Twelve Twenty-Five: The Life and Times of a Steam Locomotive

by Kevin P. Keefe

The against-all-odds story of a World War II–era steam locomotive and the determination of two generations of volunteers to keep it running comes alive in Twelve The Life and Times of a Steam Locomotive.
 
Pere Marquette 1225 was built in 1941 at the peak of steam locomotive development. The narrative traces the 1225’s regular freight service in Michigan, its unlikely salvation from the scrapyard for preservation at Michigan State University, and the subsequent work to bring it back to steam, first by a student club and later by a railroad museum. Milestones along the way include 1225’s retirement in 1951, its donation to MSU in 1957, its return to steam in 1988, a successful career hauling tens of thousands of excursion riders, and its starring role in the 2004 movie The Polar Express . The massive infrastructure that supported American steam locomotives in their heyday disappeared long ago, forcing 1225’s faithful to make their own spare parts, learn ancient railroad skills, and interpret the entire effort for the public. As such, the continuing career of 1225 is a triumph of historic preservation.
 

248 pages, Hardcover

Published August 1, 2016

Reviews

[Kyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

A surprisingly compelling read! When I first received this book to review (for an academic library publication), I thought OK this is a book about a locomotive, this will be different than my typical assignments. I was in for a surprise though, as I had no idea how compelling the history of the Lima Locomotive Work's 1225 would be, especially regarding the multiple-decade work of the Michigan State University Rail Club and railroad volunteers to restore the 1225 to working order. My hat's off to Kevin P. Keeve for his straightforward yet thorough narrative. The book is the perfect match of text and photography. Whether you are a railroad fan or not, I highly recommend this book. Given the subject of the 1225, which inspired the "Polar Express" book and movie, it would be a great coffee table style book for Christmas! :-)

[Dori Sabourin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This non-fiction book tells the story of how a handful of steam locomotives were saved from the scrap yard. Among them were the Little River Railroad 0-4-OT No. 1, Little River 4-6-2 No. 110, Pere Marquette 1225, Southern Pacific 4-8-4 No. 4449, and Nickel Plate 2-8-4 No. 765. Railroad Clubs came into existence. The Railroad Club at MSU campus slogan was : "It'll never run.". It was looked on as a great teaching lesson that had many lessons to teach the MSU students. The 1 225, not only ran, but became famous as the Polar Express in the movie of the same name. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in trains. Again the lesson of I think I can is demonstrated by the 1225, and the students who never gave up in spite of the difficulties and setbacks that were experienced.

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful combination of large, clear photographs and Kevin Keefe's excellent writing. He strikes just the right chord: informative but not too technical, fascinating but not overly maudlin. And it really is a fascinating story - a locomotive donated to a college that didn't really want it, brought back to life by what started as a small student group and evolved into a permanent operating concern. Highly recommended.

[Conrad · Rating 5 out of 5]

The kind of book that armchair train lovers just dream of. A great story, told realistically and augmented with just the right photos. I'd buy a hundred books like this if they existed.