A living railroad, not a museum behind glass
What sets Coopersville & Marne apart is that it’s a working railroad. While its public face is excursion service, the organization preserves rolling stock, maintains track, and, as a federally certified common carrier, is capable of moving freight when needed. That means visitors aren’t just looking at static displays; they’re stepping into cars that still do what they were built to do. The coaches—restored to the warm, wood-and-steel ambiance of mid-20th-century travel—carry riders through open country, past barns and creeks, and into a landscape that changes with the seasons.
Volunteers are the heart of the operation. Conductors punch tickets with old-school style, car hosts share stories and answer questions, and the train crew keeps everything moving with a professionalism born of training and a love for the craft. For families and railfans alike, that human touch is a big part of the appeal…