Little River Railroad in Coldwater, Michigan

Written By Kelsey Cecil

Coldwater, Michigan · Updated October 19, 2026 · 12 min read

Heritage railroad with a museumTrain ridesThemed steam trips on scheduled dates, spring through December

The Little River Railroad is an all-volunteer, not-for-profit heritage line in Coldwater, Michigan, that restores historic equipment and runs steam-powered round trips through the countryside to Quincy and, on special days, to Hillsdale.

  • Real steam locomotives
  • Round trips to Quincy
  • Run entirely by volunteers
  • About 1.5 hours on the train
  • Accessible coach 5205

Little River Railroad at a glance

Hours
Scheduled trips only; ticket office opens 2 hours before each departure
Admission
2026 fares: adults (12 and up) $22, ages 3 to 11 $15, 2 and under free, plus fees; some events priced differently
Train rides
Round trips to Quincy of about 1.5 hours; four-hour Hillsdale Flyer on select dates
Seasonal events
Easter Bunny Express, Father's Day ride, Train Robbery, Hillsdale Flyer, Pumpkin Train, Christmas Express with Quincy Stop and Shop, Christmas Express
Plan for
About 2 hours including arrival time
Best for
Families with young kids and steam fans
Best ages
Ages 2 to 10
Accessibility
The train is generally handicap accessible, with accessible coach 5205; limitations apply, so contact the railroad if you need help.

Hours and prices as the museum posts them, checked October 19, 2026. Confirm before you go.

Look inside the book

Taking the kids to Little River Railroad? Bring Rally along.

In Rally Takes the Train, a corgi's little legs can't manage the big train stairs, so Dad gives him a boost. It takes about five minutes to read, a good fit for the drive to Coldwater.

Page 1 of 8

Rally Takes the Train book cover: a watercolor corgi peeking from a red train

Like it so far? See the full book

25 hand-painted pages, paperback, $13.99 with fast shipping from Amazon.

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Every page is real watercolor on paper, painted by hand by Leslie Dunn. Nothing in this book was made with AI.

Volunteers keeping steam on a south Michigan branch

Coldwater sits in south central Michigan, about halfway between Detroit and Chicago and just 13 miles north of the Indiana line, and it is home base for one of the state's working steam railroads. The Little River Railroad is a not-for-profit group devoted to restoring, operating and preserving historic railroad equipment, and every person who fires the engines, punches the tickets and sells the snacks is a volunteer.

The railroad's main engine is locomotive 110, which the group's own photo archive shows working in Townsend, Tennessee, around 1939. Its partner is Number 1, a 0-4-0T tank engine with something of a mystery about it. The volunteers know its frame and wheels date to 1908, but its boiler is in such good shape that they doubt it is original, and they suspect Number 1 is a blend of several engines of its type.

The railroad bought Number 1 from the LaPorte County Steam Historical Society in LaPorte, Indiana, in 2000. Volunteers first steamed it up on November 11, 2002, and after about three years of restoration it made its first run in more than 35 years in 2004. At about 25 tons it weighs less than half as much as 110, yet thanks to how its weight sits on its axles it can pull just as much, only not as far.

Ticket sales, concessions, memberships and donations pay for all of it, and the railroad openly invites riders to join and help keep steam trains running for future generations.

Out to Quincy and back behind a steam engine

Trips start at the station at 29 W. Park Ave. in Coldwater, where the ticket office opens two hours before departure. The round trip to Quincy rolls through farm country and small towns, and riders spend about an hour and a half on the train. In Quincy there is a half hour layover, long enough to step off and watch the crew move the locomotive to the other end of the train for the ride home.

Special trips change the scenery. The Hillsdale Flyer is a four-hour excursion to Hillsdale, while themed runs add Easter egg hunts, pumpkin shopping, a train robbery and Santa. The train has restrooms on board and in the station, and the coaches are antique, so they are not air conditioned and are heated only as well as old equipment allows.

Don’t miss

  1. Locomotive 110The railroad's main steam engine, shown in the group's photos working in Townsend, Tennessee, around 1939.
  2. Number 1A 25-ton 0-4-0T tank engine with a 1908 frame, which backs up 110 and pulls trains in quieter parts of the season.
  3. The Quincy run-aroundDuring the half hour layover in Quincy, riders can watch the locomotive switched to the other end of the train.
  4. Accessible coach 5205The car to request if anyone in your group needs an accessible seat.
  5. The Hillsdale FlyerA four-hour round trip to Hillsdale, the longest ride on the schedule.

Bunnies, bandits, pumpkins and Santa

The themed trips are made for kids. The Easter Bunny Express ends with an egg hunt in the Quincy village park, the Train Robbery has bandits along the tracks for young passengers to help fend off, the fall Pumpkin Train lets families pick out pumpkins and treats during the layover, and Santa rides along on the Christmas Express.

Children 2 and under ride free, and restrooms on the train help with little ones on a ride of about an hour and a half. Dress for the weather: there is no air conditioning, and heat is limited in the old cars.

Plan your visit: tips for Little River Railroad

  • Arrive at least 30 minutes before departure, even with tickets; the train will not wait.
  • Tickets are non-refundable but can be exchanged for a same-price trip in the same season, when available.
  • Buy ahead online; some trips require advance tickets.
  • The station accepts cash, checks, Visa and Mastercard.
  • Dress for the weather, since the antique coaches have no air conditioning and limited heat.

Fall and winter are the railroad's busiest stretch. In 2026 the Pumpkin Train ran on Sundays from late September through October 25, with time in Quincy to buy pumpkins and fall treats, and the Christmas Express runs with Santa aboard on November 28 (with a longer shopping stop in Quincy) and on December 5, 6, 12 and 13. Check the schedule page for any changes, and see our roundups of Christmas trains in Michigan and Michigan fall and Halloween train rides.

An all-volunteer railroad

The Little River Railroad is run entirely by volunteers, and it pays its way through ticket sales, concessions, memberships and donations. The railroad encourages riders to buy a membership to help keep steam trains running, and you can also rent the whole train for a birthday party, family reunion, office party or school outing.

More rail stops in southern Michigan and northern Indiana

The Wabash Railroad Museum in Decatur is about 51 miles west, and the National New York Central Railroad Museum in Elkhart, Indiana, is about 53 miles away. The Southern Michigan Railroad Society in Clinton is about 54 miles east. See our Michigan train museum guide for more.

Every train museum in Michigan

Bring Rally along: a train book for the drive

Watercolor of Rally the corgi looking out an arched train window at the ocean and a white bird
From Rally Takes the Train, watercolor by Leslie Dunn.

I love that this ride rolls through open Michigan countryside on the way to Quincy. In our book, Rally rides with his nose near an arched window, watching the ocean go by and saying hello to a white bird. Kids here will see fields and small towns instead of waves, but the feeling is the same: a whole world sliding past the glass. My own kids are just learning to read, and that view is exactly what keeps them turning pages.

Free for train families

Print the Rally coloring pages before you go

Watercolor coloring pages from the book, free to print. Tuck a few in a folder with crayons for the drive or the wait for the next train.

Get the free coloring pages
Rally Takes the Train book cover: a watercolor corgi peeking from a red train

A train story for the ride homeRally Takes the Train is a five-minute rhyming picture book about a corgi's first train trip to see his grand-paw-rents. Hand-painted in real watercolor. $13.99 on Amazon, for ages 0 to 8.

Buy on Amazon (opens in a new tab)

More for train families

Work or volunteer at Little River Railroad?

We want this page to be the best introduction to your museum on the web. Send new hours, event dates, corrections or photos to kelsey@rallytakesthetrain.com and we will update it. You are welcome to share this page with your members.

Sources

Everything on this page comes from the museum’s own website and social pages and, for history, Wikipedia, checked October 19, 2026.

Little River Railroad: 20 questions riders ask

Where is the Little River Railroad?

The Little River Railroad station and ticket office are at 29 W. Park Ave., Coldwater, MI 49036. From I-69, take Exit 13, go west on US 12 (Chicago St.), south on Division St., then west on Park Ave. Coldwater is in south central Michigan, about 13 miles north of the Indiana border.

How much are Little River Railroad tickets?

As of October 2026, regular fares are $22 for adults ages 12 and up, $15 for children 3 to 11, and free for children 2 and under, with fees added. Some special events are priced differently, so check the schedule page for each trip's fare before you buy.

Where can I buy Little River Railroad tickets?

Tickets for every ride are sold online through the railroad's website, and you can also buy them at the station on operating days. The ticket office opens two hours before departure and accepts cash, checks, Visa and Mastercard. Buying ahead is strongly recommended, and some trips require it.

What is the Little River Railroad schedule?

The railroad runs themed trips on set dates rather than daily. The 2026 schedule included the Easter Bunny Express in April, a Father's Day ride in June, Hillsdale Flyers in September and November, Pumpkin Trains on fall Sundays and the Christmas Express in late November and December. Dates can change, so check the website.

How long is the Little River Railroad train ride?

Expect to be on the train about an hour and a half for a regular Quincy round trip, including a half hour layover in Quincy. Times vary with departure and any delays. The Hillsdale Flyer is longer, a four-hour excursion to Hillsdale and back.

When does the Little River Railroad Christmas Express run?

As of October 2026, the Christmas Express with Quincy Stop and Shop runs November 28 at 11 am and 2:30 pm, with a longer Quincy layover for holiday shopping. Christmas Express rides with Santa run December 5 and 12 at 1 pm and 4 pm, and December 6 and 13 at 1 pm.

Does Santa ride the Little River Railroad Christmas train?

Yes. Santa rides on board the Christmas Express, visiting with passengers during the trip. The November 28 run adds a longer layover in Quincy so families can shop downtown businesses. The railroad's photos also mention a Holiday Express pulled by Number 1 in past seasons.

What is the Little River Railroad Pumpkin Train?

The Pumpkin Train is a fall round trip to Quincy where riders can enjoy the changing colors and buy pumpkins and fall treats during the layover. In 2026 it ran at 1 pm on September 27 and October 4, 11, 18 and 25. Check the schedule page for next year's dates.

What is Little River Railroad locomotive 110?

Locomotive 110 is the railroad's main steam engine. Number 1 serves as its backup, and the railroad notes that Number 1 weighs less than half as much as 110. A photo on the railroad's website shows 110 working in Townsend, Tennessee, around 1939, long before it came to Coldwater.

What is Little River Railroad Number 1?

Number 1 is a 0-4-0T tank engine of about 25 tons. Its frame and wheels were built in 1908, but its boiler looks too new to be original. The railroad bought it from the LaPorte County Steam Historical Society in 2000, and after restoration it made its first run in over 35 years in 2004.

Is the Little River Railroad the same as the Little River Railroad and Lumber Company Museum?

No. The Little River Railroad in Coldwater, Michigan is a working heritage railroad that runs steam excursions to Quincy. The Little River Railroad and Lumber Company Museum is a different organization and is not in Coldwater. The Coldwater railroad's locomotive 110 is shown in its photos working in Townsend, Tennessee, around 1939, which may explain the overlap in searches.

Is there a Little River Railroad museum with set hours?

The Coldwater operation is a working railroad rather than a museum with daily hours. The station opens on scheduled trip days, with the ticket office opening two hours before departure. To see the equipment, plan around a ride date on the schedule page.

Is the Little River Railroad wheelchair accessible?

Generally yes, though limitations apply. If available, buy tickets in accessible coach number 5205, and let the railroad know ahead of time if you need help boarding. Email customerservice@littleriverrailroad.com or text simple questions to 260-316-0529.

Are there restrooms on the Little River Railroad train?

Yes, there are restrooms on the train and in the station. Keep in mind the coaches are antique: they are not air conditioned, and heating is done as well as the old equipment allows, so dress for the weather on hot summer trips and cold Christmas runs.

Can I get a refund on Little River Railroad tickets?

No. All tickets are non-refundable. The railroad can exchange a ticket for another trip of the same price within the current operating season, but it cannot guarantee the date you want will be available. Check your plans before buying.

What time should I arrive for the Little River Railroad?

Arrive at least 30 minutes before departure, even if you already have tickets. The railroad says plainly that it will not hold the train for late passengers. The ticket office opens two hours before departure if you need to buy tickets at the station.

Can I rent the Little River Railroad for a birthday party?

Yes. You can rent the whole train, and the railroad suggests it for birthday parties, family reunions, office parties and school outings. Email customerservice@littleriverrailroad.com or text 260-316-0529 to ask about availability and pricing for your date. Since the crews are volunteers, reach out well ahead of your event.

Does the Little River Railroad do a train robbery ride?

Yes. The Train Robbery is a 1 pm round trip to Quincy where bandits appear along the tracks and passengers help defend the train. It is one of the railroad's most playful themed trips. The 2026 date was listed as to be determined, so watch the schedule page for an announcement.

How can I contact the Little River Railroad?

Email customerservice@littleriverrailroad.com for questions, rentals and accessibility help. For simple questions, the railroad accepts text messages at 260-316-0529. The railroad also posts updates on its Facebook page, and directions and the full schedule are on littleriverrailroad.com. The station address is 29 W. Park Ave., Coldwater.

Who runs the Little River Railroad, and how can I help?

The Little River Railroad is a not-for-profit organization operated entirely by volunteers. It is supported by ticket sales, concessions, memberships and donations, and it invites riders to pick up a membership to help keep steam trains running for future generations.

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