Executive Director

Dennis Braid, Executive Director of the Steam Railroading Institute, continues collaboration with DreamWorks on the production of the Polar Express starring the Shiawassee County based Pere Marquette 1225 steam locomotive and Tom Hanks. Also cast are: Peter Scolari (Hank’s old partner of the Bosom Buddies TV series), Eddie Deezen and the late Michael Jeter.

The Polar Express storybook was written by Chris Van Allsburg in 1985. It instantly won national recognition and has quickly become a Christmas classic.  Mr. Van Allsburg grew up in Grand Rapids, MI at the time the PM 1225 was in service.  (It is speculated that some very early childhood memory of PM 1225 operating through his neighborhood may have sparked the idea for the book later in life.)  Selection of the PM 1225 for this movie is an example of the “circle of life” concept. This will be the author’s second book turned into a major motion picture.  A few years ago his story Jumanji starring Robin Williams and Bonnie Hunt became a hit at box offices around the country.

Dennis has been under contract with Warner Brothers for nearly two years in providing technical advice to Castle Rock Pictures who developed the art work and set designs, and now Sony Image Works who gets to bring it all together. These efforts use the PM 1225’s excellent mechanical condition and Dennis’s 18 years experience in operating the steam locomotive to bring the magical Polar Express to life. A release date has been set for November 19, 2004.

Castle Rock has assembled several Oscar winning individuals to create this state of the art production, which is expected to rival the expense of any past motion picture.  Tom Hanks states that they are creating “cutting edge” Computer Graphic Image technology as they move along.

Currently Dennis is working with Marty Kline of Sony Image Works to get all the locomotive action as real as possible.  Marty Kline managed the locomotive scenes in Back to the Future part III among many other credits.  He is working again for director Robert Zemeckis.  They are looking at every nut, bolt and moving part.  It is taking a massive amount of computer power.

While working with this motion picture, Dennis and the Steam Railroading Institute crew operated PM 1225 in rare passenger excursion service from Owosso to Cadillac August 16-17.  The locomotive and crew performed flawlessly.  The passengers all enjoyed a very unique experience in steam era rail travel.

The next scheduled opportunity to get glimpse of the PM1225 (Polar Express) locomotive in action will be during the Engineer for an Hour program next June.  Members and the general public will have an opportunity to actually drive the soon to be MORE famous steam locomotive in this interactive educational program by the Steam Railroading Institute.  For further information contact Dennis Braid at the above address, phone or e-mail.