HOP ON THE TROOP TRAIN!

HOP ON THE TROOP TRAIN!

 

The Sanilac County Historical Society was recently gifted a U.S. Army Troop Kitchen Car from the Port Huron Detroit Railroad Historical Society.   As its name implies, the Troop Kitchen Car was used to prepare meals for our troops. The “army range” wood/coal stove in the car is one of only two left in the entire country! Also original to the car is a dry sink, where we can just imagine the mess cooks, white-aproned, with rolled up sleeves, standing peeling potatoes.

 

The car has a distinct tie to our area. It was built by the Pullman Factory in Detroit in 1942. Many men in the Thumb left their wives and families to tend their farms as they headed to work each day at the Pullman Factory.

 

The gift of this Troop Car brings us one step closer to realizing our dream of having a train car sitting at our historic depot. This will be a huge project and we’ll need a lot of help from the community. Happily, a generous donor has agreed to match all donations made to the Historical Society from now through #GivingTuesday, November 30. Donations will be matched, dollar for dollar, up to $50,000!

All funds raised will be used for transportation from Flint, where the car currently sits, plus the costs for renovation, and all expenses related to laying the rail bed at the Museum. The total estimate for this project is $100,000.

 

The exterior of the car will be refurbished to the way it looked when it was shiny and new in 1942. The interior will be renovated so that we can use it to house our military display, which currently sits on the second floor of the mansion/museum. The new display will be handicap accessible, making it available to all who wish to view it, and especially to our aging veterans.

 

We hope you find value in this plan and will "Hop on the Troop Train” to help us reach our goal of funding this very important project!

 

What our U.S. Army Troop Kitchen Car looked like when it was built in 1942.

 

What our Troop Car looks like now.

 

 

What our Troop Car will look like after renovations!