Central Michigan 80 years ago. Looking like a time-warp from 80 years ago, a Michigan farmer stopping his ancient jalopy to pick up his mail is overtaken by a fast passenger train headed to parts unknown. Although this scene was staged for a photo shoot in 2026, there is very little among its elements that betrays its true age aside from the digital image itself. It's amazing that there are places left in the US that time seems to have forgotten.
This image was captured at the King Road crossing (MP 113.0) on the Great Lakes Central Railroad in Rush Township, MI. The featured locomotive in this image is Pere Marquette Railroad N-1 Class, 2-8-4 "Berkshire" Locomotive #1225, which is owned and operated by the Owosso-based Steam Railroading Institute (SRI). The 1225 was re-lettered as C&O 2699 for a January 2026 photo shoot organized by Lerro Photography. The 1225 was re-lettered to represent the former PM N-Class Berkshires, which were renumbered when the Pere Marquette Railroad merged with the Chesapeake & Ohio in 1947.
