A thoroughbred with room to run. The massive Pere Marquette #1225 is barely breaking a sweat as she makes an eastbound charge with a 6-car passenger train on the Great Lakes Central Railroad, just outside Bannister, Michigan.
Large steam locomotives, such as the 1225 are extremely popular with rail enthusiasts across the US, but the 1225 is one of the few that is fortunate to have had a long-term relationship with a friendly host railroad that has the kind of 40 mph trackage where she is able to strut her stuff. Michigan's Great Lakes Central Railroad (Reporting mark "GLC") is a Class II regional freight carrier and the largest regional railroad in Michigan, with over 400 miles of track. The GLC is a collection of lines with heritage that is traceable to the Ann Arbor Railroad, Pennsylvania Railroad, New York Central, Grand Trunk and Chesapeake & Ohio....among others.
Images from two Lerro Productions events, 10 years apart: 2009 and 2019. The 2009 featured a 31-car freight and NKP 765. The 2019 trip showcased just the 1225 with the Steam Railroading Institute's passenger consist.
