Michigan Star Clipper Dinner Train
Encyclopedia
The Michigan Star Clipper Dinner Train was a dinner train
that operated for 24 years out of Walled Lake, MI, with trips heading from West Bloomfield, Michigan to Wixom, Michigan
, where it connects to the CSX mainline and then back to West Bloomfield, MI. On December 31, 2008 the operators of the dinner train announced that they would be shutting down the route due to poor ridership and increased costs in fuel and other various expenses.
rail line. It was the brain child of one of the legendary short line and regional railroad operators in the United States, Mr. Jack Haley. The Star Clipper first operated out of Osage, Iowa
in 1984. In 1985 Mr. Haley teamed up with Laurence Coe who brought the train to Michigan, first to Paw Paw
in 1985 and then to Walled Lake in 1986, where it has been ever since. The Iowa operations were discontinued in December 1987 with Mr. Haley’s decision to sell the railroad to an up-and-coming freight railroad conglomerate. The Star Clipper made a brief appearance in the Fort Worth, Texas
area, running two seasons, 1999 and 2000. In 2006 the Star Clipper Dinner Train was sold to Railmark Holdings who increased and expanded both its programming and advertising in order to meet an ever changing and diverse ridership demographic in a world of internet communications. The trip started and finished from the historic Walled Lake CoeRail depot, in operation since 1887 on Pontiac Trail Rd. in Walled Lake, MI. The trip was on the Michigan Air-Line Railway
which dead-ended into the Main line (railway)
owned by CSX. The Locomotive
for the Michigan Star Clipper is a General Motors
EMD F7
1,500-horsepower engine, built in 1950 for the Erie Lackawanna Railroad. The engine, rebuilt and computerized, is electric and operated the train so smoothly, at a top speed of 10 m.p.h., that even the drinks on the dining tables did not spill out.
sleeping compartment cars. The various forms of entertainment while on an excursion included a murder mystery theatre, holiday themed theatre shows (Christmas, Easter, and a New Years Eve show), musical reviews featuring various live performers, fall color tours, and various other special event venues.
Blogspot sites that the Michigan Star Clipper dinner train will be moved to an undisclosed location somewhere on the East Coast most likely in the New England area. On November 12, 2009, Railmark Holdings, Inc. announced that it sold its Michigan Air-Line Railway Co. to Nebraska-based Browner Turnout Co. Browner Turnout Co. becomes the fifth owner of the rail line in 123 years and there are various plans in discussion as to the future of the rail line. Brown took over operations of Florida Rail Adventures in May 2010 but due to his poor management, failed.
Dinner train
A dinner train is a relatively new type of passenger train service whose main purpose is to allow people to eat dinner while experiencing a relatively short, leisurely round trip train ride...
that operated for 24 years out of Walled Lake, MI, with trips heading from West Bloomfield, Michigan to Wixom, Michigan
Wixom, Michigan
Wixom is a city in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 13,498 at the 2010 census. The city was home to the former Wixom Assembly Plant, which produced the Lincoln LS, the Ford Thunderbird, the Ford GT, and the Lincoln Town Car...
, where it connects to the CSX mainline and then back to West Bloomfield, MI. On December 31, 2008 the operators of the dinner train announced that they would be shutting down the route due to poor ridership and increased costs in fuel and other various expenses.
History
The Michigan Star Clipper dinner train operated for 24 years out of Walled Lake on approximately 8.07 miles of the Michigan Air-Line RailwayMichigan Air-Line Railway
The Michigan Air–Line Railway is a shortline railroad in Oakland County, Michigan.It runs from West Bloomfield, Michigan to Wixom, Michigan, where it connects to CSX. The headquarters and station are in Walled Lake, Michigan. It is owned by Railmark Holdings, Inc...
rail line. It was the brain child of one of the legendary short line and regional railroad operators in the United States, Mr. Jack Haley. The Star Clipper first operated out of Osage, Iowa
Osage, Iowa
Osage is a city in Mitchell County, Iowa, United States. The population was 3,451 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Mitchell County.-Geography:Osage is located at ....
in 1984. In 1985 Mr. Haley teamed up with Laurence Coe who brought the train to Michigan, first to Paw Paw
Paw Paw, Michigan
Paw Paw is a village in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 3,363. It is the county seat of Van Buren County.-Overview:...
in 1985 and then to Walled Lake in 1986, where it has been ever since. The Iowa operations were discontinued in December 1987 with Mr. Haley’s decision to sell the railroad to an up-and-coming freight railroad conglomerate. The Star Clipper made a brief appearance in the Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
area, running two seasons, 1999 and 2000. In 2006 the Star Clipper Dinner Train was sold to Railmark Holdings who increased and expanded both its programming and advertising in order to meet an ever changing and diverse ridership demographic in a world of internet communications. The trip started and finished from the historic Walled Lake CoeRail depot, in operation since 1887 on Pontiac Trail Rd. in Walled Lake, MI. The trip was on the Michigan Air-Line Railway
Michigan Air-Line Railway
The Michigan Air–Line Railway is a shortline railroad in Oakland County, Michigan.It runs from West Bloomfield, Michigan to Wixom, Michigan, where it connects to CSX. The headquarters and station are in Walled Lake, Michigan. It is owned by Railmark Holdings, Inc...
which dead-ended into the Main line (railway)
Main line (railway)
The Mainline or Main line of a railway is a track that is used for through trains or is the principal artery of the system from which branch lines, yards, sidings and spurs are connected....
owned by CSX. The Locomotive
Locomotive
A locomotive is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. The word originates from the Latin loco – "from a place", ablative of locus, "place" + Medieval Latin motivus, "causing motion", and is a shortened form of the term locomotive engine, first used in the early 19th...
for the Michigan Star Clipper is a General Motors
General Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
EMD F7
EMD F7
The EMD F7 was a Diesel-electric locomotive produced between February 1949 and December 1953 by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors and General Motors Diesel . It succeeded the F3 model in GM-EMD's F-unit sequence, and was replaced in turn by the F9. Final assembly was at GM-EMD's La...
1,500-horsepower engine, built in 1950 for the Erie Lackawanna Railroad. The engine, rebuilt and computerized, is electric and operated the train so smoothly, at a top speed of 10 m.p.h., that even the drinks on the dining tables did not spill out.
Entertainment
The Michigan Star Clipper dinner train offered three-hour, five course premium dinner trains, two-hour, three-course dinner trains, Sunday family dinner trains, luncheon trains, and children's lunch & breakfast trains. For certain events, passengers even had the option to stay overnight onboard one of the Pullman (car or coach)Pullman (car or coach)
In the United States, Pullman was used to refer to railroad sleeping cars which were built and operated on most U.S. railroads by the Pullman Company from 1867 to December 31, 1968....
sleeping compartment cars. The various forms of entertainment while on an excursion included a murder mystery theatre, holiday themed theatre shows (Christmas, Easter, and a New Years Eve show), musical reviews featuring various live performers, fall color tours, and various other special event venues.
Meals
Unlike many of the other 22 dinner trains across the country that used catered meals, the Michigan Star Clipper featured live on-board chef's who prepared four and five course meals. An example of what the five course meals included were the Star Clipper’s signature prime rib entrée with a grilled shrimp skewer, Chicken Cordon Bleu, or Sauteed Red Snapper as the main entrée. The meals started off with a house salad and all of the dinners came with bread and the chef’s specialty honey butter, fresh brewed coffee, hot tea, and water. The meal also came with a bowl of classic soup or a featured sorbet. The dinner was rounded off with a choice of freshly prepared desserts.Cancellation
Due to increasingly poor ticket sales, the Star Clipper's owner, railroad industry veteran B. Allen Brown, decided to cease railway operations. The last excursion was made on December 31, 2008. The owner has suggested that his new international company, Rail Entertainment U.S.A., will be a new and exciting endeavor offering entertainment trains across America and in to Canada. There has been some speculation and rumors in various RailfanRailfan
A railfan or rail buff , railway enthusiast or railway buff , or trainspotter , is a person interested in a recreational capacity in rail transport...
Blogspot sites that the Michigan Star Clipper dinner train will be moved to an undisclosed location somewhere on the East Coast most likely in the New England area. On November 12, 2009, Railmark Holdings, Inc. announced that it sold its Michigan Air-Line Railway Co. to Nebraska-based Browner Turnout Co. Browner Turnout Co. becomes the fifth owner of the rail line in 123 years and there are various plans in discussion as to the future of the rail line. Brown took over operations of Florida Rail Adventures in May 2010 but due to his poor management, failed.