Built by the Lima Locomotive Works in Lima, Ohio, in November 1941, engine 1223 had boiler number 7837 and is one of two surviving steam engines of its type used in fast freight service between Chicago, Saginaw, Detroit, and Toledo. It was retired from service on December 31, 1951, and donated to the State of Michigan, which placed it on display at the Michigan State Fairgrounds. After falling into disrepair, it was offered for competitive bids in 1981 with the intent of saving it from scrapping, and the City of Grand Haven secured it. Transportation from the Michigan State Fairgrounds in Detroit to Grand Haven was provided by the Grand Trunk Railroad and the Chessie System. The engine and tender have a combined weight of 400 tons, an overall length of 101 feet, an engine height of 16 feet, driving wheels 69 inches in diameter, a tender water capacity of 22,000 gallons, a tender coal capacity of 22 tons, and cylinder horsepower of 2,979 hp.