Pere Marquette 1225 Returns with the North Pole Express 11-24-23

The year 2023 sees 82-year-old Pere Marquette 1225 returning to service on the Steam Railroading Institute's North Pole Express trips out of Owosso, MI. After a sluggish performance from the locomotive in 2021, the SRI contracted FMW Solutions to rebuild the running gear to like-new condition. In addition to mechanical improvements, the locomotive received a fresh coat of paint and is now sporting a twin beam headlight. Being home for Thanksgiving presented me with an opportunity to chase the following day in the only 2PM departure of the season. 1225's newfound speed and big crowds made chasing difficult as usual, but I managed to catch the train at Wolf Crossing, Elsie, and Bannister between Owosso and Ashley. It was great to see 1225 moving better than ever, and I'm looking forward to the future. Feel free to share this video with someone that might enjoy it, and thanks for watching!
-Casey