Pere Marquette Railway Locomotive #1223
About this property
The Pere Marquette 1223 is a N-1 class 2-8-4 "Berkshire" type steam locomotive built in November 1941 by the Lima Locomotive Works for the Pere Marquette Railway, it is on permanent display in Grand Haven, Michigan. It is one of two surviving Pere Marquette 2-8-4 "Berkshire" type locomotives, along with sibling engine No. 1225, the inspiration for the locomotive in the book and movie versions of The Polar Express, which is in operating condition. No. 1223 was built in November 1941 by the Lima Locomotive Works for $90,000 ($1.97 million in 2025 dollars), 1223 hauled freight and steel between Toledo and Chicago in the years immediately before and after World War II. When the Pere Marquette was absorbed by the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway, the engine assigned number 2657 but never had the new number applied. The locomotive was not paid off at the time and the merger agreement stated that equipment still under trust was to remain in the Pere Marquette livery. It was retired from service in 1951. After retirement, No. 1223 was moved to New Buffalo, Michigan, to be scrapped. However, it was repainted and moved in 1960 for display at the state fairgrounds in Detroit. The money for that was provided by the donations collected by school children around the Detroit Area. In 1980, Michigan state fair officials wanted to expand the grandstands, but the locomotive stood in the way. The city of Grand Haven won the bidding process. With the help of the Michigan National Guard as well as Grand Trunk Western and Chessie System railroads, No. 1223 was moved to Grand Haven in 1981. In 1982, the West Michigan Railroad Historical Society acquired the PM steel boxcar #72222 and cosmetically restored it and joined the engine on static display. The locomotive was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 7, 2000. On February 28, 2020, the rest of the display was vandalized, with No. 1223 being spray-painted several times and a caboose door kicked in. "Historic locomotive marks 25 years in Grand Haven". Muskegon Chronicle. Retrieved August 22, 2006. Media related to Pere Marquette Railway 1223 at Wikimedia Commons
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Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).
Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
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Questions about this property
When was Pere Marquette Railway Locomotive #1223 listed on the National Register?
Pere Marquette Railway Locomotive #1223 was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 7, 2000.
What type of historic resource is Pere Marquette Railway Locomotive #1223?
Pere Marquette Railway Locomotive #1223 is classified as a structure in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for Pere Marquette Railway Locomotive #1223?
The period of significance for Pere Marquette Railway Locomotive #1223 is recorded as the pre_contact era.
Can I research the history near Pere Marquette Railway Locomotive #1223?
Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Pere Marquette Railway Locomotive #1223 will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
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