Pere Marquette 1225 6/6/15: Back to the Bricks

My summer job as a locomotive fireman at Cedar Point has allowed me to meet some very cool people who do cool things during the rest of the year. One of these people is on the engine crew of Pere Marquette 1225, so having the same days off during the weekend, it only made sense to drive up together.
I met with Delay in Block Productions owner Drayton Blackgrove in Owosso after a night in the Steam Railroading Institute's Pere Marquette sleeper to chase the Back to the Bricks excursion from Owosso, MI to Cadillac, MI and return, with a side trip to Manton, MI from Cadillac while the main guests laid over.
With the northbound crew going on duty at 3:00am and my friend firing that leg of the trip, we began our chase at the beginning of dawn in Carland, catching the 1941 Lima Locomotive Works 2-8-4 Berkshire blasting through the Michigan countryside.
After chasing the northbound trip to Cadillac, we continued to Manton Hill, a 1.6% grade that had the 1225 working harder than many crew members said they'd ever witnessed her work as they ran back south to Cadillac.
A list of locations is here:
0444 HRS - Carland
0505 HRS - Ashley
0525 HRS - North Star
0622 HRS - Shepherd
Northbound passengers board in Mt. Pleasant
0825 HRS - Rosebush
0847 HRS - Clare
1003 HRS - Marion
1033 HRS - South of Cadillac
Northbound passengers disembark in Cadillac
Side trip passengers board and ride to Manton
1315 HRS - Manton Hill
Side trip passengers disembark in Cadillac
Southbound passengers board
1600 HRS - Between McBain and Marion
Southbound passengers disembark in Mt. Pleasant
2102 HRS - Ithaca
2131 HRS - Bannister