Southern Pacific 4449
Encyclopedia
Southern Pacific 4449 is the only surviving example of Southern Pacific Railroad
's (SP) GS-4
class of steam locomotive
s. The GS-4 is a streamlined 4-8-4
(Northern) type steam locomotive. GS stands for "Golden State", a nickname for California
(where the locomotive was operated in regular service), or "General Service." The locomotive was built by Lima Locomotive Works
in Lima, Ohio
, for SP 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 1957 and put into storage. In 1958 it was donated, by the railroad, to the City of Portland
who then put it on static display in Oaks Park
, where it remained until 1974. It was restored to operation for use in the second American Freedom Train
, which toured the 48 contiguous United States
for the American Bicentennial
celebrations. Since then, 4449 has been operated in excursion service throughout the continental US; its operations are currently based at the Brooklyn roundhouse
in Portland, where it is maintained by a group of dedicated volunteers called Friends of SP 4449. In 1983, a poll of Trains
magazine readers chose the 4449 as the most popular locomotive in the nation.
, SP's premier passenger train between San Francisco
and Los Angeles, California
, but it also pulled many other of the SP's named passenger trains. After the arrival of newer GS-4s and GS-5
s, 4449 was assigned to Golden State Route and Sunset Route passenger trains. 4449 was re-assigned to the Coast Division in the early 1950s. One of 4449's career highlights happened on October 17, 1954, when 4449 and sister 4447 pulled a special 10-car train for the Railway and Locomotive Historical Society from Los Angeles to Owenyo, California
, and return. In 1955, after being one of the last few Daylight steam engines in Daylight livery, 4449 was painted black and silver and its side skirting (a streamlining feature of the Daylight steam engines) was removed due to dieselization of the Coast Daylight in January of that year. 4449 was then assigned to Southern Pacific's San Joaquin Valley
line, occasionally pulling passenger trains such as the San Joaquin Daylight
between Oakland
and Bakersfield
as well as fast freight and helper
service. 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 April 24, 1958, where it was placed on outdoor public display in Oaks Park
. Since the equipment was considered obsolete, 4449 was not actively chosen for static display. It was picked simply because it was the first in the dead line and could be removed with the least number of switching moves. During its time on display, 4449 was repeatedly vandalized and had many of its parts stolen, including its builder's plates and whistle. The locomotive quickly deteriorated due to neglect. It was evaluated for restoration in 1974 after becoming a candidate to pull the American Freedom Train
. Its size, power, and graceful lines made it a good fit for the Bicentennial train. After finding that 4449's bearings and rods were in good shape, it was chosen.
in Portland and returned to operation April 21, 1975, wearing a special paint scheme of red, white, and blue. As part of the American Freedom Train
, the engine pulled a display train around the most of the United States
. Afterwards, 4449 pulled an Amtrak
special, the Amtrak Transcontinental Steam Excursion. 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.
In 1981, SP 4449 was returned to its original "Daylight" colors for the first Railfair at the California State Railroad Museum
in Sacramento, California
. In 1984, 4449 pulled an all Daylight-painted train from Portland to New Orleans, Louisiana
and back, to publicize the World's Fair
. The 7477 miles (12,033 km) round trip was the longest steam train excursion in US history. In 1986, 4449 went to Hollywood to appear in Tough Guys, and pulled business trains for the Southern Pacific. No. 4449 had another famous moment in 1989 when 4449 and Union Pacific 844
(another famous 4-8-4 steam engine) made a side-by-side entrance into the Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal
in 1989 for the station's 50th anniversary celebrations. The two locomotives then raced each other on Santa Fe
's and Southern Pacific's parallel main lines through Cajon Pass
, with 4449 eventually taking the lead. No. 4449 returned to Railfair in Sacramento in 1991 and again in 1999. In 2000, 4449 was repainted black and silver for a Burlington Northern Santa Fe
employee appreciation special, then was repainted into the American Freedom Train
colors again in early 2002 after the events of the September 11th terrorist attacks
. In 2004, the locomotive was returned to Daylight colors again, this time in its "as delivered" appearance.
On May 18, and May 19, 2007, the 4449 made another rare appearance with the Union Pacific 844
in the Pacific Northwest for the "Puget Sound Excursion", on the Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad tracks from Tacoma to Everett, round-trip. This excursion was a tandem run with both steam locomotives pulling a Union Pacific passenger train consisting of three to four dome cars and several coaches.
On March 24, 2009, it was announced that the 4449 would attend Trainfestival 2009 in Owosso, Michigan
from July 23–26 with an all-day excursion planned on the 23rd and 24th and a photo runby planned for each trip. The 4449 was then placed on display for the rest of the event, giving people the chance to visit and to meet the crew, explore the cab, and photograph the engine. The historic 2,500 mile move from Portland to Owosso was arranged by the Friends of the 4449, Amtrak
, Steam Railroading Institute
of Owosso, and the Friends of the 261. The Milwaukee Road 261
organization lent some of their first class passenger cars, including former Milwaukee Road Super Dome #53 and Cedar Rapids Skytop Lounge for the 4449 and for the other excursion train
s at the festival. This trip marked the first time that the 4449 visited the state of Michigan
since pulling the American Freedom Train in 1976. The train left Portland on July 3 and returned on October 20. Future excursions are being planned with the 15-year rebuild scheduled for 2013.
in Portland along with several other historic steam and diesel locomotive
s. The Brooklyn roundhouse is inaccessible to the public, and the Union Pacific plans to close it in January 2012. The Oregon Rail Heritage Foundation
, a partnership of non-profit organizations that own or maintain historic rolling stock at the roundhouse, is constructing a new restoration facility and public interpretive center adjacent to the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry
(OMSI) in southeast Portland. The new facility will house the 4449 and the other rolling stock, and will include the old turntable from the Brooklyn roundhouse.
No. 4449 is maintained by Doyle McCormack
, retired Union Pacific engineer and collector, along with many volunteers. When the engine was on display at Oaks Park, Jack Holst, a Southern Pacific
employee, looked after 4449 along with two other steam locomotives, SP&S
#700
and OR&N 197
. Holst kept the engines' bearings and rods oiled in case they were ever to move again. Holst died in 1972 and never got to see 4449 return to operation.
Only one other true Southern Pacific GS-class steam engine survives, Southern Pacific 4460
, a GS-6
, which is on static display at the Museum of Transportation
in St. Louis, Missouri
. It was built during World War II
, but was never painted the famous Daylight paint scheme. Instead, it was painted black and silver thus, giving it the nickname "Black Daylight".
Another survivor is St. Louis Southwestern 819
, a "GS-8", at the Arkansas Railroad Museum
in Pine Bluff, Arkansas
; housed in the same building where the engine was built in 1942. The 819 is currently undergoing a major rebuild/upgrading and will return once again to operation.
Southern Pacific Railroad
The Southern Pacific Transportation Company , earlier Southern Pacific Railroad and Southern Pacific Company, and usually simply called the Southern Pacific or Espee, was an American railroad....
's (SP) GS-4
Southern Pacific class GS-4
The GS-4 was a streamlined 4-8-4 Northern type steam locomotive that served the Southern Pacific Company from 1941 to 1958. They were built by the Lima Locomotive Works and were numbered 4430 through 4457...
class of steam locomotive
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
s. The GS-4 is a streamlined 4-8-4
4-8-4
Under the Whyte notation classification of steam locomotives, 4-8-4 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles , eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles, and four trailing wheels on two axles .Other equivalent classifications are:UIC classification: 2D2...
(Northern) type steam locomotive. GS stands for "Golden State", a nickname for California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
(where the locomotive was operated in regular service), or "General Service." The locomotive was built by Lima Locomotive Works
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 shops location in Lima, Ohio. The shops were located between the Baltimore & Ohio's Cincinnati-Toledo main line...
in Lima, Ohio
Lima, Ohio
Lima is a city in and the county seat of Allen County, Ohio, United States. The municipality is located in northwestern Ohio along Interstate 75 approximately north of Dayton and south-southwest of Toledo....
, for SP 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 1957 and put into storage. In 1958 it was donated, by the railroad, to the City of Portland
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
who then put it on static display in Oaks Park
Oaks Amusement Park
Oaks Park is a small amusement park located south of downtown Portland, Oregon USA, near the Sellwood Bridge. The park includes midway games, about two dozen rides that operate seasonally, a skating rink that is open all-year, and picnic grounds.- Rides :...
, where it remained until 1974. It was restored to operation for use in the second American Freedom Train
American Freedom Train
The United States has seen two national 'Freedom Trains'. The 1947–1949 Freedom Train was a special exhibit train that toured the United States in the later half of the 1940s. A similar train called the American Freedom Train toured the country for the United States Bicentennial celebration in...
, which toured the 48 contiguous United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
for the American Bicentennial
United States Bicentennial
The United States Bicentennial was a series of celebrations and observances during the mid-1970s that paid tribute to the historical events leading up to the creation of the United States as an independent republic...
celebrations. Since then, 4449 has been operated in excursion service throughout the continental US; its operations are currently based at the Brooklyn roundhouse
Roundhouse
A roundhouse is a building used by railroads for servicing locomotives. Roundhouses are large, circular or semicircular structures that were traditionally located surrounding or adjacent to turntables...
in Portland, where it is maintained by a group of dedicated volunteers called Friends of SP 4449. In 1983, a poll of Trains
Trains (magazine)
Trains is a monthly magazine dedicated to trains and railroads, and is one of the two flagship publications of Kalmbach Publishing. The magazine is read both by railroad enthusiasts, commonly referred to as railfans, and those within the railroad industry....
magazine readers chose the 4449 as the most popular locomotive in the nation.
Revenue service years
4449 was the last engine manufactured in Southern Pacific's first order of GS-4 (Golden State/General Service) locomotives. 4449 was placed into service on May 30, 1941, and spent its early career assigned to the Coast DaylightCoast Daylight (SP)
Coast Daylight was a passenger train originally run by the Southern Pacific Railroad between the cities of Los Angeles and San Francisco, California, via SP's Coast Line...
, SP's premier passenger train between San Francisco
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
and Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, but it also pulled many other of the SP's named passenger trains. After the arrival of newer GS-4s and GS-5
Southern Pacific class GS-5
The GS-5 was a streamlined 4-8-4 Northern type steam locomotive that served the Southern Pacific Company from 1942 to 1958. Only two locomotives were built by the Lima Locomotive Works and were numbered 4458 and 4459. GS stands for "Golden State" or "General Service."The GS-5s are exactly identical...
s, 4449 was assigned to Golden State Route and Sunset Route passenger trains. 4449 was re-assigned to the Coast Division in the early 1950s. One of 4449's career highlights happened on October 17, 1954, when 4449 and sister 4447 pulled a special 10-car train for the Railway and Locomotive Historical Society from Los Angeles to Owenyo, California
Owenyo, California
Owenyo is an unincorporated community in Inyo County, California. It is located on the Southern Pacific Railroad north of Lone Pine, at an elevation of 3697 feet ....
, and return. In 1955, after being one of the last few Daylight steam engines in Daylight livery, 4449 was painted black and silver and its side skirting (a streamlining feature of the Daylight steam engines) was removed due to dieselization of the Coast Daylight in January of that year. 4449 was then assigned to Southern Pacific's San Joaquin Valley
San Joaquin Valley
The San Joaquin Valley is the area of the Central Valley of California that lies south of the Sacramento – San Joaquin River Delta in Stockton...
line, occasionally pulling passenger trains such as the San Joaquin Daylight
San Joaquin Daylight
The San Joaquin Daylight was a Southern Pacific passenger train inaugurated between Los Angeles and Oakland Pier by way of the San Joaquin Valley and Tehachapi Pass on July 4, 1941. It operated until the advent of Amtrak in 1971.-Passenger cars:Pullman-Standard built coaches were assigned to the...
between Oakland
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
and Bakersfield
Bakersfield, California
Bakersfield is a city near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley in Kern County, California. It is roughly equidistant between Fresno and Los Angeles, to the north and south respectively....
as well as fast freight and helper
Bank engine
A bank engine or helper engine or pusher engine is a railway locomotive that temporarily assists a train that requires additional power or traction to climb a grade...
service. 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
Roundhouse
A roundhouse is a building used by railroads for servicing locomotives. Roundhouses are large, circular or semicircular structures that were traditionally located surrounding or adjacent to turntables...
.
Display at Oaks Park
In 1958, when most of the GS class engines had already been scrapped, a then black-and-silver painted 4449 was removed from storage and donated to the city of Portland, OregonPortland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, on April 24, 1958, where it was placed on outdoor public display in Oaks Park
Oaks Amusement Park
Oaks Park is a small amusement park located south of downtown Portland, Oregon USA, near the Sellwood Bridge. The park includes midway games, about two dozen rides that operate seasonally, a skating rink that is open all-year, and picnic grounds.- Rides :...
. Since the equipment was considered obsolete, 4449 was not actively chosen for static display. It was picked simply because it was the first in the dead line and could be removed with the least number of switching moves. During its time on display, 4449 was repeatedly vandalized and had many of its parts stolen, including its builder's plates and whistle. The locomotive quickly deteriorated due to neglect. It was evaluated for restoration in 1974 after becoming a candidate to pull the American Freedom Train
American Freedom Train
The United States has seen two national 'Freedom Trains'. The 1947–1949 Freedom Train was a special exhibit train that toured the United States in the later half of the 1940s. A similar train called the American Freedom Train toured the country for the United States Bicentennial celebration in...
. Its size, power, and graceful lines made it a good fit for the Bicentennial train. After finding that 4449's bearings and rods were in good shape, it was chosen.
The 1975–1976 American Freedom Train
4449 was removed from display on December 14, 1974, and restored at Burlington Northern's Hoyt Street roundhouseRoundhouse
A roundhouse is a building used by railroads for servicing locomotives. Roundhouses are large, circular or semicircular structures that were traditionally located surrounding or adjacent to turntables...
in Portland and returned to operation April 21, 1975, wearing a special paint scheme of red, white, and blue. As part of the American Freedom Train
American Freedom Train
The United States has seen two national 'Freedom Trains'. The 1947–1949 Freedom Train was a special exhibit train that toured the United States in the later half of the 1940s. A similar train called the American Freedom Train toured the country for the United States Bicentennial celebration in...
, the engine pulled a display train around the most of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Afterwards, 4449 pulled an Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
special, the Amtrak Transcontinental Steam Excursion. 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.
1981 to the present
California State Railroad Museum
The California State Railroad Museum is a museum in the state park system of California, USA, interpreting the role of the "iron horse" in connecting California to the rest of the nation. It is located in Old Sacramento at 111 I Street....
in Sacramento, California
Sacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
. In 1984, 4449 pulled an all Daylight-painted train from Portland to New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
and back, to publicize the World's Fair
1984 Louisiana World Exposition
The 1984 Louisiana World Exposition was a World's Fair held in New Orleans, Louisiana. It was held 100 years after the city's earlier World's Fair, the World Cotton Centennial in 1884. It opened on Saturday, May 12, 1984 and ended on Sunday, November 11, 1984...
. The 7477 miles (12,033 km) round trip was the longest steam train excursion in US history. In 1986, 4449 went to Hollywood to appear in Tough Guys, and pulled business trains for the Southern Pacific. No. 4449 had another famous moment in 1989 when 4449 and Union Pacific 844
Union Pacific 844
Union Pacific 844 is a 4-8-4 steam locomotive owned by Union Pacific Railroad. It was the last steam locomotive delivered to Union Pacific and is unique in that it is the only steam locomotive never retired by a North American Class I railroad....
(another famous 4-8-4 steam engine) made a side-by-side entrance into the Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal
Union Station (Los Angeles)
Los Angeles Union Station is the main railway station in Los Angeles, California. The station has rail services by Amtrak and Amtrak California and Metrolink; light rail/subways are the Metro Rail Red Line, Purple Line, Gold Line. Bus rapid transport runs on the Silver Line...
in 1989 for the station's 50th anniversary celebrations. The two locomotives then raced each other on Santa Fe
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway
The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , often abbreviated as Santa Fe, was one of the larger railroads in the United States. The company was first chartered in February 1859...
's and Southern Pacific's parallel main lines through Cajon Pass
Cajon Pass
Cajon Pass is a moderate-elevation mountain pass between the San Bernardino Mountains and the San Gabriel Mountains in Southern California in the United States. It was created by the movements of the San Andreas Fault...
, with 4449 eventually taking the lead. No. 4449 returned to Railfair in Sacramento in 1991 and again in 1999. In 2000, 4449 was repainted black and silver for a Burlington Northern Santa Fe
BNSF Railway
The BNSF Railway is a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. It is one of seven North American Class I railroads and the second largest freight railroad network in North America, second only to the Union Pacific Railroad, its primary...
employee appreciation special, then was repainted into the American Freedom Train
American Freedom Train
The United States has seen two national 'Freedom Trains'. The 1947–1949 Freedom Train was a special exhibit train that toured the United States in the later half of the 1940s. A similar train called the American Freedom Train toured the country for the United States Bicentennial celebration in...
colors again in early 2002 after the events of the September 11th terrorist attacks
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
. In 2004, the locomotive was returned to Daylight colors again, this time in its "as delivered" appearance.
On May 18, and May 19, 2007, the 4449 made another rare appearance with the Union Pacific 844
Union Pacific 844
Union Pacific 844 is a 4-8-4 steam locomotive owned by Union Pacific Railroad. It was the last steam locomotive delivered to Union Pacific and is unique in that it is the only steam locomotive never retired by a North American Class I railroad....
in the Pacific Northwest for the "Puget Sound Excursion", on the Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad tracks from Tacoma to Everett, round-trip. This excursion was a tandem run with both steam locomotives pulling a Union Pacific passenger train consisting of three to four dome cars and several coaches.
Owosso, Michigan
Owosso is a city in Shiawassee County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 15,713 at the 2000 census. The city is located on the eastern side of Owosso Township, but is politically independent...
from July 23–26 with an all-day excursion planned on the 23rd and 24th and a photo runby planned for each trip. The 4449 was then placed on display for the rest of the event, giving people the chance to visit and to meet the crew, explore the cab, and photograph the engine. The historic 2,500 mile move from Portland to Owosso was arranged by the Friends of the 4449, Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
, Steam Railroading Institute
Steam Railroading Institute
The Steam Railroading Institute is located at 405 South Washington Street, Owosso, Michigan.The Steam Railroading Institute is an organization dedicated to the preservation, restoration, and operation of historical railroad equipment and items. It operates a heritage railroad which offers...
of Owosso, and the Friends of the 261. The Milwaukee Road 261
Milwaukee Road 261
The Milwaukee Road 261 is a 4-8-4, steam-powered locomotive owned and maintained by a Minnesota-based nonprofit organization known as the Friends of the 261, which runs seasonal train excursions...
organization lent some of their first class passenger cars, including former Milwaukee Road Super Dome #53 and Cedar Rapids Skytop Lounge for the 4449 and for the other excursion train
Excursion train
An excursion train is a chartered train run for a special event or purpose.Examples of excursion trains:* A train to a major sporting event* A train run for railfans or tourism...
s at the festival. This trip marked the first time that the 4449 visited the state of Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
since pulling the American Freedom Train in 1976. The train left Portland on July 3 and returned on October 20. Future excursions are being planned with the 15-year rebuild scheduled for 2013.
Disposition and maintenance
No. 4449 resides at Union Pacific's Brooklyn roundhouseRoundhouse
A roundhouse is a building used by railroads for servicing locomotives. Roundhouses are large, circular or semicircular structures that were traditionally located surrounding or adjacent to turntables...
in Portland along with several other historic steam and diesel locomotive
Diesel locomotive
A diesel locomotive is a type of railroad locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine, a reciprocating engine operating on the Diesel cycle as invented by Dr. Rudolf Diesel...
s. The Brooklyn roundhouse is inaccessible to the public, and the Union Pacific plans to close it in January 2012. The Oregon Rail Heritage Foundation
Oregon Rail Heritage Foundation
The Oregon Rail Heritage Foundation 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 secure a permanent home for the City of Portland’s steam...
, a partnership of non-profit organizations that own or maintain historic rolling stock at the roundhouse, is constructing a new restoration facility and public interpretive center adjacent to the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry
Oregon Museum of Science and Industry
The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry is a museum located in Portland, Oregon, United States. It contains two auditoriums, including an IMAX Dome theatre, and a variety of hands-on permanent exhibits focused on natural sciences, industry, and technology...
(OMSI) in southeast Portland. The new facility will house the 4449 and the other rolling stock, and will include the old turntable from the Brooklyn roundhouse.
No. 4449 is maintained by Doyle McCormack
Doyle McCormack
Doyle L. McCormack is a railroad preservationist, and is well-known among the railfan community.McCormack is a retired Union Pacific locomotive engineer who is now the president of the Oregon Rail Heritage Foundation, an organization working to build a permanent home for the steam locomotives...
, retired Union Pacific engineer and collector, along with many volunteers. When the engine was on display at Oaks Park, Jack Holst, a Southern Pacific
Southern Pacific Railroad
The Southern Pacific Transportation Company , earlier Southern Pacific Railroad and Southern Pacific Company, and usually simply called the Southern Pacific or Espee, was an American railroad....
employee, looked after 4449 along with two other steam locomotives, SP&S
Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway
The Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway was a United States-based railroad 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 of the Columbia River....
#700
Spokane, Portland and Seattle 700
Spokane, Portland & Seattle 700 is the only surviving example of their E-1 class 4-8-4 Northern type steam locomotive. Nearly identical to the A-3 class Northerns built for Northern Pacific Railway, but burning oil instead of coal....
and OR&N 197
OR&N 197
Oregon Railroad & Navigation Co. 197 is a 4-6-2 Pacific type steam locomotive built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1905.-History:OR&N 197 was built in 1905 for pulling passenger trains on E.H. Harriman's Oregon Railroad and Navigation Company, a subsidiary to the Union Pacific Railroad in Oregon...
. Holst kept the engines' bearings and rods oiled in case they were ever to move again. Holst died in 1972 and never got to see 4449 return to operation.
Only one other true Southern Pacific GS-class steam engine survives, Southern Pacific 4460
Southern Pacific 4460
Southern Pacific 4460 is the only surviving GS-6 Class steam locomotive. The GS-6 is a semi-streamlined 4-8-4 Northern type steam locomotive. GS stands for "Golden State" or "General Service." The locomotive was built by the Lima Locomotive Works for the Southern Pacific Railroad in 1943...
, a GS-6
Southern Pacific class GS-6
The GS-6 is a semi-streamlined 4-8-4 Northern type steam locomotive that served the Southern Pacific Railroad from 1943 to 1958 and the Western Pacific Railroad from 1943 to 1953. They were built during World War II for the Southern Pacific Railroad by the Lima Locomotive Works and were numbered...
, which is on static display at the Museum of Transportation
Museum of Transportation
The Museum of Transportation of the St. Louis County, Missouri, United States Parks Department is a museum located in the Greater St. Louis area. It was first founded in 1944 by a group of individuals dedicated to preserving the past and has a wide variety of vehicles from American history...
in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
. It was built during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, but was never painted the famous Daylight paint scheme. Instead, it was painted black and silver thus, giving it the nickname "Black Daylight".
Another survivor is St. Louis Southwestern 819
St. Louis Southwestern 819
The St. Louis Southwestern #819 is a 4-8-4 steam locomotive. It was completed in 1943 and was the last engine built by the railway affectionately known as the "Cotton Belt Route". It was also the last locomotive built in Arkansas to date...
, a "GS-8", at the Arkansas Railroad Museum
Arkansas Railroad Museum
Arkansas Railroad Museum is located on Port Road in Pine Bluff, Arkansas at the former Cotton Belt yard.The former SSW shops are occupied by the historic collection of railroad equipment. This museum is about an hour's drive from Little Rock, AR, and is one of the largest displays of historic...
in Pine Bluff, Arkansas
Pine Bluff, Arkansas
Pine Bluff is the largest city and county seat of Jefferson County, Arkansas, United States. It is also the principal city of the Pine Bluff Metropolitan Statistical Area and part of the Little Rock-North Little Rock-Pine Bluff, Arkansas Combined Statistical Area...
; housed in the same building where the engine was built in 1942. The 819 is currently undergoing a major rebuild/upgrading and will return once again to operation.
External links
- Friends of SP 4449
- Oregon Rail Heritage Foundation
- SP 4449 Photography - Cross-country excursion to TrainFestival 2009