More From The Flint Journal   |   Subscribe To The Flint Journal Rare locomotive chugging into Crossroads this weekend   GENESEE TOWNSHIP THE FLINT JOURNAL FIRST EDITION Saturday, August 13, 2005 By Ron Fonger rfonger@flintjournal.com • 810.766.6317

Quick Take About locomotive 464   Built in 1903 by Baldwin Locomotive Works in Philadelphia -one of just 15 of its type.   Decommissioned for repairs in October 1993, it is expected to return to the narrow-gauge tracks at Crossroads Village and the Huckleberry Railroad this weekend during a special Rail Fans Weekend.   Take a ride when visiting during regular hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Tours of the rail shop will be offered during the weekend. It's a section of the village not usually open to visitors.

GENESEE TWP - You might not notice the ride on the Huckleberry Railroad changing, but there's some extra muscle in the steam locomotive that took over the pulling Friday.

"You don't feel it in the ride but you see it. ... The other one is a ballerina. This one's more of a sumo wrestler," said Marty Knox, railroad shop supervisor at Crossroads Village.

Knox has been overseeing the restoration of the steam engine called locomotive 464 since it was decommissioned for repairs 12 years ago, and visitors to the village are expected to get the first chances to ride behind the 70-ton powerhouse this weekend.

By comparison, the locomotive it's stepping in for weighed just 38 tons.

The return of 464 is the highlight of Rail Fans Weekend, a celebration of trains that includes tours of the rail shop at Crossroads Village starting today.

Trains on the Huckleberry Railroad will run at a slightly slower speed to allow for better photo opportunities, and model trains will be on display, said Hilda McShane, a Genesee County Parks and Recreation Commission marketing specialist.

But there is no doubt about the main attraction.

"464 may sound like just a number but to real train fans it holds a dear place in their hearts," said parks Director Amy McMillan.

464 came to Crossroads from Knotts Berry Farm in California in 1981. After restoration, it went into service here in June 1989 and continued to run until it was sidelined for more work in October 1993.

Since then, the steam engine has received a major overhaul, including new rods, bearings and a new smoke box with many pieces built from scratch. Its fresh black paint and brass-colored bell glistened in the sun Friday as workers put the locomotive through its final tests.

The train was the primary reason Knox relocated from Texas to Michigan in 1990. With employees, contractors and volunteers, he's returned the locomotive to work.

According to Crossroads, 464 is one of 15 locomotives designed and built by Baldwin Locomotive Works in Philadelphia and sold to the Denver & Rio Grande Railway in 1903.

Nicknamed the Mud Hens, the trains were used along the Colorado-New Mexico border for gold and silver mining and some may have been used during World War II to haul uranium for the Manhattan Project.

Knox said he thinks only two of the 15 trains are still functioning and expects visitors from other countries at Crossroads to see the steam engine.

***