A view from inside the cab of the Pere Marquette 1225 as our crew finishes up assembling the train for today’s North Pole Express. | Steam Railroading Institute

Did you know those sounds you hear on the Polar Exress movie are the authentic sounds of our PM 1225 engine? It’s part of the National Register of Historic Structures and is renowned for its role in the 2004 Warner Brothers Christmas Classic, THE POLAR EXPRESS™. 1225’s blueprints were used as the prototype for the locomotive image as well as its sounds to bring the train in the animated film to life. We dug up some footage of the audio engineers recording the many sounds of the PM 1225 for use i

Pere Marquette No. 1225: Facts on a Classic 📹 Credit: @ike_62 (Check out on Instagram for more fantastic content) 1. Built to Last: Constructed in 1941, No. 1225 is a "Berkshire" steam locomotive, a design prized for its balance of power and efficiency. 2. Saved from the Scrapyard: Retired in 1951, it narrowly avoided being scrapped when donated to Michigan State University in 1957. 3. Brought Back to Life: Restoration work began in 1971, spearheaded by the Michigan State University Railroad Cl