Troop Kitchen Car K-102 Slideshow July 2024 Grand Opening

July 6th, 2024 opens up Troop Kitchen Car K-102 officially at the Sanilac County Historic Village and Museum. This video shows the overall progress of this car's restoration. This car was built in 1944 by American Car and Foundry as K-376 then renumbered to K-102. In 1948 the Baltimore and Ohio purchased the car for use with work trains, then later sold to the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad. This car was then assigned to a wrecker crane out of Saginaw, MI. The car was then rebuilt as a classroom car and used extensively in Michigan, Ohio and potentially Indiana for training railroad crews of CSX Transportation up into the early 2000s. It was used to feed the railroaders on site where it was sent to.

This car was offered to the Port Huron and Detroit Railroad Historical Society in late 2018. Late President Chad Thompson planned out the initial transfer with at the time CSX Property Manager Eric Hendrickson. By 2021 the PH&D RR HS was closing its doors due to embezzlement from a former treasurer and economically damaging effects of COVID-19 lockdown by Gov. Whitmer. With all options of resurrection of the organization again exhausted, Dan Meinhard (current President 2019-2022 closing) and the board of directors ended the functioning non-profit and divested all of its property and financials to other area non-profit museums and organizations.

The Sanilac County Historic Village and Museum (https://sanilaccountymuseum.org/) was transferred ownership of this railroad car and it moved to its current location in May of 2022. Utz and Shirley Schmidt were project managers, under then Director Dawn Malek, put a great crew together to see the project move through. With assistance from T.J. Gaffney, who greatly coordinated with CSX and Lake State Railway, a small platoon of railroaders, truckers and a crane operator to assist the gang from Port Sanilac to get CSX 940203 (K-102) to its new home.

Restoration and preservation began in 2022, with the most serious work beginning inside early in 2023. New windows, flooring, lighting, wiring, and many repairs, modifications and additions were made to the car. While no longer original to the 1944 build, the car was preserved with an original sink, Army coal cook stove, butcher block and cabinets. New cabinets based on photos were made to reflect the original cabinet over the butcher block.

Many talented skilled trades were used to restore this car. Many people had a hand in the work being done, both paid staff, contractors, and the dedicated volunteers at the Sanilac County Historical Society... it was a great save. Assisting in this were many donors, sponsors, subject matter experts and railroad companies; CSX Transportation and Lake State Railway. They all meshed together like greased gears to bring this car into its new home and a new life representing a part of our Country's military history.

If you like this video, please like, share and subscribe. If you want to support the continuing restoration and maintenance of historic places, consider a donation to the Sanilac County Historic Village and Museum... https://sanilaccountymuseum.org/

Music by The Marine Band https://www.marineband.marines.mil/
Various John Philip Sousa Marches

Music by Dan Meinhard
Banjo Melody Bluewater Line