Pere Marquette 1225
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The Pere Marquette 1225 Crosses Marquette Street, Bay City - Friday, October 5, 2007
The Steam Locomotive, Pere Marquette 1225 passed through Defoe Park Friday, October 5, 2007 at approximately 2:15 pm. On its way to Kawkawlin, Michigan for another joint excursion with Bluewater Michigan Chapter (BMC) to Grayling on October 6 and 7th.
The trip traversed the Lake State Railroad both Saturday and Sunday for round-trips from Kawkawlin to Grayling with a diesel side-trip on Saturday.
Coming in December,The Steam Railroading Institute announces the return of its expanded North Pole Express program. Passengers will board at the Steam Railroading Institute's Visitor Center in Owosso, Michigan. Before departure, the North Pole Express train arrives, pulled by the Pere Marquette No. 1225, with lots of steam, bell ringing and whistle blowing. Guests will then board the train for a trip to Santa's Village. Santa will greet the North Pole Express upon its arrival and invite the children to come play at Santa's Village.
The train will stay at Santa's Village for approximately an hour and fifteen minutes, after which the North Pole Express will then return to the Steam Railroading Institute, drop off its passengers and disappear into the night.
For more information on the North Pole Express email npe@mstrp.com or (989) 725-9464. The Steam Railroading Institute's Visitor Center & Museum is located at 405 South Washington Street, Owosso, MI 48867. (Approximately 30 miles northeast of Lansing, and 30 miles west of Flint.)
(All Photos By, Julie Kuchek - October 5, 2007 - Defoe Park, Bay City)
The PERE MARQUETTE 1225, the largest and most impressive locomotive in the Steam Railroading Institute's collection is the largest operating steam locomotive in Michigan.Built in October of 1941 by the Lima Corporation for the Pere Marquette Railway, 1225 was designed for 'fast-freight' service. Most of 1225's short career in freight service was spent hauling steel and wartime freight between Michigan's factories and northern Indiana steel mills.
In 1941, the construction cost for the locomotive was $200,000 or roughly $2.5 million by today's standards. Since its restoration and subsequent entrance into passenger service, approximately $1 million has been spent over the last 30 years to keep the locomotive up and running.
The locomotive is one of thirty-nine 2-8-4 Berkshire types ordered by the Pere Marquette Railway. The 2-8-4 classification refers to the wheel arrangement of 1225. It has a 2-wheel pony truck up front to guide the larger set of 8 driving wheels into curves, and a 4- wheel trailing truck to support the weight of the boiler's massive firebox. 1225 is sixteen feet tall, 101 feet long with a combined engine and tender weight of 400 tons.
It produces 3000 horsepower and in the 1940's, was able to pull one hundred loaded freight cars at sixty miles per hour. It takes about eight hours to generate a full head of steam on the locomotive's boiler, which in turn operates at 245 pounds per square inch. The tender holds 22 tons of coal and 22,000 gallons of water, consuming one ton of coal for every twelve miles and 150 gallons of water per mile.
The Pere Marquette Railway merged with the Chesapeake & Ohio in 1947 ending 1225's corporate run with the PM. The locomotive continued in regular service until its retirement in 1951 in favor of newer and less costly diesel locomotives. In 1957, 1225 was saved from the scrap yard by officials at Michigan State University who sought an outdoor monument to commemorate the steam-era.
In 1969, a band of students set out to restore the locomotive to operable condition but eventually lost favor with university administrators who grew tired of looking at a torn-down locomotive on their property. As a result, the growing team of MSU rail enthusiasts began searching for of a new home and in 1983, 1225 was moved to the site of the former Ann Arbor Railroad's steam shop. Restoration work continued until 1988 when the locomotive was reborn and ready for service, making it the largest operating steam locomotive in Michigan.
Today, former PM 1225 is used for excursion service and during other special events to help educate the public about steam railroading in Michigan and the greater United States.
(All Photos By, Julie Kuchek - October 5, 2007 - Defoe Park, Bay City)
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Julie McCallum, Entertainment Editor |
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