Israelite House of David
Israelite House of David, Benton Harbor, Michigan - MOBILE SITE

Israelite House of David, Benton Harbor, Michigan - MOBILE SITE
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Israelite House of David, Benton Harbor, Michigan - MOBILE SITE

Israelite House of David - The First of Twelve Different Locomotives

         

This train was the first of twelve different locomotives to run on the Eden Springs miniature railroad over a period of sixty five years. This is one of the few existing photos of that first train taken in front of the Archway north entrance to the valley portion of Eden Springs Park. This engine was an early straight boiler Class D locomotive built between 1899 and 1902 by the Cagney Brothers Locomotive Works. The Cagney Company built about 1300 miniature engines before the turn of the century for use in parks, expositions and other venues. These engines were based on designs of the New York Central's famous 4-4-0, No. 999 but were adapted to the needs of carrying heavier relative loads by adding more weight and larger boilers to scale.

"In the spring of 1908, Brother Bob Craig, a former railroad engineer, was sent to New York to get a miniature railroad train. When the train arrived, experienced men soon had the track laid in place and the train running. The train was a big improvement to get the people down to the park and back again to the main entrance. This was a great success and a paying proposition."

From the memoirs of Estelle Hornbeck,
"Concerning the Ingathering of Israel", 1958.

This train was the first of twelve different locomotives to run on the Eden Springs miniature railroad over a period of sixty five years. This is one of the few existing photos of that first train taken in front of the Archway north entrance to the valley portion of Eden Springs Park. This engine was an early straight boiler Class D locomotive built between 1899 and 1902 by the Cagney Brothers Locomotive Works. The Cagney Company built about 1300 miniature engines before the turn of the century for use in parks, expositions and other venues. These engines were based on designs of the New York Central's famous 4-4-0, No. 999 but were adapted to the needs of carrying heavier relative loads by adding more weight and larger boilers to scale. 

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Israelite House of David, Benton Harbor, Michigan - MOBILE SITE
Amusement Park  |  Baseball  |  Trains

Music  |  About  |  Our Faith  |  Friends

Photo Gallery  |  Current Projects
Israelite House of David, Benton Harbor, Michigan - MOBILE SITE

Israelite House of David
Post Office Box 1067
Benton Harbor, Michigan 49023-1067
(269) 363-1474 •
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Israelite House of David