Michigan Star Clipper is leaving!

[Robertrains]

http://www.orlandotrains.com/

Well, the Star Clipper is now going to be run down in Orlando, Florida!! I guess that is going to be the "new" place with more customers. If anyone knows when it will be moved from Walled Lake, please post! Even though I have seen (and rode) both trains over the years, it would be nice to watch and photograph it leaving forever!

Robert Jackson

RAILMARK ACQUIRES ORLANDO DINNER TRAIN
OPERATION NEWS RELEASE - (Walled Lake, MI) - April 7, 2010

Railmark's RAIL ENTERTAINMENT USA INC. subsidiary announced today that it has acquired the assets and operations of Florida Rail Adventures LLC and commenced operations on March 19th. Railmark's iconic Star Clipper Dinner Train®, the first and oldest dinner train in North America, will begin its 26th season in the Orlando Florida market, moving from the Metro-Detroit Michigan market where it has been since 1985. The Star Clipper Dinner Train made its debut run on August 4, 1984 in Osage Iowa and since that time has entertained over 2,000,000 passengers. Railmark's other branded rail entertainment trains such as its family oriented excursion trains, adult entertainment trains and its unique Pullman Palace Bed & Breakfast operation, will relocate to the Eustis, Mount Dora and Tavares Florida area, all lake front communities along the train's primary route and located just northwest of Orlando. The Company's Florida-based operations website is http://www.orlandotrains.com.

Railmark has named Mr. Neil Bagaus Vice President of Rail Entertainment USA Inc. & General Manager of the Company's Florida-based retail train operations. Mr. Bagaus has spent a good majority of his career in retail train operations and Railmark welcomes him as an important part of its management team.

Mr. B. Allen Brown, Railmark President & CEO comments, "We are looking forward to integrating our themed trains into the Orlando Florida market and building upon the successes of our predecessor's trains, such as the Orlando Magic Express operated on certain home game nights. Railmark's experience and expertise will transform this historic railroad into an important rail oriented tourist attraction in the central Florida market."

The transaction was effective at 12:01am March 19, 2010

[TrainWatcher]

As far as it is known all the Coe equipment is FOR SALE on Ozark Mountain Railcar. The branch is owned now by a railroad removal company.... Browner? Or something like that. To my knowledge it will stay as long as the equipment stays. All of the equipment will undergo a CSXT inspection upon needing to be delivered off rail, which almost of the equipment has been marked B/O for CSX and will need repairs before being allowed on CSX. So expect nothing to be moving anytime soon. Unless someone goes on a rail equipment buying spree, that stuff is going to sit there.

Also an intersting note, the Mount Dora area has atleast one tourist railroad. Their Steam Locomotive was shown in "O Brother Where Art Thou??"

[Racer]

I knew this was coming at some point. The last 'good' thing that will leave the lot is the switcher because they are still doing business with American Plastic Toys and that's whats still keeping the line alive - not by much though. The rest of the stuff in Walled Lake is junk that will most likely be scrapped.

[ns8401]

I met B. Allen Brown once... He mumbled something about having experience at several shortlines, and that he owned Coe... I asked him for a cab-ride (it is HIS toy after all, and I was a kid at the time) He said NO! We don't do that...

[chapmaja]

Saw 3 cars while in Wixom the other day on the interchange flat. A mix of three different types of cars. One looked like a plastic hopper, a second was a well car it looked like. The third was a tank I think.

[BOHICA]

The cars in wixom are a ttx flat a crle coil and one load of plastic. Two more carrs are loaded with the old seaboard coaches in walled lake. Judd industrial services has the contract to load the equuipment on flat cars. The crle coil car got home shopped by somebody being a wise ass.