For the Love of Trains - Presented by Mark Worrall

BENZONIA ACADEMY LECTURE SERIES
"For the Love of Trains"

Presented by Mark Worrall, Michigan railroad historian. In this lecture, Mark presents some of his favorite railroad images from this period exploring spindly logging railroads, high speed interurbans, might class one lines, and humble shortlines. Whether under the wires, pulled by horses, or pulled by the iron horse, we will look at the stories behind the images, some rare and lost, some funny, some sad, all part of the wonderful tapestry of railroad history.

Among the story topics explored will be lost industries served by railroads, wrecks and disasters, passenger trains and depots, mining and logging roads, odd and unique trains, and the people that ran the railroad. Bring your love of trains and your railroad questions for a fun evening of history.

A geologist by trade, Mark Worrall spends his time outside of work researching Michigan’s railroad, mining, and industrial history, particularly as they relate to each other. He also focuses on where railroads ran and why they were built, historic on-line industries, railroad wrecks, and late 19th to early 20th century railroad images.

He is a member of several railroad historical societies and has been president of the Michigan Railroad History Conference for over a decade, with the goal of promoting Michigan’s railroad history. Mark has developed talks on Michigan depots, Michigan train wrecks, mining and Michigan railroads, as well as several series around late 19th-early 20th century imagery.

The Benzonia Academy Lecture Series is sponsored by the Benzie Area Historical Society. This lecture was originally presented on June 10, 2021.