1990 PM 1225 Freight trains

[Dan Cluley]

It has been nearly 25 years since the 1225 was used to pull a pair of freights on the Plymouth subdivision.



October 1990 was a unique month for the Pere Marquette 1225 & its crew. In addition to another weekend of passenger excursions on the TSBY, they pulled a pair of freight trains on CSX's former PM mainline.

The steam freights ran from Plymouth MI to Grand Rapids on Saturday October 20th & returned on Sunday the 21st. I believe these were done as a trial run for the engines trip to West Virginia the following year for the 1991 NRHS convention.

October 14 1990 Passenger excursions:

1. Two southbound passes with the 1225, 9 passenger cars & TSBY 394. These are both near Chesaning MI

October 20-21 1990 Steam Freights

2. 1225 westbound through North Lansing, crossing Larch st & passing under the old 27 bridge.

3. 1225 westbound over the Grand River bridge at Grand Ledge.

4. Before the eastbound steam train arrived on Sunday morning, a pair of eastbound CP trains came down the hill at Lake Odessa.

5. 1225 eastbound near Sunfield.

6. 1225 eastbound around the curve west of the Grand Ledge bridge.

7. Arriving at Lansing, they left the train west of Logan st, and pulled the engine into Ensel yard to add water.

8. 1225 heads south (timetable east) across Michigan ave with the state capitol in the background. Was the Delorean driven by a time-traveling railfan?

9. Seen at the Farm Lane crossing, a westbound Consumers Power coal train went into the siding at Trowbridge to meet the 1225.

10. As the light faded, I got one more shot of the 1225 eastbound through Williamston.

[SD80MAC]

This is great stuff, Dan, thanks for sharing!

1225 came to GR 10 days before I was born!

[~Z~]

10. As the light faded, I got one more shot of the 1225 eastbound through Williamston.

Looked like a ghost train

And the DeLorean? Maybe it was distance relative of mine, since I used to drive it's younger cousin, the Subaru SVX

[J T]

I wish I could remember what I was doing on those two days in 1990 that I wasn't aware of these steam freight moves through Lansing. Probably chasing some tail and trains were the last thing on my mind that weekend.

Great video, Dan!

[Ypsi]

Last clip must have been on purpose, run a slow freight to block the view of the steamer for half of the crowd

[Dan Cluley]

Last clip must have been on purpose, run a slow freight to block the view of the steamer for half of the crowd

I don't recall too many folks there at Farm Lane. I suspect most of the crowd was at the diamond or Harrison Rd. The good thing about the coal train was that it slowed the 1225 enough to shoot the whole train downtown & still get set up at Trowbridge.

[wagnew0923]

How long was the consist and where the freight cars loaded for revenue.

[Dan Cluley]

The Westbound was 25 cars including the crew combine and the caboose. I don't have an exact count on the Eastbound, but it looks to be about the same.

The overhead shot shows at least one loaded autorack, so my guess is it was just regular revenue traffic.