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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.
Contents
History
The Michigan Star Clipper dinner train operated for several years out of Walled Lake on approximately 8.07 miles of the Michigan Air-Line Railway 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 first teamed up with the KLS&C Railway in Paw Paw, Michigan. Mark Campbell, Kevin McKinney, and Jerry Pilcher, owners, 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.
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) 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 Year's 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 into Canada. There has been some speculation and rumors in various Railfan 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.
The rail spur upon which the train used to run has been completely abandoned with all rails and ties removed and the bed graded June 2012. All rail crossings have been permanently marked "out of service" and the crossing arms where the rail crossed the M-5 road have been removed in June 2013 and on July 18, 2014 the remaining rail that crossed M-5 has been removed and filled with concrete. The rail spur between Haggerty Rd and Telegraph Rd is now made for (Rail-Trail) walking / bike access. See website for trails update http://www.traillink.com/trail-reviews/west-bloomfield-trail.aspx