'Railroad on Water: The Legend of the S.S. Badger': Documentary

Description

“Railroad on Water: The Legend of the SS Badger,” a new feature-length documentary from Delay In Block Productions, will premiere this spring with special screenings in Michigan and Wisconsin. The film chronicles the history and enduring legacy of the SS Badger—the last coal-fired steamship in operation in the United States—and explores the rise and fall of railroad carferry service on the Great Lakes.

Premiere weekend will feature two screenings at the Ludington Area Center for the Arts (LACA), located at 107 S Harrison St, Ludington, MI 49431, on Saturday, May 16, at 10:00 AM and 4:00 PM. The timing of these screenings allows attendees to experience the SS Badger firsthand, including her 9:00 AM departure from Ludington and her return at approximately 7:00 PM.

An additional matinee screening will be held on Sunday, May 17, at 3:00 PM at UW–Green Bay’s Manitowoc Campus Theater (705 Viebahn St, Manitowoc, WI 54220). In Manitowoc, attendees will have the opportunity to watch the SS Badger arrive at 12:00 PM Central Time and depart again at 2:00 PM Central Time before the premiere begins.

Following the 10:00 AM screening on Saturday, attendees are invited to a live panel discussion at the Port of Ludington Maritime Museum (217 S Lakeshore Dr, Ludington, MI 49431). Doors open at 1 PM, with the program beginning at 1:30 PM. Panelists include director and producer Drayton Blackgrove, railroad historian Jonathon Leese, LACA member Shelby Soberalski, Lake Michigan Carferry Marketing Director Thom Hawley, and others. The discussion will explore the making of the film, the historical research behind it, and the vessel’s ongoing legacy, followed by a Q&A session.