Guess the location.

[Clay320]

Can you guess where this is, and who the big guy on the platform is?

TrainWatcher and bnsfben are banned from answering this one!

[atrainguy60]

Tecumseh? Not sure who the guy is.

[Ypsi]

Easy Tecumseh, the building on the corner is Masonic temple

[Ypsi]

Tecumseh? Not sure who the guy is.

I saw you beat me by a sec Atrain I bet that the person is important though

[CAT345C]

Pretty cool seeing that shot, I wonder what the track speed was back then.

[AARR]

Looks like a former president but can't think of his name right now

[Michigan Railfan]

Looks like a former president but can't think of his name right now

To me it looks like either Ulysses S. Grant or Grover Cleveland.

[AARR]

Looks like a former president but can't think of his name right now

To me it looks like either Ulysses S. Grant or Grover Cleveland.

Grover Cleveland is who I was thinking but I would not bet money on my recognition factor

[cr6903]

Looks like William Howard Taft.

[Saturnalia]

FDR

[Michigan Railfan]

Looks like William Howard Taft.

Sure does. I'm thinking either Taft or Cleveland.

FDR was alot skinnier than the president in the picture.

[cr6903]

Taft had the big "Walrus" moustache like the photo.
Also, if you look at the flags in the background, they look like they could be 45 or 46 star flags. The flag became 48 stars in 1912-July 4th-with Arizona and New Mexico's admission to the union. Taft ran in the 1912 election (and won), so I'd say the photo is from about summertime 1912.
Incidentally, the flag remained at 48 stars until 1959, when Alaska and Hawaii were admitted. Because the flag is only changed on July 4th, and Alaska was early in the year and Hawaii later, we had the unusual 49 star flag for one year, 1959-1960.

Sorry, American Flag history is another interest of mine (as well as Presidential history).

[Clay320]

Yes it is indeed Taft visiting Tecumseh. Over in the Trip Reports TrainWatcher has a photo of the same location nearly 100 years after Taft's visit. I have been told another President traveled the line however I can't recall which one.

Also of interest, On US-12 in the Irish Hills area there is a tourist trap that has a blue heavy weight car, that car was in fact President Eisenhower's personal car. It is now a hunted house attraction, which is a pity but it's there and can be viewed well if your traveling eastbound.

Pretty cool seeing that shot, I wonder what the track speed was back then.

On RRHX they have a timetable for the Jackson Branch that lists passenger at 60mph and freight at 30mph in 1913.
http://www.michiganrailroads.com/RRHX/T ... Branch.htm

[Standard Railfan]

All the answers as to who is on the platform makes me sad. What the heck did you guys learn in school anyway?

Great photo. Thank you for posting.

[Jetlink]

Theodore Roosevelt

[Michael]

I am surprised TW didn't guess this. He just posted a recent photo of almost the exact same spot.
But I guess he was banned
http://www.flickr.com/photos/csxt1534/7230608678/

[Clay320]

I had told TW about it a few days ago, he would of got it too quick. Had to give the rest of you a chance!

[Michael]

I love NOW and THEN photos like that

[Standard Railfan]

I am surprised TW didn't guess this. He just posted a recent photo of almost the exact same spot.
But I guess he was banned
http://www.flickr.com/photos/csxt1534/7230608678/

Cool Photo! I love the paint scheme on the Center cab. Is that a GE 44 tonner? Who owns/operates it now?

Thanks.

Never mind, I just read the caption on Flickr.

[Michael]

I believe the location above is where you can purchase tickets and board the train in Tecumseh for the Southern Michigan Railroad http://www.southernmichiganrailroad.com/
I never did the fall tour which runs the whole line but the shorter excursions from Tecumseh to Clinton and back are a lot of fun.