I had always wanted to ride the rails through the Deschutes River Canyon to Bend, Oregon. Whenever I was on the Coast Starlight, I hoped that something would happen on the regular route so that the train would run this way as it did when I rode the Inside Gateway down the Highline from Klamath Falls to Keddie then down the Feather River Canyon in 2003.
Just before the rare mileage trips in June, it was announced that the Northwest Rail Museum in Portland would run an excursion with Southern Pacific 4449 from Portland to Bend on September 16th and 17th, 2006. Knowing that this was an event I was not going to miss, I mailed a cheque. Chris Parker did the same and we were assigned a room together at the Hampton Inn. I bought an Alaska Airlines ticket from Santa Ana to Portland then rooms for Friday and Sunday nights at the Days Inn off the MAX Line. Bob Riskie decided to join us and he would share my room Sunday night as Chris would be flying back home. As the days neared, I studied maps and read as much as I could about the line on which we would be travelling.
Southern Pacific 4449 is the only surviving example of Southern Pacific Railroad's GS-4 class of steam locomotives. 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 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.
Revenue 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 Daylight, 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-5s, 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 Display: 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, Oregon, 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.
American Freedom Train: 4449 was removed from display on December 14, 1974, and restored at Burlington Northern's Hoyt Street roundhouse 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.
Present Day: 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 7,477-mile 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 made a side-by-side entrance into the Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal in 1989 for the station's 50th anniversary celebrations. 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.
Alaska Airlines 385 9/15/2006
After another interesting day of work at McFadden Intermediate on September 15th, I returned home to pack a few more items before my mother drove me to Orange County Airport. Having printed my boarding pass the previous night, I went shoeless through security before walking to Gate 10 to wait for my flight to Portland via Oakland. At 4:25 PM, boarding commenced and I had window seat 18F on this B737-700 airplane. We reversed out the gate at 4:53 PM then taxied out to the runway, taking off at 5:00 PM and I read the Alaska Airlines magazine as the we flew headed north. I saw several BART trains as we descended and landed in Oakland at 6:07 PM.
After a layover, we reversed out of the gate at 6:55 PM and took off for Portland at 7:03 PM. My flight music was Mark Knopfler's and Emmylou Harris' "All the Roadrunning" while I did Major League Sudoku puzzles as the night took hold before we arrived into Oregon's air space. We landed at Portland International Airport at 8:39 PM and I walked through the terminal to the MAX station where I bought a ticket to 82nd Street. The trolley left a few minutes later and I was soon checking into the Days Inn then walked to a mini market for some snacks before returning to the motel for the night. Chris Parker's plane was delayed and he did not get into the room until 12:30 AM.
9/16/2006 Chris and I arose at 5:45 AM and at 6:00 AM, were at Elmer's having a good breakfast then left the keys in the room before taking MAX to Chinatown and walking to Portland Union Station. Southern Pacific 4449 to BendWe walked into the station finding it already filled with people, but were told which line to join.
Passengers waited in one of three lines: coach, club or dome in order to get their boarding passes. Bob Riskie arrived with his cousin and we talked as we moved forward. At 7:29 AM we received our passes with Chris and I getting seats in Car 1. At 7:30 AM, the door was opened and we walked out to board "Echo Canyon", an old friend from the Grand Excursion and last year's National Railway Historical Society convention. After claiming a pair of seats for Chris and I, we went out to get some pictures and the consist.
The front of our steam train.
The consist for this excursion was Southern Pacific 4-8-4 4449, auxiliary tender DLMX 4219, Amtrak P24DC 16, Southern Pacific baggage-dormitory 3105, Union Pacific coach "Echo Canyon" PPCX 800725, Santa Fe "Tolani" PPCX 800721, Amtrak Horizon cars coach 54516, café 58106, business class 54508, Canadian Pacific "Pony Express" PPCX 800320, Pennsylvania Railroad "Colonial Crafts" PPCX 800611, Southern Pacific "Overland Trail" PPCX 800633, Santa Fe dome 502 "Plaza Santa Fe" PPCX 800362 and Chicago, Burlington and Quincy CZ-10 "Silver Solarium" PPCX 800333.
The rear of the train.
Amtrak's Great Dome was going to be part of our train, but here in Portland, the crew discovered five cracks in one of the trucks and it was bad-ordered. I learned during the trip that it would cost approximately $25,000 to repair, but it might need other work. I reboarded the train and relaxed at my seat then walked back to the "Pony Express" and waited for our on-time departure at 8:00 AM. As we left the station, there was a large group of well-wishers to see us off. I saw several photographers I knew who would be chasing the train for the next two days.
Southern Pacific 4449 looked great as it rounded the first major curve.
A few minutes later, our train approached the lift span of the Willamette River bridge and we crossed the river then shortly thereafter, the Union Pacific joined our route at North Portland. The train crossed the Oregon Slough on a 1,526 foot bridge and moments later crossed the Columbia River on a 2,806 foot long swing bridge to enter Washington.
We returned to land as we curved off the bridge to make our station stop in Vancouver. In the "Pony Express", I met Richard Wilkins and we enjoyed conversation for quite a while. Southern Pacific 4449 ran east through Camas to the siding of Washougal, where I returned to my seat as we waited for the westbound Empire Builder. Once on the move east again, we passed through the 2,369 foot Cape Horn Tunnel and across the river, the 542 foot tall Multnomah Falls could be seen between the trees. We ran beneath the 840 foot tall Beacon Rock, which is the second largest monolith in the world before passing Bonneville Dam.
At MP 51.0, our train ran under the Bridge of the Gods before passing the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center which has Spokane, Portland and Seattle F9A 802, nee Northern Pacific 7013D on display. As we were across from Cascade Locks, I took a chance and called Let's Talk Trains and the host, Richard Hamilton, put me on right away and I reported on this excursion so far, then returned to the "Pony Express" for further views of our train and the Columbia River Gorge.
The chasers always provide a good show on any steam trip. We made a brief stop at Bingen-White Salmon to remove a passenger with a medical concern.
Any time you can ride up the Columbia River Gorge is a treat in one's life.
Southern Pacific 4449 looked stunning paralleling the north bank of the Columbia River.
The waters of the Columbia River.
As we neared Klickitat River, Richard Wilkins was on the lookout for his wife Pam, who was taking a picture of our train.
BNSF was put in a siding along the river to better handle all the trains that run through the Columbia River Gorge.
The steam train approached North Dalles and The Dalles Dam before passing Horse Thief Lake on the way to Avery.
Approaching Avery.
Southern Pacific 4449 met an eastbound freight at Avery with BNSF 4852 that would follow us across the Columbia River towards Bend.
Nearing the bridge that would take us across the river and back into Oregon.
We turned south onto the bridge and my new rail mileage started, but had to stop until the lift bridge was lowered so our train could continue.
The rear of our train was still on Washington soil while we were over the waters of the river of the Columbia River.
The lift was lowered and our train started across.
We passed the junction with the northeast leg of the wye that comes onto the bridge from Wishram.
Our train left the bridge to start our trip down the Oregon Trunk.
Passing OT Junction, where the Union Pacific joined our route to Bend.
Southern Pacific 4449 climbed towards Tunnel 1.
Our train now making its way toward the Deschutes River Canyon.
Below us to the northeast was where the Deschutes River joins the waters of the Columbia River.
We arrived at Moody where the steam engine was serviced and we found a BNSF inspection train.
On the rear was BNSF track geometry car 80 "Rio Grande River", ex. Burlington Northern dining car 43, exx. Burlington Northern A39, exxx. Transcisco Tours "Sacramento", nee Southern Pacific 145-seat commute coach 3700, built by Pullman Company in 1920.
Once servicing was completed, Southern Pacific 4449 proceeded south from Moody with all of us having one last view of the Columbia River.
The Deschutes River Canyon above Moody became really interesting.
The grade that we saw on the opposite side of the river was of the former Deschutes Railroad Company, later part of the Oregon, Washington River and Navigation, then later part of the Union Pacific. It operated over this grade until March 28, 1936 when they abandoned their line for trackage rights over the Oregon Trunk. The Oregon Trunk, which was controlled by the Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railroad, became Burlington Northern in 1971 and today, is part of BNSF.
A look back down the Deschutes River Canyon from where we had come on this early afternoon.
The lighting was now so much better looking back.
I spotted a boxcar left on the former railroad grade across the river.
Southern Pacific 4449 worked hard pulling our train up the steadily-climbing grade.
Geology is one of my interests in life and was a reason I always wanted to visit the Deschutes River Canyon.
There was beauty around every turn.
Southern Pacific 4449 kept climbing the grade and passed through Lockit.
Another view looking back down the grade in the Deschutes River Canyon.
The locomotive was pulling hard on every curve in the canyon and sounded fantastic as it echoed off the canyon walls.
The Deschutes River Canyon.
We were now deep in the heart of the canyon and it was announced that a photo runby would take place in about ten minutes.
The train before we arrived at Overbrook.
Southern Pacific 4449 at Overbrook reversing around the corner prior to the photo runby.
Photo runby one.
One reason the photo runby was held here was we had to wait for a BNSF freight, as well as the one that was following, so both meets could be held at Overbrook.
Later we crossed the Deschutes River at Horseshoe Bend and entered a tunnel before emerging into daylight and crossing the Deschutes River a second time on Sherar's Bridge.
Southern Pacific 4449 continued the trip south towards Sherar's Falls.
There was plenty of interesting geology in the canyon to look at.
Southern Pacific 4449 ran next to Sherar's Falls, named after Joseph Sherar, a 19th century wagon road builder, on the river a few miles north of Maupin.
Sherar's Falls has Indian fishing platforms just above the running waters and only members of the Confederate Tribes of Warm Springs Reservation are allowed to fish here.
Looking back as our train was approaching Maupin.
We saw many rafters who were really surprised to see a steam train running along the Deschutes River this afternoon.
