Engine Known From 'Polar Express' Getting Overhaul

OWOSSO, Mich. (AP) - A 1941 steam engine that's widely known from the book "The Polar Express" is getting an overhaul.

The Pere Marquette 1225 also provided sound and served as a model for the 2004 movie by the same name that was based on Chris Van Allsburg's book.

It usually pulls the Steam Railroading Institute's North Pole Express in Michigan. This year, however, the Lansing State Journal reports diesel engines from the Great Lakes Central Railroad are standing in for the engine. Organizers hope the Pere Marquette 1225 will be ready for next year's holiday season.

The North Pole Express is a four-hour journey that departs from the Steam Railroading Institute in Owosso, about 30 miles northeast of Lansing.

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