The 16th Michigan Railroad History Conference September 17, 2022 information:

The program will include a day of historical presentations as well as optional historical field trips in the area on Friday. Lunch will be served.  At the completion of the program, an informal panel discussion will be held at the afterglow.

Location: Ludington United Methodist Church, 5810 E. Bryant Road, Ludington, MI 49431

Presentations in Ludington on September 17th - 8:45 am to 5:00 pm

• Memorial Tributes to Carl Bajema and Don Meints
• Railroad Logging in Manistee Co. & Mapping Abandoned Lines – James Hannum, physician/mapmaker
• Technological Evolution of Lake Michigan Carferries – Art Chavez, historian/author
• Life and Times Aboard the Carferries – Former carferry employees
• Lake Michigan Carferry: Vision for the Future – Sara Spore, General Manager, SS BADGER
• Geocaching along the Manistee and North Eastern RR – Kevin Springsteen, geocacher
• Renaissance for Passenger Trains? – Kay Chase, advocate
• Getting It Done at Ludington – Sean Atteberry, engineer/conductor
• James F Joy: We Finally See You – Nick Marsh, biographer
• Eber Brock Ward: MI's Forgotten Steamboat, Railroad, and Iron King – Mike Nagle, biographer
• Last of the Mohegan: Michigan's First Logging Locomotive – Jeff Seaver, historian
• Epworth Heights/Ludington & Northern RR – Paul Trap, historian

Afterglow Aboard SS BADGER - 8:00 pm to 9:30 pm

Everyone registered for the Conference is invited to the SS BADGER Saturday evening to gather, meet fellow historians, enjoy a tour of the public spaces aboard and hear a brief presentation of its history. Light refreshments will be provided with a cash bar. Please check the appropriate box on the registration form if interested. Casual attire requested. SS BADGER is wheelchair accessible.

Friday, September 16 Field Trip - 10:00 am to 4:00 pm

This bus tour will visit the site of the terminal of the Mason & Oceana RR, view artifacts from the line at White Pine Village, trace sites and right-of-way related to the Pere Marquette and its successors, lunch provided at the Mason County Historical Society Research Center, follow the route of the Epworth League/Ludington & Northern to Epworth Heights and its hotel/museum, Hamlin Lake and return. Maps and information will be included in the conference notebook. Due to limited bus capacity, only 40 registrations can be accepted.

Facilities

Saturday presentations will be made in Fellowship Hall of the United Methodist Church of Ludington, 5810 Bryant Road. Coffee and refreshments will be provided in the morning and at breaks. Lunch will be provided. The facility is wheelchair accessible. Ample parking.

Displays

Tables are available to academic and non-profit publishers of railroad history books and materials. Cost of a table is $120.00 and includes registration for one individual.

Spaces for table displays and posters for railroad history groups are available. Each space will be 36 x 30 inches (one-half of a six-foot table). There will be no charge for the space, but there must be one representative of the group registered and present. No sales will be allowed at these spaces, but information about ordering publications and memberships can be distributed.

To request a table or space, send a request to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Michigan Railroad History Conference, P.O. Box 16235, Lansing, MI 48901. Payments in advance for tables will be required.

Notebook

A notebook with maps and background information will be distributed to all participants.

• Extensive list of accommodations: www.pureludington.com/Accommodations.
• The Michigan Railroad History Conference is a 501(c)(3) non-profit Michigan corporation, managed by volunteer directors with the sole purpose of offering this biennial conference.
• For more information and updates see www.michiganrailroadhistory.org. Questions contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Thank you for your continued participation, attendance and support.

The Michigan Railroad History Conference Website is hosted by MichiganRailroads.com