Steam Engine Trains at Railroad Junction | Greenfield Village (2024)

Artifact

Roundhouse

Date Made

1884

Summary

Steam locomotives required constant maintenance from an army of skilled and unskilled workers, and the roundhouse is where that work took place. This roundhouse was built in 1884 in Marshall, Michigan, for the Detroit, Toledo & Milwaukee Railroad. Today it services the locomotives and equipment of Greenfield Village's Weiser Railroad.

Creators

Unknown

Place of Creation

United States, Michigan, Marshall

Keywords

Roundhouses (Railroads)

Buildings (Structures)

Railroads (Infrastructure)

Object ID

92.24.1

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford.

On Exhibit

at Greenfield Village in Railroad Junction District

Get more details in Digital Collections at:

thehenryford.org

The national attraction for discovering your ingenuity while exploring America’s spirit of innovation. There is always much to see and do at The Henry Ford.

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Artifact

Steam locomotive

Date Made

1873

Summary

Torch Lake, built by Mason Machine Works in 1873, hauled ore for the Calumet and Hecla Mining Company on Michigan's Keweenaw Peninsula. The engine is an articulated design. The driving wheels pivot under the boiler, allowing the locomotive to handle sharp curves. Torch Lake joined The Henry Ford's collection in 1969.

Creators

Mason Machine Works

Place of Creation

United States, Massachusetts, Taunton

Keywords

United States, Michigan

United States, Michigan, Keweenaw Peninsula

Steam locomotives

Railroad trains

Copper mining

Ore industry

Railroads (Infrastructure)

Calumet and Hecla Mining Company

Object ID

69.85.1

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford.

On Exhibit

at Greenfield Village in Railroad Junction District

Get more details in Digital Collections at:

thehenryford.org

The national attraction for discovering your ingenuity while exploring America’s spirit of innovation. There is always much to see and do at The Henry Ford.

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Artifact

Steam locomotive

Date Made

1897

Summary

This locomotive pulled passenger trains on the Detroit & Lima Northern Railway, a predecessor of the Detroit, Toledo & Ironton Railroad. After Henry Ford purchased the DT&I in 1920, this engine was the first modified under his extensive plan for improvements to the line. Ford adopted the locomotive as his favorite and donated it to The Henry Ford in 1930.

Creators

Baldwin Locomotive Works

Place of Creation

United States, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia

United States, Michigan, Springwells Township

Keywords

Steam locomotives

Railroad trains

Railroads (Infrastructure)

Passenger trains

Detroit Southern Railroad Company

Detroit, Toledo, and Ironton Railroad

Object ID

30.235.2

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford.

On Exhibit

at Greenfield Village in Detroit Toledo & Milwaukee Round House

Get more details in Digital Collections at:

thehenryford.org

The national attraction for discovering your ingenuity while exploring America’s spirit of innovation. There is always much to see and do at The Henry Ford.

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Artifact

Railroad station

Date Made

1858

Summary

The Smiths Creek Depot stood on the Grand Trunk Western Railway about nine miles southwest of Port Huron, Michigan. The railroad station was a center of 19th century small-town life. More than a place to catch a train, the depot was where customers sent and received packages and telegrams, caught up on the latest news, and shared gossip.

Creators

Grand Trunk Railway Company of Canada

Place of Creation

United States, Michigan, Smiths Creek

Keywords

United States, Michigan, Smiths Creek

Railroad stations

Buildings (Structures)

Railroads (Infrastructure)

Edison, Thomas A. (Thomas Alva), 1847-1931

Grand Trunk Railway Company of Canada

Object ID

29.3059.1

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford.

On Exhibit

at Greenfield Village in Railroad Junction District

Get more details in Digital Collections at:

thehenryford.org

The national attraction for discovering your ingenuity while exploring America’s spirit of innovation. There is always much to see and do at The Henry Ford.

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Artifact

Turntable (Railroad)

Date Made

1901

Summary

Turntables allowed locomotives or railcars to be turned around in tight spaces. Some turntables also provided access to roundhouse stalls. The Pere Marquette Railway used this turntable, built in 1901, in Petoskey, Michigan. It has no motor. The turntable is so well balanced that workers can turn a locomotive by hand.

Creators

Detroit Bridge and Iron Works

Place of Creation

United States, Michigan, Detroit

Keywords

United States, Michigan, Petoskey

Turntables (Railroads)

Railroads (Infrastructure)

Pere Marquette Railroad

Object ID

84.85.1

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford.

On Exhibit

at Greenfield Village in Railroad Junction District

Get more details in Digital Collections at:

thehenryford.org

The national attraction for discovering your ingenuity while exploring America’s spirit of innovation. There is always much to see and do at The Henry Ford.

VIEW CALENDAR