A Polar Express, a Steam Locomotive N-1-1225 of the Permaquette Railway in the United States

Article author: FOREVER CHANGZHENSKY (ACFUN, BILIBILI, Baidu, Toutiao, Weibo and Zhihu nickname: Ning Liu Span)

Abbreviation prompt

1. The New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroads are referred to as "NKP" (1), the Flint-Permaquette Railroad Company is referred to as "F&PM", the Permaguete Railroad is abbreviated as "PM" (2), the Boston and Albany Railroad is abbreviated as "B&A", the Erie Railroad is abbreviated as "ERIE" (3), the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad is abbreviated as "C&O" (4), the United Railroad corporation is abbreviated as "CR" (5), and the CSX Transportation Company is abbreviated as "C&O" (5). CSXT" (6), Norfolk Southern Railway Company abbreviated as "NS" (7); American Locomotive Company abbreviated as "ALCO", American Bowen Locomotive Factory abbreviated as "BLW", American Lima Locomotive Factory abbreviated as "LLW".

overview

The Berkshire/Berkshire N,N-1 and N-2 steam locomotives were 2-8-4 wheeled trunk steam locomotives purchased by PM from LLW between 1937 and 1944.

Locomotive N-1-1220

Introduction to PM

The full name "Pere(8) Marquette" in PM commemorates Jacques Marquette (9) a French Catholic priest born in Laon, In the present-day Upper-France region of France, who founded sault Ste. Marie, the first European settlement in present-day Michigan, USA. Jacques Marquette died on May 18, 1675, on the shores of Lake Michigan. 170 years later, a small settlement appeared in the place where he died, and in his honor, this settlement was named permaket town.

Jacques Marquette in the painting by German painter Wilhelm Lamprecht (man dressed in black)

Later, entrepreneur James Ludington (10) reclaimed land in the town of Permaquette and ran a timber mill. Due to the timber mill business and the discovery of salt deposits, on 22 March 1873 the town of Permaquette was expanded into a city and named the city of Ludington after James Ludington.

During this period, F&PM was established on January 22, 1857, as the basic line for the Flint-Ladington section of the railroad line east of Lake Michigan. On November 1, 1899, F&PM merged with two other Michigan railroad companies to form PM and opened for business on January 1, 1900.

Locomotive procurement background

In the 1920s, P.M. was controlled by the Brothers Van Sweringen (11) financiers in Cleveland, Ohio. The brothers also controlled the NKP, ERIE and C&O, and formed the "Mechanical Advisory Board" to integrate the best locomotive design talent of each of the four railway companies.

Mantis James Van Sweringen (left) and Oris Paxton Van Sweringen (right)

The committee designed the "Texas" T-1 steam locomotive for C&O based on the "Berkshire" S-1, S-2, S-3 and S-4 locomotives purchased by ERIE from ALCO, BLW and LLW from 1927 to 1929. In 1934, the commission reversed the design from the T-1 locomotive to the "Berkshire" S-1, S-1, S-2 and S-3 locomotives for the NKP.

Factory photograph of locomotive S-2-757 purchased by NKP

Of course, the Van Sweringen brothers intend to merge these 4 railway companies. However, the U.S. Interstate Commerce Commission did not approve the merger plan, and the Van Sweringen brothers eventually sold their interest in pm to C&O after the Great Depression.

Locomotive procurement process

As a member of the Mechanical Advisory Board, the PM acquired some of the best locomotive designs of its time and chose the "Berkshire" wheeled locomotive to tow its fast freight trains. Between 1937 and 1944, pm purchased "Berkshire" N, N-1 and N-2 locomotives from LLW in three batches:

1. N-1201~N-1215, manufactured in 1937;
2. N-1-1216~N-1-1227, manufactured in 1941;
3. N-2-1228 ~ N-2-1239, manufactured in 1944.

The locomotives have mover wheels with a diameter of 1753 mm, a cylinder measuring 660 mm × 864 mm, a boiler with a pressure of 17.23 kgf/cm², a moving wheel adhesion weight of 125.92 t and a traction force of 308.48 kN.

Locomotive N-2-1239

Come and go in a hurry

On June 6, 1947, the PM was officially incorporated into C&O, and the "Berkshire" N-, N-1 and N-2 locomotives began to use C&O's model code and number section:

1. N-1-2650 ~ N-1-2661 (corresponding to N-1-1216 ~ N-1-1227 in the PM period);
2. N-2-2670 ~ N-2-2681 (corresponding to N-2-1228 ~ N-2-1239 in the PM period);
3. N-3-2685 ~ N-3-2699 (corresponding to N-1201 ~ N-1215 in the PM period).

However, when the PM purchased the N-1 and N-2 locomotives, it borrowed money from the Detroit Bank and Trust (later known as The United States United Press Bank) to pay for it, thus incurring debt with the latter. Therefore, a provision in the merger agreement established by PM and C&O requires that any original PM locomotive that has not paid off its debts must retain the PM's livery, model code and number segment, and in fact only the original N locomotive originally from PM is reclassified as an N-3 type by C&O.

Locomotive N-1215 was renamed N-3-2685

With the internal combustion of traction power, C&O gradually retired steam locomotives from 1951, even if some steam locomotives lasted less than 10 years. The first N-3 locomotive purchased by the PM was scrapped in 1954, while the N-1 and N-2 locomotives were scrapped in 1958.

Because the PM was in debt with the Banks and Trusts of Detroit when it was incorporated into C&O, N-1-1223, N-1-1225, and 11 other Berkshires, also from the PM, were decommissioned and sealed in New Buffalo, Bayling County, Michigan, but C&O could not immediately scrap and demolish them until the debts arising from the Detroit Bank and Trust were resolved, which allowed the remaining 11 locomotives except N-1-1223 and N-1-1225 to be demolished." Berkshire”。

On August 31, 1987, C&O was merged into CSXT. Of the "Berkshire" purchased by pm, only locomotives N-1-1223 and N-1-1225 survived, and they became the only two remaining locomotives in the PM.

Locomotive N-1-1225 pulling freight trains (photographed on May 21, 1950)

Static display: Locomotive N-1-1223

Locomotive N-1-1223 was manufactured in November 1941 and delivered to the PM. In the years around World War II, locomotive N-1-1223 towed freight trains between Toledo, Lucas County, Ohio, and Chicago, Cook County, Illinois. When the PM was officially incorporated into C&O on June 6, 1947, the latter proposed to rename locomotive N-1-1223 to "N-1-2657", but since the PM had not paid off its debts at that time, the locomotive never used the new number and still used PM livery.

In 1951, locomotive N-1-1223 was decommissioned and transferred to New Buffalo City, Belling County, Michigan, for sealing, and once the debt was paid off, C&O was ready to scrap and demolish locomotive N-1-1223. However, due to a donation from Detroit Schoolchildren in Wayne County to C&O, locomotive N-1-1223 was restored by C&O in 1960 and relocated to the Michigan State Exposition Center in Detroit for static display.

In 1980, michigan exposition officials expanded the exhibition center and resold locomotive N-1-1223 through tenders for static display in a lakeside park in Grand Harbor, Ottawa County, Michigan. Later, locomotive N-1-1223 was rear hung with the 72222 shed car, the A-986 guard car, and the 77915 guard car from other railway companies, which were also from the PM.

On December 7, 2000, locomotive N-1-1223 was listed on the National Register of Historic Places by the National Park Service 00001490. However, locomotive N-1-1223 was reported to have been damaged at least twice.

Locomotive N-1-1223 (photographed on September 17, 2010)

Dynamic display: Locomotive N-1-1225

Locomotive N-1-1225 was manufactured in November 1941 and delivered to the PM. In the years leading up to World War II, locomotive N-1-1225 towed freight trains between Toledo, Lucas County, Ohio, and Chicago, Cook County, Illinois. When the PM was officially incorporated into C&O on June 6, 1947, the latter intended to rename locomotive N-1-1225 to "N-1-2659", but because the PM had not paid off its debts at that time, the locomotive never used the new number and still used PM livery.

In 1951, locomotive N-1-1225 was decommissioned. In 1957, locomotive N-1-1225 was selected by C&O for a static display at Michigan State University. Later rumors spread that locomotive N-1-1225 was selected by C&O for michigan State because the number represented Christmas.

However, SAM Chidester, a retired PM driver and Hershel Christiansen, retired foreman of the locomotive section, later revealed to him during a conversation with Michigan State University Railroad Club President Chuck Julian that locomotive N-1-1225 was chosen by C&O to donate to Michigan State University because it was the last locomotive on the Scrap Line to be scrapped but the easiest to move out.

N-1-1225 (left) and S-2-765 (right) locomotives in side-by-side display (taken on August 30, 2009)

In 1969, a group of students at the school became interested in locomotive N-1-1225, and in 1971 the Michigan State University Railroad Club was formed to begin work on restoring locomotive N-1-1225 to a dynamic display state.

The Railroad Club tried to find usable parts from locomotive N-1-1223, which was currently on static display at the Michigan Exhibition Center, but the Exhibition Center objected and gave up, so the Railroad Club had to build new parts. In 1979, the Michigan State University Railroad Club was reorganized into the Steam Railroading Institute," a railroad protection trust headquartered in Ovosso, Shawassy County, Michigan, and acquired ownership of the locomotive. In 1985, locomotive N-1-1225 was repaired and began to be dynamically displayed.

In August 1991, N-1-1225, along with locomotive S-1-765, pulled a 31-car passenger train at a dynamic display event in Huntington, West Virginia. On July 31, 1994, locomotive N-1-1225 was added to the National Register of Historic Places 94000744 by the National Park Service.

Inside the driver's cab of locomotive N-1-1225

Eighteen years later, between July 23 and July 26, 2009, locomotive N-1-1225 participated in the 2009 Train Festival in Ovoso, Michigan. However, due to the failure of five smoke pipes in the boiler on July 24, locomotive N-1-1225 could not make any dynamic display during the festival, but instead displayed statically, allowing visitors to visit the locomotive, chat with crew members, take photos and explore the driver's cab. Between August and October of the same year, locomotives N-1-1225 and S-1-765 met twice again in Ovoso, Michigan.

The pipe failure later recurred on December 5, 2009, so the Railway Protection Trust conducted a "1,472-day inspection" of locomotives N-1-1225 from January 2010 to October 2013. On October 20, 2013, locomotive N-1-1225 was successfully commissioned and will operate for another 15 years until the next "1472-day inspection" is carried out in 2028.

In February 2022, with the assistance of FMW Solutions, the Railway Protection Trust carried out an overhaul of the locomotive routing section of N-1-1225.

Locomotive N-1-1225 in dynamic display

Got to know The Polar Express

The Polar Express, a children's picture book by Chris Van Allsburg (12), is inspired in part by locomotive N-1-1225, once statically displayed at Michigan State University. In July 2002, Warner Bros. Entertainment approached the Railroad Conservation Trust fund to study locomotives. The locomotive in the 2004 animated film The Polar Express, directed by Robert Lee Zemeckis, was modeled based on drawings and recordings of locomotiveS N-1-1225 (except for whistles). However, the locomotive in the film is markedly different from the real N-1-1225 locomotive and looks closer to ERIE's S-1 locomotive:

1. The top of the cigarette box does not have the feed water heater, sign light, or number plate of locomotive N-1-1225;
2. The barrier eliminator is larger than the N-1-1225 locomotive, but the locomotive barrier eliminator in the animation does not have a hook.

Despite its association with The Polar Express, locomotive N-1-1225 pulls the "The North Pole Express" Christmas train in Michigan from Thanksgiving to mid-December every year after the film's release due to copyright issues.

Technical data sheets

Technical data sheets for S-, S-1, S-2, S-3, S-4, N- 1 and N-2 steam locomotives

exegesis

1. ⑴英语：Nickel Plate Road；又称为New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad。
2. (2) English: Pere Marquette Railway.
3. (3) English: Erie Railroad.
4. ⑷英语：Chesapeake and Ohio Railway。
5. (5) English: Consolidated Rail Corporation.
6. (6) English: CSX Transportation.
7. (7) English: Norfolk Southern Railway.
8. (8) "Pere" is derived from the French word "Pére", which means priest.
9. (9) (June 1, 1637 – May 18, 1675) was a French Catholic Jesuit missionary. He founded Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan's first European settlement, and later St. Ignace. In 1673, Jacques Marquette, along with Louis Jolliet, an explorer born near Quebec City, became one of the first Europeans to explore and map the northern Mississippi Valley.
10. (10) (April 18, 1827 – April 1, 1891) was an American entrepreneur, merchant, timber tycoon, and real estate developer.
11. (11) Oris Paxton Van Sweringen (April 24, 1879 - November 22, 1936) Japanese Mantis James Van Sweringen (July 8, 1881 - December 12, 1935), Bikuni Financist.
12. (12) (born June 18, 1949) is an American author and illustrator of children's book picture books.

Article statement

1. This article belongs to the serious popular science articles, the information and pictures come from the relevant technical information, not for commercial use, if there is infringement, please contact it in time to delete it.
2. Please discuss rationally and don't do something you shouldn't do in the comments section! If there is a war-inducing comment, the necessary measures will be taken to deal with it!
3. Due to the author's energy and ability limitations, there may be mistakes and omissions in the collation of information, and please correct and advise all readers, thank you for your cooperation!

Reference Links

1. http://www.pmhistsoc.org/pm1223.shtml
2. http://www.rgusrail.com/mipm1223.html
3. http://www.rgusrail.com/misri.html#pmn11225
4. https://npgallery.nps.gov/AssetDetail/NRIS/00001490
5. https://npgallery.nps.gov/AssetDetail/NRIS/94000744
6. https://case.edu/ech/articles/v/van-sweringen-oris-paxton-and-mantis-james
7. https://www.steamlocomotive.com/locobase.php?country=USA&wheel=2-8-4&railroad=nyc
8. https://www.steamlocomotive.com/locobase.php?country=USA&wheel=2-8-4&railroad=pm
9. https://www.steamlocomotive.com/locobase.php?country=USA&wheel=2-8-4&railroad=err
10. https://www.steamlocomotive.com/locobase.php?country=USA&wheel=2-8-4&railroad=co
11. https://www.steamlocomotive.com/locobase.php?country=USA&wheel=2-10-4&railroad=co
12. https://www.steamlocomotive.com/locobase.php?country=USA&wheel=2-8-4&railroad=nickelplate
13. https://www.michigansteamtrain.com/equipment/pere-marquette-1225
14. https://www.woodtv.com/news/ottawa-county/historic-train-in-grand-haven-targeted-by-vandals/
15. https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2020/02/28/locomotive-display-western-michigan-target-vandals/111378618/
16. https://www.fmwsolutions.com/newsroom/2022/2/8/steam-railroad-contractor-partners-with-institute

Finished: April 29, 2022

Level A0 Published: May 1, 2022