[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13] The railroad operated continuously from 1994 before closing permanently in 2021[14] due to COVID-19 and deteriorating infrastructure, trestles and roadbed.

[18] The facility, owners' residence and acreage was listed for sale in 2017,[7] together with the affiliated railroad catalog store.

[18][better source needed] The railroad was sold to Kings Lights of Texas[19][20] The Custom Locomotive Works in Chicago constructed a pair of miniature F-7 A diesel locomotive units for the Michigan AuSable Valley Railroad over a period of nine months.

[7][21] The units have a combined weight of 11,000 pounds and length of 30 feet (9.1 m) long; they are 58 inches (1,500 mm) high.

It was serpentine, sometimes with parallel and crossing tracks, making a surprising 1.5 miles (2.4 km) trip, approximately 18 minutes long.