08/17/2026
We had an exciting opportunity this weekend, the S.S. Ann Arbor No. 7’s original steam whistle was blown on full steam for the first time in five years at the Buckley Old Engine Show!
The ANN ARBOR NO. 7 was built by Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co. in 1925 for the Ann Arbor Railroad carferry fleet. She operated largely unchanged until 1964, when she was sent to Fraser Shipyard in Superior, Wisconsin, for modernization. Her triple-expansion steam engines and boilers were removed and replaced with diesel power, and her steam whistle was replaced by a Tyfon air horn.
The whistle was placed in storage at Elberta, Michigan, and after the Ann Arbor ferry fleet ceased operations in 1982, it eventually became part of the collection of the Society for the Preservation of the S.S. City of Milwaukee.
In 2013, member Marc Vander Meulen suggested restoring the whistle to operating condition. Pete LaBelle took on the project, completely dismantling and restoring it during the winter of 2013–14. The massive whistle bell measures 50 inches long and 10 inches in diameter.
In June 2014, the restored whistle traveled to the Boot Hill Whistle Blow in Coldwater, Michigan, where Marc’s wife, Jill, had the honor of blowing it on steam for the first time in 50 years!
From 2015 through 2021, it was regularly taken to the “Whistles on the Water” steam blow in St. Clair, Michigan. On its first appearance, it won “Best Sounding Whistle,” followed by “Largest Whistle” the next year. With the St. Clair event ending in 2021, the whistle had not sounded on live steam since, until this weekend!
Today, the Ann Arbor No. 7 whistle remains on display aboard the S.S. City of Milwaukee, where visitors can learn about this unique piece of Great Lakes railroad carferry history.
Come see it for yourself! Our final day of summer tours and overnight stays is Sunday, August 30. We hope to see you aboard!
