PM1225 to star in "Polar Express"

[Anonymous]

Hey folks,

My name is Tim Lewis and I wanted to take a second to say that you should go and see "Polar Express" movie coming out today. It stars a locomotive that I am very familiar with (I helped get the PM 1225 restored). It promises to be a very good movie! :)

Also, if there is any one that likes the "East Broad Top" railroad, contact me! The EBT RR happens to be my favorite narrow gauge RR and one that often gets overlooked because the narrow gauge RR's in the west get more press than the EBT, but hopefully that will change soon. :)

Until next time....

-Tim Lewis

[jeaton]

Tim


Welcome to the forum and thanks for the reminder on the "Polar Express". The buzz has it that this is a very remarkable production, and even our teenager Matt is interested. We have offered to get him a disguise and go to a showing far out of town.

No doubt there will be reviews posted on this forum.

Jay

[locomutt]

QUOTE: Originally posted by GTW5811

Hey folks,

My name is Tim Lewis and I wanted to take a second to say that you should go and see "Polar Express" movie coming out today. It stars a locomotive that I am very familiar with (I helped get the PM 1225 restored). It promises to be a very good movie! :)

Also, if there is any one that likes the "East Broad Top" railroad, contact me! The EBT RR happens to be my favorite narrow gauge RR and one that often gets overlooked because the narrow gauge RR's in the west get more press than the EBT, but hopefully that will change soon. :)

Until next time....

-Tim Lewis

Tim [#welcome] to the Forum,
And Cherokee Woman and I are very much looking
forward to seeing "Polar Express"
Thanks for the info,and like Jay said,I'm sure that
there will be many reviews![:)]

[Anonymous]

[#welcome]

Here's an early review...
http://www.cnn.com/2004/SHOWBIZ/Movies/11/10/review.polar.express/index.html

I love Tom Hanks, so I going.....

[kschmidt]

Greetings,

I just returned home from seeing "The Polar Express". The animation is incredible. There were several times when I don't know if it was real or not. The scenes with the train are very good. except for the 179% grade when it turns into more of a roller coaster. However the "Ice Sliding Scene" is very good.

The movie doesn't revolve around the train but of course whether a young boy believes in Santa. But the train definitely is a big part of the movie. Even the interiors of the passenger cars is unbelieveable.

Just my opinion

[Sterling1]

QUOTE: Originally posted by GTW5811

Hey folks,

My name is Tim Lewis and I wanted to take a second to say that you should go and see "Polar Express" movie coming out today. It stars a locomotive that I am very familiar with (I helped get the PM 1225 restored). It promises to be a very good movie! :)

Also, if there is any one that likes the "East Broad Top" railroad, contact me! The EBT RR happens to be my favorite narrow gauge RR and one that often gets overlooked because the narrow gauge RR's in the west get more press than the EBT, but hopefully that will change soon. :)

Until next time....

-Tim Lewis

Hey Tim, welcome to the forum [#welcome][#welcome][#welcome]
I have not seen the movie yet only the trailers but I have the movie's wallpaper on my computer. I have noticed a Computer Graphics error on the wallpaper. The uncoupling lever is still there even though there's no coupler to uncouple!!!
I hope to see the movie for I have the Chris van Allburg book, the artwork is great!!!

[Anonymous]

I can't wait to see this movie.... The best I can make out from the ads is it's a 2-8-4.... I believe that is what is considered a Mountain locomotive.....

[Anonymous]

Have read 3 reviews today. Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave it 4 stars.
Michael Willington of the Chicago Tribune gave it 3 stars.

The New York Times looked at the technology used and found it wanting. Their review is at : http://movies2.nytimes.com/2004/11/10/movies/10pola.html?pagewanted=all

Reviews seem to be all over the map depending on what you expected this movie to be.

[kschmidt]

Greetings,

Actually the 2-8-4 is a Berkshire, a Mountain is a 4-8-2 like Frisco 1522 that used to one out of St. Louis.

One of the interesting parts of the movie is right after the young man gets on the train, one of the other kids, a nasal talking know-it-all nerd asks him What kind of train is this", The young boy answers "A magic one", the know-it-all says "No it is a 2-8-4 Berkshire type steam locomotive built by Alco Locomotive.... and his talk gets covered up

.

[Anonymous]

I seen another picture, I believe it to be a 4-8-4 now, a Northern.... And you are right, I always get the Berkshire and Mountain mixed up...

[Anonymous]

Saw Polar Express today. Really neat.

[Anonymous]

I saw the film today and thought it was a lot better than I expected.

I would almost say that for the first half of the movie, like the General Lee in The Dukes of Hazzard, the locomotive is a star. Especially the "roller coaster" and "ice skating" scenes, which I think went a BIT over the top to the point of silliness. It was still quite fun to watch, and who knows, maybe this film will convince kids that yes, trains can be as cool as stock cars and even spaceships, including the funny scenes with the engineer and fireman trying to get the brake pin back.

The North Pole scenes I found pretty amazing as well. Although the elves and kids going hog wild over Santa's arrival put me more in mind of a rock concert, one poster at IMDb.com actually compared the "town square" scene to the old Nazi propaganda film "Triumph of the Will" showcasing one of Hitler's rallies and his frenzied audience. I don't entirely believe that (there's nothing wrong with huge, frenzied rallies per se; it just depends on the speaker), but there is a part of me, back in the most cynical section of my mind, that agrees with it. Am I really seeing St. Nick as Hitler? I must be truly bitter. No, I don't really agree with that perspective. That said, I felt the conductor was rather harsh at times, and once, out of force of habit, I muttered, "Ja, mein Fuhrer!" when he barked at the kids to, "Stay in your seats!"

I too noticed the nerdy kid mention all the stats about the locomotive, including that it was a Baldwin Berkshire class built in 1941, which is all true about the actual model engine (I looked up its stats after I heard that they had used an actual locomotive as their main model in this film.) I think later on in the film the main character said he lived in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Isn't that where this locomotive is based, and around where the old Pere Marquette Railroad used to run?

[Anonymous]

Another thing: I at first wondered if the nerdy kid in the movie might have been intended to be autistic. No offense to trainspotters here, but I read at least one account (from humor-travel writer Bill Bryson's "Notes From a Small Island", about his travels through Britain) that that hobby is often favored by people with autism. Autistic people are also stereotypically said to memorize and spout out extensive technical information to just about anyone they come across, like Dustin Hoffman in "Rain Man".

I guess I can't be cast as politically incorrect for saying this, since I myself have Asperger's syndrome, a mild form of autism, as all the medical literature puts it. While I think I do have a good ability to retain such data as various info about certain periods of history, place-names, people, etc., well, quite a few non-autistic people (or non-Scottish-heroin-addicts[:D]) are also railfans. I don't quite care for Bill Bryson's comments on trainspotters in "Notes" for those stereotypes surrounding us, although I still otherwise immensely enjoy his work.

That said, "Polar Express" is good, definitely, definitely good. Take a train there because cars there are definitely, definitely more dangerous.

[Overmod]

You looked up the stats for PM 1225 and confirmed it was a Baldwin WHERE???

It's a Lima locomotive. It's true that Lima wound up merged into Baldwin (part of Baldwin-Lima-Hamilton) but that was very, very far from true when that locomotive was built!

Perhaps I'm out-nerding the nerdy kid... but truth is truth.

[Anonymous]

I am 65 years old and saw "Polar Express" yesterday and enjoyed it very much. The local paper panned it saying the technique did not meet their expectations, obviously a bunch of commie, pinko bedwetters. The closing scene is very touching, and for the record, I can still hear the bell. Too bad CSX can't. I guess the answer is not to believe in CSX.

[Anonymous]

I think it's easy for us to take this stuff too seriously. It's better to look at it through a kid's eyes. I, too, would love to pull the whistle cord! [:D]

[Anonymous]

I will be taking the family to see Polar Express in the next couple of days, and while I enjoy steam locomotives I must say I'd like to see some of the kids movies made with more modern power and equipment. My kids and even I are not folks of the steam era. They are used to seeing Daddy's train being a Conrail or NS unit on the occasions my wife has brought them to the terminal or older diesel and very occasionally steam power when we have gone on excursion trains. My point is that steam trains present a major disconnect from trains to the reality of today. It is hard enough to get kids interested in trains without showing them only the steamers of my 74 year old father's youth...

LC

[espeefoamer]

I am 50+ and saw the movie the first day it was out. I saw it on IMAX 3D.I thought it was a great movie.The roller coaster part was fun but I thought the Ice skating scene was dumb.I really enjoyed the scene where the train sprials around that mountain. BTW,did anyone else notice that in most scenes the train had 5 cars, but in a few scenes it was much longer?Beware of Flattop Tunnel!
[8D]

[Anonymous]

Yes, I believe you were right about it being a Lima locomotive. I was typing the first thing that came into my head. I apologize.

Yeah, steamers obviously don't represent the trains of today, but the original book by Chris Van Allsburg also featured a steam engine. (I don't know what year it was published, but remember at the beginning when the kid is looking through all those magazines and newspapers? I'm pretty sure one said 1956.)

[Anonymous]

Sorry if I offended anyone with the "Nazi allusions", but I actually just returned from a trip to Germany, including a visit to the Jewish Museum in Berlin (designed by the same guy who designed the new World Trade Center), so some images of Hitler and his tactics are still kinda fresh in my mind, and reading that one review struck a lower chord in my brain. Speaking of which, "Express" is already out in theaters there, dubbed, I would imagine. They sure do work fast these days.

[jockellis]

I'm 56 and can't wait to see the movie. But wouldn't it be boring to have had a Dash 8 at the head end. No steam, no eccentric rods to make the locomotive seem alive, like a dragon. The book had a steamer and so should the movie! Diesels move a lot of freight a lot faster and a lot cheaper than steam but they have no soul and that's what it's all about.
Speaking of the EBT, I went up there in September but Hurricane Ivan beat me to Orbisonia and the RR had to cancel operations that weekend. Maybe someday.
Jock Ellis

[CSXrules4eva]

OH the Polar Express that movie was GREAT!! I saw it as soon as it came out. I can't wait for that to come out on DVD, because I'm getting it as soon as it's out. Yes the graphics and annimation were awsome. I also don't want to spoil it for people who haven't seen if so I'm not going to tell ya wut parts were my favorit except one. Ok here it goes one my favorit parts in that movie was the 179% grade drop. I broke out laughing when I saw that.

Mr. Tim Lewis I'm assuming u live in PA since u like the EBTR. I like the East Broad Top Railroad as well, and it happens to be my favorit narrow gauge RR too, my second favorit is the Durango and Silverton. I also like New Hope and Ivyland, though it's not narrow gauge.

[Anonymous]

Sounds like a good movie. Mebbee I'll catch it...

Reb

[Anonymous]

Yes the 1225 is a 2-8-4 Berkshire built in Lima Ohio in 1941 for the Pere Marquette. During the time frame 1937-1951 it and the other 1200 series ran around Detroit, Saginaw, Grand Rapids and Chicago delivering auto parts and passengers.

The 1225 was and is a real workhorse. See the website where it sits on display and originates from for excursions, and you can actually take a ride during various schedules throughout the year: http://www.mstrp.com/
This is the Michigan State Trust for Railway Preservation in Owosso, Michigan; which is about 35 minutes west of Flint. Great place to visit and see many different railroad cars, museum, gift shop, working turntable, the 1225 and a small Vulcan Iron Works Steam engine built for Flag Coal. The Owosso location is adjacent to the Tuscola & Saginaw Bay Railway (TSBY short line).

Between Flint and Owosso is Durand. Durand Union Station is a historic depot fully restored with much to offer as well, though no working locomotives, but a good place to railfan.
Additionally, the January 2005 TRAINS edition explains it all on the 1225.
If you are ever in the area, I suggest you visit Owosso, Durand and Flint.
Wishing you all a safe and love filled holiday season with more trains and steam views.
robeng