Chris Van Allsburg’s Caldecott children’s book as well as the Warner Brothers’ movie “The Polar Express” has introduced a new generation to the excitement of travel by rail. The Pere Marquette 1225 locomotive, pictured on an excursion trip near the Saginaw County Fairgrounds on Dec. 11, 2004, served as the artist’s model for the animated movie. The locomotive is owned by the Owosso based Michigan State Trust for Railway Preservation (MSTRP), which consulted on the movie. (Photo Courtesy of J.R. Valderas)