Pere Marquette No. 1225 to undergo extensive running-gear work

OWOSSO, Mich. — The Steam Railroading Institute has retained FWM Solutions to perform the most extensive running-gear work on Pere Marquette 2-8-4 No. 1225 since prior to the steam locomotive’s retirement in 1951.

In work underwritten by grants and donations, the locomotive will be lifted so 30 tons of drivers, axles, and wheel assemblies can be removed and rebuilt. The lift is planned for this month, with the work intended to be completed in time for No. 1225’s operating season later this year.

Steve Wasiura, the institute’s superintendent of facilities and railroad operations, said in a press release that “1225 has been a reliable performer throughout its excursion career, and this work will keep it running for decades more. At FMW, we found partners who share our passion for preservation while understanding what it takes to keep steam-era railroading alive in 2022 and beyond.”

FMW has performed work or is currently working on locomotives including former Atlantic Coast Line 4-6-2 No. 1504, being rebuilt for operation on U.S. Sugar’s Sugar Express; former Florida East Coast No. 148, currently operating for U.S. Sugar; Pennsylvania Railroad K4s No. 1361, being restored at the Railroaders Memorial Museum in Altoona, Pa.; Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis 4-8-4 No. 576, the Nashville Steam Preservation Society project that is the subject of Trains’ “Steam the Stripe” partnership; and Western Maryland Scenic Railroad 2-6-6-2 No. 1309, among others.

FWM Vice President of Mechanical Shane Meador said No. 1225 “has emerged as an icon in our industry and one of the few large mainline steam engines with a regular operating schedule, which puts a unique kind of demand on a machine that’s 80 years old.We’re looking forward to assisting SRI in getting thousands of miles more out of this machine.”

More information on No. 1225 and the the Steam Railroading Institute is available on the institute website; visit FMW’s website for more on FMW Solutions.