Boiler retubing added to Pere Marquette No. 1225’s ongoing superheater repairs

OWOSSO, Mich. — Pere Marquette 2-8-4 No. 1225 is undergoing a full retube of its boiler, according to a May 12 news release by the locomotive’s owner, the Steam Railroading Institute (SRI).

The Berkshire-type locomotive was taken out of service in November 2024, on the eve of its 2024 North Pole Express excursions, due to concerns with the superheaters [See “Pere Marquette No. 1225 sidelined…,” News Wire, Nov. 30, 2024]. In early February 2025, 52 of these units were removed and shipped to Purvis and Foster, Inc., in Detroit for repairs and testing. A Jan. 24 social media post from SRI states that $25,566 was raised and allocated for the contracted work.

With the superheaters extracted, the institute’s backshop staff and volunteers took advantage of inspecting the accessible tubes and flues — installed in 2013 during No. 1225’s last 1472-day inspection and intended to last until 2028. The findings from the news release: “Randomly selected tubes and flues were removed, and measurements were taken for strength calculations. It was determined that these tube samples were nearing the minimum allowable thickness for safety.”       

A unanimous decision by the organization’s staff and board members resulted in an early start to the locomotive’s retubing and interior boiler inspection. All tubes and flues were removed by March, with the inside of the pressure vessel in the process of being cleaned in preparation for the ultrasound survey. Data from the survey will be used for comparison during the federally mandated 1,472-day boiler inspection scheduled in 2028, according to Justin Hamilton, SRI’s Master Mechanic of Motive Power. A similar process was conducted to Nickel Plate Road 2-8-4 No. 765 in 2016-18 [See “Nickel Plate 765’s 15-year inspection…,” News Wire, Feb. 13, 2018].

The Argus Press reported in a Feb. 8 article that $200,000 is being funded for the extended work. 

While the news release doesn’t confirm No. 1225’s status for the 2025 season, SRI officials have reportedly stated that the goal is to have the locomotive back in service by September. Additional updates are to be expected on the institute’s website.