05/16/2026
🛳 "Railroad on Water: The Legend of the S.S. Badger"
Don't miss the exclusive premier and behind-the-scenes panel!
A new feature-length documentary from Delay In Block Productions will premiere on Saturday 5/16 with special screenings in Michigan and Wisconsin. The film chronicles the history and enduring legacy of the S.S. Badger: Lake Michigan Carferry—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 Ludington Area Center for the Arts, located at 107 S Harrison St, Ludington, on Saturday 5/16, at 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. The timing of these screenings allows attendees to experience the SS Badger firsthand, including her 9 a.m. departure from Ludington and her return at approximately 7 p.m.
Following the 10 a.m. screening on Saturday, attendees are invited to a live panel discussion at the Port of Ludington Maritime Museum (217 S Lakeshore Dr, Ludington). Doors open at 1 p.m., with the program beginning at 1:30 p.m. 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.
