell? Will it turn around in Cohoctah?

The trains are running north from Howell to Byron, about 15 miles each way, so 30 mile round trips, makes sense since the line is 25-30mph track speed, and the trips are 1 hour long. My guess is they pull up north of Beard Rd, but stop short of Bath Rd in Byron before reversing back south, PM 1225 will be on one end of the train, a GLC diesel should be on the other end, these will be push/pull excursions.

So the train should go through Cohoctah twice each trip, definitely worth noting and should be the #1 spot for railfans to see the train with the grain elevators there, one of the main reasons I'm coming up, have yet to see PM 1225 ever run through Cohoctah.

I'm still hoping for an estimated departure time from Owosso on Saturday am, and an update on which way PM 1225 is facing once they leave, trailing north or leading the train south.

[MQT1223]

Just an added note, per a reliable source; the Flying Numberboards are back on 1225.

[BerkshireKid]

Track speed in Howell in 10mph. Outside of Howell track speed is 40 mph freight and 25 mph passenger.
Trips usually pull up to the first crossing in Cohoctah and then the diesel pulls the train back to Howell.

[strugglin]

Track speed in Howell in 10mph. Outside of Howell track speed is 40 mph freight and 25 mph passenger.
Trips usually pull up to the first crossing in Cohoctah and then the diesel pulls the train back to Howell.

Thanks for the info, so PM 1225 should be facing north for these trips?

Now I just need to hope for a departure time from Owosso on Saturday morning, and maybe they'll put GLC 393 on the train!

[hoborich]

Oak Grove road should be good for a chase. It runs right alongside the tracks much of the way north of Howell, to Cohoctah. I used to have a small farm just off Oak Grove road and Chase Lake road, and I used to watch those old Alcos plodding up and down the line, from from the second floor of my barn.
Robert Miles, the Grand Wizard of the Michigan Chapter of the KKK, used to have a farm not far from me, in Cohoctah. Just a little history there.

[Wabash1070]

How far will the train go on Sunday and where too? And will the train go through Durand?

[Steve B]

Is 25 MPH the fastest passenger, or at least 1225-hauled trains, can go on the ex-AA portion of GLC? I rode a 2003 1225 excursion to Yuma and it went faster than that, IIRC.