Southern Pacific 4449, also known as the Daylight, is the only surviving example of
Southern Pacific Railroad
The Southern Pacific (or Espee from the railroad initials- SP) was an American Class I railroad network that existed from 1865 to 1996 and operated largely in the Western United States. The system was operated by various companies under the ...
's "
GS-4" class of
4-8-4 "Northern" type
steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a locomotive that provides the force to move itself and other vehicles by means of the expansion of steam. It is fuelled by burning combustible material (usually coal, oil or, rarely, wood) to heat water in the locomot ...
s and one of only two GS-class locomotives surviving, the other being "
GS-6"
4460 at the
National Museum of Transportation
The National Museum of Transportation (NMOT) is a private, 42-acre transportation museum in the Kirkwood suburb of St. Louis, Missouri. Founded in 1944, it restores, preserves, and displays a wide variety of vehicles spanning 15 decades of Americ ...
in
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the Greater St. Louis, ...
. GS is an abbreviation of "General Service" or "Golden State," a nickname for
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
(where the locomotive was operated in regular service).
The locomotive was built by
Lima Locomotive Works
Lima Locomotive Works was an American firm that manufactured railroad locomotives from the 1870s through the 1950s. The company took the most distinctive part of its name from its main shop's location in Lima, Ohio. The shops were located between ...
in
Lima, Ohio
Lima ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Allen County, Ohio, United States. The municipality is located in northwest Ohio along Interstate 75 in Ohio, Interstate 75 approximately north of Dayton, Ohio, Dayton, southwest of Toledo, Ohio, T ...
for the
Southern Pacific
The Southern Pacific (or Espee from the railroad initials- SP) was an American Class I railroad network that existed from 1865 to 1996 and operated largely in the Western United States. The system was operated by various companies under the ...
in May 1941; it received the red-and-orange "Daylight" paint scheme for the passenger trains of the same name which it hauled for most of its service career. No. 4449 was retired from revenue service in 1956 and put into storage. In 1958, the Southern Pacific donated the locomotive to the
City of Portland,
Oregon
Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...
. The City then put the locomotive on static display in
Oaks Amusement Park
Oaks Park is a small amusement park located south of downtown Portland, Oregon, United States. The park opened in May 1905 and is one of the oldest continually operating amusement parks in the country.
The park includes midway games, about tw ...
, where it remained until 1974.
After this, No. 4449 was then restored to operation for use in the ''
American Freedom Train
Two national Freedom Trains have toured the United States: the 1947–49 special exhibit Freedom Train and the 1975–76 American Freedom Train which celebrated the United States Bicentennial. Each train had its own special red, white and blue p ...
'', which toured the 48
contiguous United States
The contiguous United States (officially the conterminous United States) consists of the 48 adjoining U.S. states and the Federal District of the United States of America. The term excludes the only two non-contiguous states, Alaska and Hawaii ...
as part of the nation's 1976
Bicentennial __NOTOC__
A bicentennial or bicentenary is the two-hundredth anniversary of a part, or the celebrations thereof. It may refer to:
Europe
*French Revolution bicentennial, commemorating the 200th anniversary of 14 July 1789 uprising, celebrated ...
celebration. The locomotive has operated in
excursion service
A heritage railway or heritage railroad (US usage) is a railway operated as living history to re-create or preserve railway scenes of the past. Heritage railways are often old railway lines preserved in a state depicting a period (or periods) i ...
throughout that area since 1984.
The locomotive's operations are based at the
Oregon Rail Heritage Center
The Oregon Rail Heritage Center (ORHC) is a railway museum in Portland, Oregon. Along with other rolling stock, the museum houses three steam locomotives owned by the City of Portland: Southern Pacific 4449, Spokane, Portland & Seattle 700, and ...
in
Portland, Oregon
Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populous co ...
where it is maintained by a group of volunteers named the ''Friends of SP 4449''. In 1983, a poll of ''
Trains
In rail transport, a train (from Old French , from Latin , "to pull, to draw") is a series of connected vehicles that run along a railway track and transport people or freight. Trains are typically pulled or pushed by locomotives (often know ...
'' magazine readers selected 4449 as being the most popular locomotive in the United States.
Revenue service
No. 4449 was the last steam engine manufactured in
Southern Pacific
The Southern Pacific (or Espee from the railroad initials- SP) was an American Class I railroad network that existed from 1865 to 1996 and operated largely in the Western United States. The system was operated by various companies under the ...
's first order of GS-4 (Golden State/General Service) locomotives. No. 4449 was placed into service on May 30, 1941, and spent its early career assigned to the ''
Coast Daylight
The ''Coast Daylight'', originally known as the ''Daylight Limited'', was a passenger train on the Southern Pacific Railroad (SP) between Los Angeles and San Francisco, California, via SP's Coast Line. It was advertised as the "most beautiful ...
'', Southern Pacific's premier passenger train between
San Francisco
San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...
and
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
, but it also pulled many other of the SP's named passenger trains.
After the arrival of newer GS-4s and
GS-5s, No. 4449 was assigned to ''Golden State Route'' and ''Sunset Route'' passenger trains. 4449 was reassigned to the Coast Division in the early 1950s.
One of 4449's career highlights occurred on October 17, 1954, when SP 4449 and sister Southern Pacific 4447 pulled a special 10-car train for the Railway and Locomotive Historical Society from Los Angeles to
Owenyo, California, and return. In late 1955, after being one of the last few Daylight steam engines in Daylight livery, No. 4449 was painted black and silver and its side skirting (a streamlining feature of the Daylight steam engines) was removed due to
dieselization
Dieselisation (US: dieselization) is the process of equipping vehicles with a diesel engine or diesel engines. It can involve replacing an internal combustion engine powered by petrol (gasoline) fuel with an engine powered by diesel fuel, as o ...
of the ''Coast Daylight'' in January of that year.
No. 4449 was then assigned to Southern Pacific's
San Joaquin Valley
The San Joaquin Valley ( ; es, Valle de San Joaquín) is the area of the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California that lies south of the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta and is drained by the San Joaquin River. It comprises seven c ...
line, occasionally pulling passenger trains such as the ''
San Joaquin Daylight
The ''San Joaquin Daylight'' was a Southern Pacific passenger train (train numbers 51 and 52) inaugurated between Los Angeles and San Francisco's Oakland Pier by way of the San Joaquin Valley and Tehachapi Pass on July 4, 1941. Travel times were ...
'' between
Oakland
Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the Bay A ...
and
Bakersfield
Bakersfield is a city in Kern County, California, United States. It is the county seat and largest city of Kern County. The city covers about near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley and the Central Valley region. Bakersfield's populat ...
as well as fast freight and
helper service. No. 4449 was semi-retired from service on September 24, 1956, and was kept as an emergency back-up locomotive until it was officially retired on October 2, 1957, and was placed in storage along with several other GS-class engines near Southern Pacific's Bakersfield
roundhouse.
On display
In 1958, when most of the GS class engines had already been scrapped, a then black-and-silver painted No. 4449 was removed from storage and donated on April 24, 1958, to the City of
Portland, Oregon
Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populous co ...
,
[.] where it was placed on outdoor public display in
Oaks Park Oak Park or Oaks Park is the name of several places, including:
Australia
* Oak Park, Victoria, a suburb of Melbourne
Ireland
* Oak Park, County Carlow, a country estate turned park
United States
* Oak Park, California (Ventura County) an unincor ...
. Since the equipment was considered obsolete, No. 4449 was not actively chosen for static display. It was picked only because it was the first in the dead line and could be removed with the fewest switching moves.
While on display, No. 4449 was repeatedly vandalized and had many of its external parts stolen, including its
builder's plate
A builder's plate is usually a metal plate that is attached to railway locomotives and rolling stock, bogies, construction equipment, trucks, automobiles, large household appliances, bridges, ships and more. It gives such information as the name of ...
s and
whistle
A whistle is an instrument which produces sound from a stream of gas, most commonly air. It may be mouth-operated, or powered by air pressure, steam, or other means. Whistles vary in size from a small slide whistle or nose flute type to a larg ...
. As a result, the locomotive quickly deteriorated. However, Jack Holst, a Southern Pacific employee, looked after SP No. 4449 along with two other steam locomotives,
Spokane, Portland and Seattle 700
Spokane, Portland & Seattle 700 is the oldest and only surviving example of the class " E-1" 4-8-4 " Northern" type steam locomotive and the only surviving original Spokane, Portland and Seattle steam locomotive. It was built by the Baldwin Lo ...
and
Oregon Railroad and Navigation 197
Oregon Railroad and Navigation Co. 197 is a 4-6-2 "Pacific" type steam locomotive built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1905 for the Oregon Railroad and Navigation Company (OR&N). It has been owned by the City of Portland since 1958, and ...
. Holst kept the engines' bearings and rods oiled in case they were ever to move again. Holst died in 1972 and did not get to see No. 4449 return to operation.
American Freedom Train
In 1974, No. 4449 was evaluated for restoration after becoming a candidate to pull the ''American Freedom Train'', as its size, power and streamlining made it a good fit for that Bicentennial train. After the evaluators determined that 4449's bearings and rods remained in good condition, they selected the locomotive for that task.
No. 4449 was removed from display on December 13, 1974 and restored at the
Burlington Northern Railroad
The Burlington Northern Railroad was a United States-based railroad company formed from a Mergers and acquisitions, merger of four major U.S. railroads. Burlington Northern operated between 1970 and 1996.
Its historical lineage begins in the e ...
's Hoyt Street roundhouse in Portland. The locomotive returned to operation on April 21, 1975 wearing a special paint scheme of red, white and blue.
Because the original whistle was stolen, two replacement whistles were fitted to the locomotive: a Hancock 3 chime from a
Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway
The Spokane, Portland & Seattle Railway (SP&S) was a railroad in the northwest United States. Incorporated in 1905, it was a joint venture by the Great Northern Railway and the Northern Pacific Railway to build a railroad along the north bank o ...
Challenger on the driver's side, and a second Hancock 3 Chime off of another Daylight Locomotive, on the fireman's side. The latter would eventually be swapped out for a Southern Pacific 6 Chime. Both whistles used on the fireman's side came from private collectors.
As part of the ''American Freedom Train'', the locomotive pulled a display train through most of the
contiguous United States
The contiguous United States (officially the conterminous United States) consists of the 48 adjoining U.S. states and the Federal District of the United States of America. The term excludes the only two non-contiguous states, Alaska and Hawaii ...
.
[ The 4449 only pulled the Freedom Train in the ]Western
Western may refer to:
Places
*Western, Nebraska, a village in the US
*Western, New York, a town in the US
*Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western world, countries that id ...
portions of the country, whereas in the Eastern
Eastern may refer to:
Transportation
*China Eastern Airlines, a current Chinese airline based in Shanghai
*Eastern Air, former name of Zambia Skyways
*Eastern Air Lines, a defunct American airline that operated from 1926 to 1991
*Eastern Air Li ...
portions of the train were pulled by Reading 2101
Reading 2101 is a preserved United States, American class "Reading T-1, T-1" 4-8-4 "4-8-4, Northern" type steam locomotive constructed in 1945 for use by the Reading Company. Constructed from an earlier "I10SA" 2-8-0 "2-8-0, Consolidation"-type l ...
, which had recently been restored by Ross Rowland
Ross E. Rowland, Jr. (born 1940) is a figure in United States railroad historic preservation, preservation. He has run public and demonstration excursions on existing railroads utilizing steam locomotives.
Steam Excursion Career
Ross Rowland b ...
, and in Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
the train was pulled by Texas and Pacific 610
Texas and Pacific 610 is a class "I-1a" 2-10-4 "Texas" type steam locomotive that was originally operated by the Texas and Pacific Railway (T&P). It served the T&P from 1927 to 1951 before being donated to the city of Fort Worth. It was briefly ...
.
After the Freedom Tour ended, No. 4449 pulled an Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...
special, the ''Amtrak Transcontinental Steam Excursion'' during 1977. After nearly two years on the road, 4449 was returned to storage in Portland, this time under protective-cover and not exposed to the elements.[Huxtable (1987), p. 65.]
1980s
In 1981, SP 4449 was returned to its original "Daylight" colors for Railfair '81 and the opening of the California State Railroad Museum
The California State Railroad Museum is a museum in the state park system of California, United States, interpreting the role of the "iron horse" in connecting California to the rest of the nation. It is located in Old Sacramento State Historic ...
in Sacramento, California
)
, image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg
, mapsize = 250x200px
, map_caption = Location within Sacramento C ...
with UP 8444 and UP 3985. Prior to this trip, a Southern Pacific 6 chime whistle from a Cab forward
The term cab forward refers to various rail and road vehicle designs that place the driver's compartment substantially farther towards the front than is common practice.
Rail locomotives
In steam locomotive design, a cab forward design will ...
type locomotive was mounted on the fireman's side and would remain on the locomotive throughout most trips in the 1980s. In 1984, 4449 pulled an all-Daylight-painted train from Portland to and back, to publicize the World's Fair
A world's fair, also known as a universal exhibition or an expo, is a large international exhibition designed to showcase the achievements of nations. These exhibitions vary in character and are held in different parts of the world at a specif ...
, with UP 8444 there too. The round trip was the longest steam train excursion in the history of the United States. However, this trip was not flawless. On June 11, No. 4449 was approaching Del Rio, Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
, still on its way to New Orleans, when the retention plate that holds the draw-bar pin in place somehow disconnected and fell in between the ties TIES may refer to:
* TIES, Teacher Institute for Evolutionary Science
* TIES, The Interactive Encyclopedia System
* TIES, Time Independent Escape Sequence
* Theoretical Issues in Ergonomics Science
* The International Ecotourism Society
The Inter ...
, allowing the tender and the entire consist to uncouple, while the locomotive accelerated all by itself. Fortunately, Doyle noticed this after checking the rear-view mirror
A rear-view mirror (or rearview mirror) is a flat mirror in automobiles and other vehicles, designed to allow the driver to see rearward through the vehicle's rear window (rear windshield).
In cars, the rear-view mirror is usually affixed to ...
, and quickly applied the brakes. The locomotive backed-up, the fallen parts were recovered, the connections were quickly repaired, and No. 4449 and its consist proceeded to run only slightly behind schedule.
In 1986, No. 4449 went to Hollywood
Hollywood usually refers to:
* Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California
* Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States
Hollywood may also refer to:
Places United States
* Hollywood District (disambiguation)
* Hollywood, ...
to appear in ''Tough Guys
''Tough Guys'' is a 1986 American action comedy film directed by Jeff Kanew and starring Burt Lancaster, Kirk Douglas, Eli Wallach, Charles Durning, Dana Carvey and Darlanne Fluegel. It is the eighth film of Touchstone Pictures, and the final fi ...
'' and pulled business trains for the Southern Pacific. 4449 had a notable moment in 1989 when it and another famed locomotive, Union Pacific 844
Union Pacific 844, also known as the "Living Legend", is a class " FEF-3" 4-8-4 " Northern" type steam locomotive owned and operated by the Union Pacific Railroad for its heritage fleet. Built in December 1944 by the American Locomotive Compan ...
, made a side-by-side entrance into Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal
Los Angeles Union Station is the main railway station in Los Angeles, California, and the largest railroad passenger terminal in the Western United States. It opened in May 1939 as the Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal, replacing La Grande St ...
in 1989 for the station's 50th-anniversary celebrations.[Lawrence, Elrond G. (August 1989)]
"Happy Birthday, LAUPT: The 50th Anniversary of Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal prompts California's biggest steam show in years"
. ''Pacific RailNews
''Pacific RailNews'' ''(PRN)'', originally named ''Pacific News'' and later ''RailNews'', was an American monthly magazine about Rail transport, railroads and Urban rail transit, rail transit, oriented for railfans. It was published from 1961 unt ...
'', pp. 20–29. Glendale (CA): Interurban Press
Interurban Press was a small, privately owned American publishing company, specializing in books about streetcars, other forms of rail transit and railroads in North America, from 1943MacDougall, Kent (May 19, 1983). "Books Ring Bell With Devotees ...
. The two locomotives then ran side by side on Santa Fe's and Southern Pacific's parallel main lines through Cajon Pass
Cajon Pass (; Spanish: ''Puerto del Cajón'' or ''Paso del Cajón'') is a mountain pass between the San Bernardino Mountains to the east and the San Gabriel Mountains to the west in Southern California. Created by the movements of the San Andreas ...
, although 4449 eventually had to stop due to a hot axle box.
Sometime between May and July 1989, the No. 4449's SP&S Hancock whistle was set aside for the SP&S 700 and a Northern Pacific Hancock 3 chime was fitted on the engineer's side. This whistle would remain on the locomotive for the next 21 years. Later that same year, 4449 would later appear in the 1990 drama film
In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-g ...
''Come See the Paradise
''Come See the Paradise'' is a 1990 American drama film written and directed by Alan Parker, and starring Dennis Quaid and Tamlyn Tomita. Set before and during World War II, the film depicts the treatment of Japanese Americans in the United States ...
''. In late 1990, the Cab Forward whistle was returned to its owner.
1990s
On April 26, 1991, No. 4449 returned to Railfair '91 in Sacramento, again with UP 844
Union Pacific 844, also known as the "Living Legend", is a class " FEF-3" 4-8-4 " Northern" type steam locomotive owned and operated by the Union Pacific Railroad for its heritage fleet. Built in December 1944 by the American Locomotive Company ...
and UP 3985 and the newly-restored Southern Pacific 2472
Southern Pacific 2472 is a P-8 Class 4-6-2 heavy "Pacific" type steam locomotive built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works for Southern Pacific Railroad (SP) in 1921. SP No. 2472 is one of three surviving Southern Pacific P-8 class 4-6-2 Pacific l ...
. It attended the next year's NRHS Convention in San Jose with No. 2472 and Union Pacific 3985
Union Pacific 3985, also known as the "Challenger", is a four-cylinder simple articulated 4-6-6-4 "Challenger"-type steam locomotive built in July 1943 by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) of Schenectady, New York, for the Union Pacific Ra ...
. On this trip, 4449 carried a member's Star Brass 5 Chime whistle off a CB&Q M-4 class Locomotive on the fireman's side.
The locomotive would return to Railfair once again in 1999, co-starring with Santa Fe 3751
Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe 3751 is a class 3751 4-8-4 steam locomotive built in 1927 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in Eddystone (Philadelphia), Pennsylvania for the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway (ATSF). 3751 was the first 4-8-4 steam loc ...
and Union Pacific's 844
__NOTOC__
Year 844 ( DCCCXLIV) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place
Byzantine Empire
* Spring – Battle of Mauropotamos: A Byzantine expedition under ...
and 3985. This was the last time she traversed the route of the Shasta Daylight, whose tracks are now owned by the Union Pacific.
Preservation, 2000s
In 2000, No. 4449 was repainted black and silver for a Burlington Northern Santa Fe
Burlington Northern Santa Fe, LLC is the parent company of the BNSF Railway (formerly the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway). The company is an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of
Berkshire Hathaway, which is controlled by investor Warre ...
employee appreciation special. It was traditional for Southern Pacific to paint freight locomotives in black, and 4449 and other GS locomotives received this treatment when the diesels took over their passenger assignments. In the case of BNSF, a Class 1 freight carrier, No. 4449 was given old historical treatment. Following the BNSF special, the BNSF emblems were removed and "Southern Pacific Lines" was added to the tender, a reminder of when No. 4449 was repainted to black with SP lettering in late 1955.
No. 4449 was repainted into the American Freedom Train paint scheme again in early 2002, after the events of the September 11th terrorist attacks
The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial ...
. In the fall of 2004, No. 4449 returned to the classic Daylight paint scheme, this time in its "as-delivered" appearance.[Foyston, John (October 20, 2004). "Old No. 4449, spruced up, chugs on tour". '']The Oregonian
''The Oregonian'' is a daily newspaper based in Portland, Oregon, United States, owned by Advance Publications. It is the oldest continuously published newspaper on the U.S. west coast, founded as a weekly by Thomas J. Dryer on December 4, 185 ...
'', p. C1. It appeared in the autumn of 2004 with the then-extant Montana Rockies Rail Tours company, pulling (with a diesel helper behind it) two summer excursion trips between Sandpoint, Idaho
Sandpoint (Kutenai language: kamanqukuⱡ) is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Bonner County, Idaho, Bonner County, Idaho. Its population was 8,639 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census.
Sandpoint's major economic contributor ...
and Billings, Montana
Billings is the largest city in the U.S. state of Montana, with a population of 117,116 as of the 2020 census. Located in the south-central portion of the state, it is the seat of Yellowstone County and the principal city of the Billings Metrop ...
, including stops at the Livingston Depot.
On May 18 and May 19, 2007, SP 4449 made another appearance with UP 844
Union Pacific 844, also known as the "Living Legend", is a class " FEF-3" 4-8-4 " Northern" type steam locomotive owned and operated by the Union Pacific Railroad for its heritage fleet. Built in December 1944 by the American Locomotive Company ...
in the Pacific Northwest for the "Puget Sound Excursion", on BNSF Railway tracks from Tacoma to Everett, Washington
Everett is the county seat and largest city of Snohomish County, Washington, United States. It is north of Seattle and is one of the main cities in the metropolitan area and the Puget Sound region. Everett is the seventh-largest city in the ...
, round-trip.
On March 24, 2009, it was announced that No. 4449 would attend Trainfestival 2009 in Owosso, Michigan
Owosso is the largest city in Shiawassee County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 15,194 at the 2010 census. The city is mostly surrounded by Owosso Township on its west, but the two are administered autonomously. The city wa ...
from July 23–26 with an all-day excursion planned on the 23rd and 24th and a photo run-by planned for each trip. The engine was then placed on display for the rest of the event.
The historic 2,500-mile move from Portland to Owosso was arranged by the ''Friends of the 4449'', Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...
, Steam Railroading Institute
The Steam Railroading Institute is located at 405 South Washington Street, Owosso, Michigan. It was founded in 1969 as the Michigan State University (MSU) Railroad Club. It became the Michigan State Trust for Railway Preservation, and later adopted ...
of Owosso and the Friends of the 261. The Milwaukee Road 261
Milwaukee Road 261 is a class "S3" 4-8-4 " Northern" type steam locomotive built by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) in Schenectady, New York in July, 1944 for the Milwaukee Road.
It was used for heavy mainline freight and passenger work ...
organization loaned some of its first-class passenger cars, including the former Milwaukee Road Super Dome
The Caesars Superdome, commonly known as the Superdome (formerly known as Mercedes-Benz Superdome), is a multi-purpose stadium located in the Central Business District of New Orleans, Louisiana. It is the home stadium of the New Orleans Saints ...
#53 and the Cedar Rapids Skytop Lounge
The Skytop Lounges were a fleet of streamlined passenger cars with the parlor-lounge cars built by the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad ("the Milwaukee Road") and sleeper-lounges built by Pullman-Standard in 1948. The cars were de ...
to join the 4449 and for other excursion train
An excursion train is a chartered train run for a special event or purpose. Examples are trains to major sporting event, trains run for railfans or tourists, and special trains operated by the railway company for employees and prominent customer ...
s at the festival.
The train left its home at Brooklyn Roundhouse on July 2 and left the city of Portland the following day, on July 3. It returned to the city of Portland and Brooklyn Roundhouse on October 20. In December 2010, No. 4449's whistle, greatly worn from years of use with only one chime working properly, was replaced with an authentic SP Flat-Top Hancock 3-chime whistle from another Daylight Locomotive. This whistle remains on the locomotive to this day.
Following a two-year hiatus needed to accommodate the locomotive's mandatory 15-year inspection and overhaul, SP 4449 returned to service on November 25, 2015. From 2016 to 2019, SP 4449 pulled several excursion trains during each year. In late 2019, the locomotive was scheduled to haul the annual 40-minute round-trip "Holiday Express" fundraiser trains through Portland's Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge, along the Willamette River
The Willamette River ( ) is a major tributary of the Columbia River, accounting for 12 to 15 percent of the Columbia's flow. The Willamette's main stem is long, lying entirely in northwestern Oregon in the United States. Flowing northward b ...
, during November and December of that year.
As of 2022, the locomotive is most-commonly pulled out for the Holiday Express in late November and December, as well as the occasional mainline excursion.
Preservation and maintenance
4449 is maintained by Doyle McCormack, a retired Union Pacific
The Union Pacific Railroad , legally Union Pacific Railroad Company and often called simply Union Pacific, is a freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Paci ...
engineer and locomotive collector, along with many other volunteers. From 1981 to 2012, No. 4449 resided at Union Pacific's (formerly Southern Pacific) Brooklyn roundhouse in Portland, along with several other historic steam and diesel locomotive
A diesel locomotive is a type of railway locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine. Several types of diesel locomotives have been developed, differing mainly in the means by which mechanical power is conveyed to the driving whee ...
s. The Oregon Rail Heritage Foundation
The Oregon Rail Heritage Foundation (ORHF) is a registered non-profit organization based in Portland, Oregon, United States. Composed of several all-volunteer groups dedicated to maintaining vintage railroad equipment, the ORHF is committed "to s ...
, a partnership of non-profit organizations that owned or maintained historic rolling stock at the roundhouse, began a campaign in late 2009 to construct a permanent, publicly-accessible engine house for the City of Portland's steam locomotives.
Upon the closing of the Brooklyn Roundhouse in June 2012, in order to make the yard larger, the 4449 was moved with its stablemates SP&S 700 and OR&N 197 to the Oregon Rail Heritage Center
The Oregon Rail Heritage Center (ORHC) is a railway museum in Portland, Oregon. Along with other rolling stock, the museum houses three steam locomotives owned by the City of Portland: Southern Pacific 4449, Spokane, Portland & Seattle 700, and ...
(ORHC), a new restoration facility and public interpretive center adjacent to the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry
The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI, ) is a science and technology museum in Portland, Oregon, United States. It contains three auditoriums, including a large-screen theatre, planetarium, and exhibition halls with a variety of hands ...
(OMSI) in southeast Portland. The ORHC opened to the public on September 22, 2012.
Other surviving locomotives
Only one other true Southern Pacific GS-class steam engine survives: Southern Pacific 4460
Southern Pacific 4460 is the only surviving class " GS-6" steam locomotive, together with " GS-4" class Southern Pacific 4449, which is operational in excursion service. The GS-6 is a semi-streamlined 4-8-4 "Northern" type steam locomotive. GS s ...
, a GS-6, which is on static display at the National Museum of Transportation
The National Museum of Transportation (NMOT) is a private, 42-acre transportation museum in the Kirkwood suburb of St. Louis, Missouri. Founded in 1944, it restores, preserves, and displays a wide variety of vehicles spanning 15 decades of Americ ...
in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the Greater St. Louis, ...
. It was built during World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, The GS-6 locomotives were never painted in the Daylight scheme, and were nicknamed "War Babies" and "Black Daylights." In preservation, 4460 has been referred to as the "Forgotten Daylight," due to her not running since the 1950s.
Film appearances
* 4449 pulled the ''Gold Coast Flyer'' train for ''Tough Guys
''Tough Guys'' is a 1986 American action comedy film directed by Jeff Kanew and starring Burt Lancaster, Kirk Douglas, Eli Wallach, Charles Durning, Dana Carvey and Darlanne Fluegel. It is the eighth film of Touchstone Pictures, and the final fi ...
'', a 1986 film starring Kirk Douglas
Kirk Douglas (born Issur Danielovitch; December 9, 1916 – February 5, 2020) was an American actor and filmmaker. After an impoverished childhood, he made his film debut in ''The Strange Love of Martha Ivers'' (1946) with Barbara Stanwyck. Do ...
and Burt Lancaster
Burton Stephen Lancaster (November 2, 1913 – October 20, 1994) was an American actor and producer. Initially known for playing tough guys with a tender heart, he went on to achieve success with more complex and challenging roles over a 45-yea ...
. The creators built a full-size wooden replica of the locomotive for the crash scene.
* 4449's Daylight skirts (flat side panels) were removed again for its appearance in ''Come See the Paradise
''Come See the Paradise'' is a 1990 American drama film written and directed by Alan Parker, and starring Dennis Quaid and Tamlyn Tomita. Set before and during World War II, the film depicts the treatment of Japanese Americans in the United States ...
'', a 1990 World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
film directed by Alan Parker
Sir Alan William Parker (14 February 1944 – 31 July 2020) was an English filmmaker. His early career, beginning in his late teens, was spent as a copywriter and director of television advertisements. After about ten years of filming adverts ...
.
*4449 has been fitted with an IMAX
IMAX is a proprietary system of high-resolution cameras, film formats, film projectors, and theaters known for having very large screens with a tall aspect ratio (approximately either 1.43:1 or 1.90:1) and steep stadium seating.
Graeme F ...
camera in 2018, to be filmed for the upcoming IMAX film ''Train Time''.
Gallery
File:1976 American Freedom Train, 4-8-4 steam locomotive.jpg, SP 4449 waiting at the Naval Air Station in Miramar, California, on January 15, 1976, when pulling the ''American Freedom Train
Two national Freedom Trains have toured the United States: the 1947–49 special exhibit Freedom Train and the 1975–76 American Freedom Train which celebrated the United States Bicentennial. Each train had its own special red, white and blue p ...
''
File:Freedom train in ga 3.jpg, SP 4449 pulling the ''American Freedom Train'' in Georgia in 1976
File:Freedom train in ga7.jpg, SP 4449 stopping in Georgia in 1976 while pulling the ''American Freedom Train''
File:Ira Leamon Wilson Engineer Train 4449.jpg, Ira Leamon Wilson, engineer
File:SP 4449 Sac Riv Bridge Redding Apr29 1977xRP - Flickr - drewj1946.jpg, SP 4449 in the ''Amtrak Transcontinental Steam Excursion'' crossing the Sacramento River bridge at Redding, CA, on April 29, 1977, while returning to Portland, Oregon
References
* (republished 2002, )
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External links
Friends of SP 4449
Oregon Rail Heritage Foundation
* ttp://spdaylight.net/Engines.html Southern Pacific Coast Daylight Engines
{{SP GS locomotives
4449
Individual locomotives of the United States
4-8-4 locomotives
Lima locomotives
Rail transportation in Oregon
Transportation in Portland, Oregon
Railway locomotives introduced in 1941
Standard gauge locomotives of the United States
Preserved steam locomotives of Oregon