Model Railroad Near Battle Creek, Michigan Is Like Having Your Own Private Backyard Polar Express
Don't expect Tom Hanks to narrate this train journey, but this video of a model railroad through a backyard near Battle Creek, Michigan during the first snowfall of the season might just give you some pretty strong Polar Express vibes.
The video was shared to the Backyard Tracks Facebook group and again to Michigan Railfans. It appears to have been filmed the weekend of November 13 which saw the first snowfall of the 2021-22 winter season hit lower Michigan.
Hobbyist Jeff Steele shared some specifics of the locomotive. It's 7 feet long and weighs 800 pounds. The winter scene is quite serene with the engine chugging through. These comments capture it best:
Why is this so relaxing
Great engine rumble on it.
That's movie quality. It takes a few minutes to realize/accept it's not reality.
While the Polar Express is, of course, fictional, a holiday train does roll through southern Michigan every season. The Canadian Pacific Holiday Train is decked out in lights and a tradition for many families who live in communities along the line.
And the backyard of this hobby railroader is a much different scene than in the Delray neighborhood in Detroit, likely the most congested area in the state for train traffic, where intersecting rail lines could leave you stuck in your car while trains block access to the crisscrossing streets.
Winter in Michigan wouldn't be so bad with a set up like this model railroad, but for those of us without a Polar Express out our back window, here are signs to look out for that Michigan will be in for a bad winter: