The Steam Railroading Institute in Owosso is the home of the Polar Express train ride. The station is located at 405 South Washington St, Owosso, MI. The train engine is the 1225 Pere Marquette, a 1940 steam engine, and it leads the North Pole Express. The train has a height of 16 feet tall. In 2004, the train was used to help create the movie Polar Express. The train was replicated for the film. Besides being replicated, the actual sounds of the train were also used in the movie. The train’s departure is from Owosso, Michigan. It costs $35-$75 per person for the train ride. There are over 75 seats to a single car. There are over 350 seats to a train. The cars have a single center aisle and 2 seats on each side of the car. Passenger cars on the train are from the 1940’s and 1950’s. There are souvenir tickets and a bell on the train for you. If you want a private adventure, you can even rent the entire caboose for $1,500. It carries up to 12 people and you also have your own conductor.
The train goes to Ashley, which is called the North Pole for the little kids. The village of Ashley is known as the Country Christmas during winter time. The people on the train get to stay for 2 hours at the North Pole. Dress for cold weather because you will do lots of walking while there. There are many things you can do in Ashley, such as take a horse drawn wagon ride, see reindeer, balloon creations, a chainsaw artist, and Christmas characters. You can also get your face painted. You can go to Santa’s workshop and build toys at the North Pole. In addition, there is a Hobo kitchen at the North Pole. It costs $5 for a bowl of soup, bread, drink, and a wooden toy train. There are also hobos that are on the train cars interacting with the people riding the train. You can’t forget to see Santa Claus, who is also at the North Pole when you arrive there. Both young and old will enjoy the Polar Express.
One person that liked the Polar Express train ride was Aubrey Hurst, a freshman at Ovid-Elsie high school. She went with her family and foreign exchange students Clem, Tan, Stefno, Karla, and Earth. She and her guests got a ticket stamped with “North Pole Express 1225”. She had a fun and great experience riding the train from Owosso to Ashley. After the train stopped in Ashley, she and her family visited the Czech Bakery, watched people make glass ornaments, and went to the hobo kitchen. They also went to the toy shop and met Santa. The Polar Express train ride is a great way to celebrate the Christmas season with friends and family.
