Owosso - Track Speed - 1225 Steam Engine Train - December 20 - West King Street Crossing

Owosso, Michigan, is rich in history and historic figures, while also being a leader in innovation and high technologies. A video done almost anywhere in Owosso seems to automatically exemplify this synergy of a great past and dynamic progression into the future.

There are over twenty-five railroad crossings within the city limits of Owosso, Michigan, each of which is located in the southern or western areas of the city. This video was shot at the innermost of two West King Street crossings.

As the video begins, you will see a tall brown brick building in the distant background. This is the remains of the massive Owosso Sugar Company, which was built in 1903, and which had one of the highest production capacities of all sugar companies in the U. S. It was here where the renowned scientist and inventor, Yasujuro Nikaido, worked as chief chemist, and it was in Owosso where he wrote the book, "Beet-Sugar Making and Its Chemical Control" - a book that has remained a classic in its field since 1909. This largest building of the company, and others on the property, later housed Mid-West Abrasives - a manufacturer of abrasive products including sand papers, W. R. Fox, Inc. - a designer and builder of convention hall trade show displays, Genesee Stamping - a manufacturer of metal stamped products, as well as other companies.

The modern buildings in the foreground are the global headquarters of the rapidly growing Internet accountability company, Covenant Eyes. About two blocks west of Covenant Eyes was the location of the American Record Pressing Company. It was there where "Please, Please Me"/"Ask Me Why," the first Beatles' record released in the U. S., was first pressed into vinyl for Vee-Jay Records - almost a year before the Beatles appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show. This Owosso-manufactured record, by the way, is a classic and a collector's item also because of its famous misspelling of The Beatles as "The Beattles." Owosso's American Record Pressing Company was also where 80% of Motown's records were pressed into vinyl.

After the camera stops its final pan to the left, it focuses on tracks that were once the property of the New York Central Railroad, and are now busy rails of the Owosso-headquartered Great Lakes Central Railroad. The light in the distance is that of another great asset: the Owosso-headquartered Steam Railroading Institute's Pere Marquette 1225 steam locomotive - otherwise known as "The Real Polar Express" or the "North Pole Express."

The 800,000 pound (including tender) Pere Marquette 1225 is the largest operating steam engine locomotive in Michigan. Steven Spielberg's production company filmed the sights and sounds of the 1225 for the computer rendering of the movie, "Polar Express," and Lionel Model Trains has also recorded the sounds of the 1225 for its new electric toy model train, "The 1225" ― the namesake of Owosso's 1225.

As the lights of the 1225 are first seen in the distance, it is slowly and carefully pulling its train of several long passenger cars around a tight turn and across switches in the Westown area of Owosso. After the locomotive passes the Chipman Street and West Oliver Street crossings, it rapidly accelerates to track speed. What a ride and sight it is!

A couple more points deserve mention: First of all, it sounds like the Steam Railroading Institute has installed a different whistle on the 1225 for this weekend. They do that sometimes and, when it's done, they call it a "guest whistle." Secondly, the reason for the multiple cabooses is because families and other groups often rent cabooses for private, unique and special events. Each caboose is heated by an original coal stove where guests can make hot chocolate, each caboose is lit by oil lamps, and each caboose has its own conductor.

Owosso, Michigan, is such a unique, wonderful and fun place.

I feel lucky to be here!

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[xTimmy05x]

is it just me or is this whistle the one of N&W Class J 611... if not its remarkably similar

[shafferfox]

@xTimmy05x I'm not sure which whistle it is.  We're all just hoping, though, that the 1225 gets back on the open rails soon.

[N617A]

hey buddy do you happen to know the times and dates this old thing runs? it would be fun to ride it at some point.

[shafferfox]

@N617A It's down for boiler repairs, etc., right now, but should be up and running again in a few months. To follow the schedule, punch michigansteamtrain into Google.

[SteffanLlwyd]

I know what you mean about towns which punch above their weight. Dartford in Kent (UK) is like this: pharmceuticals (Burroughs and Wellcome) refrigeration (Hesketh), paper-making (Applegarth), high-pressure steam (Richard Trevithick), stadium rock (founding members of the Rolling Stones born there or nearby), food canning technology (J and E Hall), aircraft development (Hiram Maxim) and long distance exploration (to Canada in search of metal-bearing rocks, Frobisher I think). Caboose Hire!!!!!

[shafferfox]

Right on Steffan. That's a great analogy, too, ". . . cities that punch above their weight."

And what you are reading about Owosso, is only what has occured within sight of the camera. There's so much more.

I looked up Dartford. It's an amazingly accomplished and beautiful place - about 5.5 times larger than Owosso - but like Owosso, it's a place that has produced more wins than cities ten times its size. I hope that someday you'll visit Owosso, and that I'll visit Dartford!

[DanielVolker]

Agree to disagree.

[atsf3415dbr]

I like the whistle.

[grizzleybearz282004]

NOW THATS A SMOKE SHOW

[April7T]

OMG...

Watching this video in full screen," all.... the..... way... through" whilst being a wee bit high, was like that of the end of the world was upon us.

Awesome Freaking Video!

[JoeltheSwedishDragon]

That's our Polar Express alright! X]

[Kleman09]

You are way too close to the tracks! At least your camera was. Don't get too close again!

[bebtozoltan55]

Zoltan bebto from Budapest. Hungary,Europe.