The Polar Express.

The Polar Express is drawn by Pere Marquette 1225, a 1941 Berkshire 2-8-4 that survived into preservation at the Steam Railroading Institute in Michigan. The film's performance capture and the locomotive's exhaust note were both built around the real engine.

The real thing

Class	Pere Marquette 1225 (2-8-4 Berkshire) · 1225
Unit	Steam Railroading Institute / Pere Marquette Railway
Operator	Steam Railroading Institute / Pere Marquette Railway
Stock record	Linked to the LopoRail vehicle database
Screen duty	The Polar Express

Where to meet it

The Signal panel resolves the real stock into the live network, the heritage register and the model bench. Rows only appear where a real target exists.

Next on the same line

Three more screen trains.

All entries

GWR 4900 Class No. 5972 Olton Hall in maroon livery at a platform.

Reel 01 2001 · PG · 2h 32 Harry Potter Franchise Screen trainHogwarts Express Real stockGWR 4900 Class (4-6-0) · No. 5972 Olton Hall Steam View entry

Reel 03 1974 · 12A · 1h 54 Murder on the Orient Express Screen trainThe Orient Express Real stockCIWL LX Type carriages / French Est 241 Steam View entry

Reel 07 1984 · U · 11m Thomas & Friends Screen trainThomas the Tank Engine Real stockLB&SCR E2 Class (0-6-0T) Steam View entry

Seen this engine?

Log the sighting and it joins the catalogue — the screen train, the real stock and where you saw it.

Submit a sighting

Locomotive photography credits

File:5972 "Olton Hall" (3739156535).jpg — Phil Sangwell from United Kingdom, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
File:Steam Railroading Institute Pere Marquette 1225 (10).jpg — Oaktree b, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
File:Series-N700S-J2.jpg — MaedaAkihiko, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
File:KTX-I in Busan Station (15618537248).jpg — Doug Letterman from Oakland, CA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
File:Fourgon 1270 « Orient Express » CIWL - Longueville.jpg — Projet 154, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
File:LB&SCR E2 class No. 109 later 2109.jpg — , Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
File:Sierra No. 3 in roundhouse.jpg — Cullen328, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
File:BNSF 1863 (SD40-2) (38481781700).jpg — Tyler Silvest, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

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