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Wednesday 10am - 5pm Thursday 10am - 5pm Friday 10am - 5pm Saturday 10am - 5pm

Steam Railroading Institute

Name: Steam Railroading Institute
Address: 405 South Washington Street, Owosso, MI, 48867, US
Telephone: +19897259464
Price range: $

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Owosso, MI
Steam Railroading Institute

Keeping Steam Alive! Home to steam locomotives Pere Marquette 1225 and Chicago & North Western 175.

The Steam Railroading Institute is dedicated to educating the public about steam era railroading in Michigan and the Great Lakes region. This includes the preservation of the skills and technology for maintaining steam locomotives by operating steam era equipment and providing the experience of steam locomotives in actual operation.

08/31/2026

While the injector itself isn't installed fully on PM 1225, the starting quadrant for our brand new Nathan 4000 injector is in! The backshop has been hard at work, parting off the threaded portion of a tailpiece for the new injector on our vintage LeBlond Regal manual lathe. Here's an inside look into that process from our amazing staff at SRI.

08/25/2026

JUST ONE MORE DAY!

Tomorrow, we’re diving deep into genealogy and Pere Marquette history with TJ Gaffney, Archivist for the Pere Marquette Historical Society!

Join us for the next installment of our SRI Lecture Series:

“Grandpa Worked for Pere Marquette: Researching Your Relatives in the Pere Marquette Historical Society Archives”

TJ will share the fascinating two-year process of sorting through Pere Marquette employee records transferred to PMHS by C&OHS - and show you how you can begin researching relatives who worked for the Pere Marquette, C&O, and their predecessors.

Can’t join us in person? We’ve added a ZOOM option! Virtual tickets are just $5.

August 26, 2026
6:30 PM
Steam Railroading Institute | 405 S. Washington, Owosso, MI
Free for SRI members | $5 for non-members | $5 virtual ticket

Visit our website and click “2026 Events” to learn more and purchase your virtual ticket:
2026 Events – Steam Railroading Institute

Whether you’re an experienced genealogist or just wondering if Grandpa really did work for Pere Marquette, this is a lecture you won’t want to miss!

08/24/2026

Our volunteers have been hard at work on a variety of projects around SRI and we can't thank them enough! From getting mugs ready for the North Pole Express, installing a new sidewalk outside the Welcome Center and more - our volunteers are the best!

08/20/2026

We've added a Zoom option for our Lecture Series! Purchase a virtual ticket for just $5! Head over to our webpage and click the '2026 Events' to learn more. https://michigansteamtrain.com/2026-event/

Join us for the next installment of our Lecture Series when TJ Gaffney, Archivist for the Pere Marquette Historical Society will be the featured speaker.
“Grandpa worked for Pere Marquette: researching your relatives in the Pere Marquette Historical Society archives.”
TJ will be discussing the two year long process of sorting through the PM employee records transferred to PMHS by C&OHS, and how one can begin doing Genealogy on their relatives who worked for the PM/C&O, and its predecessors.
August 26, 2026
6:30pm at SRI
405 S. Washington
Owosso, MI
Free for members
Just $5 for non-members

08/15/2026

Today is the day! Join us for a day of fun on campus at Steam Railroading Institute! It's our final open day of the season as we work to make some great improvements to our Welcome Center. Caboose rides, guided tours (including seeing the PM 1225 up close and personal), kids activities are all part of the event! Admission to the Welcome Center is free to the public, just the caboose rides and tours require purchase. We can't wait to see you today 10am-5pm!

08/14/2026

Though the weather is warm, we are thinking of winter and our North Pole Express excursions! Several days are sold out, however, some still have tickets available. Dates with the most open seats include Saturday, Nov. 21 (5pm), Sunday, Nov. 22 (5pm), Saturday, Nov. 28 (10am) and Sunday, Dec. 20 (10am). Visit michigansteamtrain.com for the full details and get ready to climb aboard for a magical holiday journey!

08/13/2026

We’re disappointed to share that we will not be able to operate fall color excursions in Virginia this year. Unfortunately, circumstances beyond SRI’s control have made it impossible to secure the necessary arrangements to move the steam engine, preventing us from planning and operating the excursions.
While this is certainly disappointing news, we are not giving up on adding new opportunities to the calendar. We are actively working on other excursion options and hope to have some exciting alternatives to share soon.

We thank Virginia Scenic Railway for their partnership on this project-be sure to check out their events and excursions and support heritage railroads wherever you are located!

Thank you for your continued support, dedication, and enthusiasm for the Steam Railroading Institute. We appreciate everything you do to help make these experiences possible!

Further details from Aaron Farmer, OPS Manager at SRI:

"There was no “ban” on steam locomotives or outright refusal by the railroads to move the equipment that led to this decision.
The reality is that we needed sufficient lead time to properly announce and market the excursions, as well as firm commitments from all of the railroads involved before we could responsibly move forward. Every railroad involved viewed the proposed operation positively and expressed interest in seeing the venture come to fruition.
It is also important to recognize that these relationships are critical to SRI's ability to operate historic equipment. Publicly criticizing or “bashing” railroads for decisions involving the movement of historic equipment does little to improve those relationships or encourage them to work with us on future opportunities. If anything, maintaining a professional and collaborative relationship with our railroad partners gives us the best chance of getting these opportunities approved in the future."

08/11/2026

SAVE THE DATE: August 15 is our last open day for the summer!

We’re excited to announce several much-needed improvement projects coming to the SRI Welcome Center!

This fall, a new sidewalk will be installed along the north side of the main entrance, along with prep work for new doors, decks, and ramps at each public entrance. These improvements will make the Welcome Center more accessible, welcoming, and enjoyable for our visitors, staff, and volunteers.

Saturday, August 15 will be the last official open day for the Welcome Center this summer.

But don’t worry - we’re not saying goodbye just yet! Our lecture series will continue through October, and the Welcome Center will be open for special events as needed.

A huge THANK YOU to everyone who has volunteered with us this summer! We’re grateful for the time, talent, and energy you’ve shared with SRI, and we’re excited to get started on these and other projects that will enhance the visitor experience.

As we prepare for our fall and winter excursions, we’ll be sharing volunteer opportunities as soon as they become available.

Thank you for supporting SRI and for considering donating your time and talents! We couldn’t do it without you.

Address

405 South Washington Street
Owosso, MI
48867

Opening Hours

Wednesday	10am - 5pm
Thursday	10am - 5pm
Friday	10am - 5pm
Saturday	10am - 5pm

Telephone

+19897259464

Website

https://michigansteamtrain.com/

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