Michigan AuSable Valley Railroad in Fairview, Michigan
Heritage railroad with a museumClosed permanently in 2021
The Michigan AuSable Valley Railroad was a 16-inch gauge, quarter-scale ride-on railway that Joanne and Howard Schrader built near Fairview, carrying passengers through the Huron National Forest and the Comins Creek valley from 1994 until it closed in 2021.
- 16-inch gauge, quarter-scale railway
- Built by Joanne and Howard Schrader
- Operated 1994 to 2021
- Cars from the Pinconning & Blind River
- Closed permanently in 2021
Michigan AuSable Valley Railroad at a glance
- Hours
- Closed permanently since 2021
- Admission
- Not applicable; the railroad no longer operates
- Best for
- Rail history fans interested in Michigan's miniature railways
Hours and prices as the museum posts them, checked October 19, 2026. Confirm before you go.
Contact and directions
Follow Michigan AuSable Valley Railroad
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Taking the kids to Michigan AuSable Valley 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 Fairview.
Rally Takes the Train
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A big backyard railroad in the Huron National Forest
Joanne and Howard Schrader started building the Michigan AuSable Valley Railroad in 1994, beginning with the station and a 72-foot engine house. It was a minimum gauge line, 16 inches between the rails and built at one-quarter scale, so riders sat on small cars behind a locomotive sized to match. The track wound through the Huron National Forest and the Comins Creek valley near Fairview, and visitors remembered its tunnels, bridges and realistic railroad buildings.
The line had roots in an earlier Fairview miniature railroad, the Pinconning & Blind River, which ran about two and a half miles of main line off M-33 with a 140-foot tunnel and a 120-foot trestle. In 1995 seven of its passenger cars were restored for the AuSable Valley, and the steam locomotive used on the new line also came from the Pinconning & Blind River.
The railroad ran continuously until 2021, when it closed for good because of COVID-19 and deteriorating track, trestles and roadbed. A Michigan rail history site reports that the equipment was later sold and moved to Texas.
What remains to see
The railroad no longer runs and is not open to visitors. Photos shared over the years on its Facebook page and on Michigan rail history sites are now the best way to see the line, its engine house and its trips through the forest.
For families looking for a ride today
Because the line closed in 2021, there are no rides here anymore. Families who want a train ride can look to other Michigan railroads such as the Huckleberry Railroad at Crossroads Village, about 114 miles away.
Plan your visit: tips for Michigan AuSable Valley Railroad
- Do not drive to Fairview expecting rides; the railroad closed in 2021.
- Look for historic photos on the railroad's Facebook page.
- For a working ride, try the Huckleberry Railroad or the Saginaw Railway Museum.
The Schraders' labor of love
The railroad was created by Joanne and Howard Schrader, and visitors often described it as one person's hobby turned into something everyone could enjoy. With the line closed and its equipment sold, the best way to honor it is to share photos and memories of riding it.
Working railroads to visit instead
The closest rail stop on this site is the Saginaw Railway Museum, about 91 miles away. The Huckleberry Railroad at Crossroads Village near Flint is about 114 miles, and the Toonerville Trolley, another small gauge line in the woods, is about 126 miles north. Browse all of Michigan's train museums for more.
- Saginaw Railway MuseumSaginaw, MI · about 91 mi
- Huckleberry RailroadFlint / Crossroads Village, MI · about 114 mi
- Flushing Area Museum railroad exhibitsFlushing, MI · about 115 mi
- Steam Railroading InstituteOwosso, MI · about 120 mi
- Clinton Northern Railway MuseumSt. Johns, MI · about 122 mi
- Durand Union Station / Michigan Railroad History MuseumDurand, MI · about 125 mi
Bring Rally along: a train book for the drive
People who rode this little railroad still talk about its tunnels. In our book, Rally's train slips into a dark tunnel, and then there's a big bright light and happy cheers. I love imagining kids on these quarter-scale cars feeling that same rush as they came back out into the forest. It is a reminder that small, homemade things can carry big memories, which is exactly how my mom's story became our book. Read more on our story page.
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
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
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Work or volunteer at Michigan AuSable Valley 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.
Michigan AuSable Valley Railroad: 20 questions answered
Is the Michigan AuSable Valley Railroad still open?
No. The Michigan AuSable Valley Railroad closed permanently in 2021, after operating continuously since 1994. The closing was blamed on COVID-19 and on deteriorating infrastructure, including trestles and roadbed. A Michigan rail history site reports that its equipment has since been sold and moved to Texas.
What was the Michigan AuSable Valley Railroad?
It was a 16-inch gauge, one-quarter scale ridable miniature railway near Fairview, Michigan. Passengers rode small cars through the Huron National Forest and the Comins Creek valley. Visitors remembered tunnels, bridges and realistic railroad buildings along the route.
Where was the Michigan AuSable Valley Railroad?
The railroad was near Fairview in northern Michigan, with its track running through the Huron National Forest and the Comins Creek valley. Because it closed in 2021 and its equipment has been sold, there is nothing to visit on site, and the property should not be treated as an open attraction.
Why did the Michigan AuSable Valley Railroad close?
It closed permanently in 2021 because of COVID-19 and deteriorating infrastructure, including the trestles and roadbed that carried the line through the forest. Maintaining miles of track, bridges and tunnels is demanding work for any small railroad, especially a privately built one.
Who built the Michigan AuSable Valley Railroad?
Joanne and Howard Schrader created the railroad. They began building its station and a 72-foot engine house in 1994. Visitors often described it as one man's hobby or passion turned into something everyone could enjoy, and it has been called a big backyard railroad.
When did the Michigan AuSable Valley Railroad open?
Construction of the station and engine house began in 1994, and the railroad is described as operating continuously from 1994 until 2021. In 1995, seven passenger cars from the earlier Pinconning and Blind River Railroad were restored for use on the line.
What gauge was the Michigan AuSable Valley Railroad?
The railroad used 16-inch gauge track, which made it a minimum gauge or miniature railway built at one-quarter scale. That size is large enough for adults and children to ride on, but far smaller than a standard railroad, so the trains looked like scaled down versions of real ones.
What was the Pinconning and Blind River Railroad?
It was an earlier miniature railroad in the woods off M-33 near Fairview, with about two and a half miles of main line, sidings and a branch to the owner's sawmill. Old postcards show a 140-foot tunnel, a 120-foot trestle, a roundhouse, and steam engine #5661, a six-ton 4-6-4.
How was the AuSable Valley connected to the Pinconning and Blind River?
The AuSable Valley line carried on equipment from the older Pinconning and Blind River. In 1995 seven of its passenger cars were restored for the new railroad, and the steam locomotive used on the AuSable Valley also came from the Pinconning and Blind River.
Where are the Michigan AuSable Valley Railroad photos?
The railroad's Facebook page, with more than 2,000 followers, is the best place to look for photos of the line, its engine house and its trains. Michigan rail history sites and review sites also carry photos, including old postcard images of the earlier Pinconning and Blind River.
What did reviewers say about the Michigan AuSable Valley Railroad?
Reviews collected before it closed were warm. Visitors described a miniature train ride through the property with tunnels, bridges and authentic looking train buildings, and praised it as one person's hobby turned into something everyone could enjoy.
Where did the Michigan AuSable Valley Railroad equipment go?
According to a Michigan railroad history site, the operation's equipment was sold and moved to Texas. The site does not say who bought it or whether it runs again. The railroad's Facebook page may have more about what happened to the trains.
Can you still ride the Michigan AuSable Valley Railroad?
No. Rides ended when the railroad closed permanently in 2021, and the equipment has been sold. For a ride today, the Huckleberry Railroad at Crossroads Village near Flint, about 114 miles away, and the Saginaw Railway Museum, about 91 miles away, both have pages on this site.
Did the Michigan AuSable Valley Railroad have a tunnel?
Yes, visitors recalled tunnels and bridges along the line. The earlier Pinconning and Blind River in the same area also had a 140-foot tunnel and a 120-foot trestle called the Golden trestle, shown on old postcards of its steam trains.
What locomotive ran on the Michigan AuSable Valley Railroad?
A steam locomotive from the Pinconning and Blind River was used on the line. Postcards of that earlier railroad show steam engine #5661, a six-ton Hudson type 4-6-4, along with a one-ton diesel that handled lighter work. Sources do not confirm which exact engines ran on the AuSable Valley.
Was the Michigan AuSable Valley Railroad good for kids?
When it operated, it was a family attraction: a ride-on miniature train through the forest with tunnels and bridges. It closed in 2021, so families today should plan a trip to an operating Michigan railroad instead, such as the Huckleberry Railroad near Flint.
Is the Michigan AuSable Valley Railroad property open to visitors?
No. The railroad closed permanently and its equipment has been sold, so there is no public access, ride or tour on site. Please respect the property and enjoy the line through photos and stories shared online instead.
Is there a museum about the Michigan AuSable Valley Railroad?
No museum dedicated to the railroad is known. Its history survives through its Facebook page, Michigan rail history websites and the postcards of the earlier Pinconning and Blind River. If you rode the line, sharing your photos helps keep the story alive.
What other miniature or small gauge railroads are in Michigan?
The Toonerville Trolley in the Upper Peninsula runs a 24-inch gauge railroad through the Tahquamenon Forest from Soo Junction, about 126 miles away. Michigan also has full size heritage lines such as the Huckleberry Railroad, which have their own pages on this site.
What train museums are near Fairview, Michigan?
The Saginaw Railway Museum is about 91 miles away, the Huckleberry Railroad at Crossroads Village about 114 miles, and the Flushing Area Museum about 115 miles. The Steam Railroading Institute in Owosso is about 120 miles from Fairview.
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