Let us take a look back in time at my encounters with the Southern Pacific 4-8-4 4449.
The American Freedom Train paid a visit to Anaheim on its two year tour of the lower 48 states. It stopped here at the Big A in Anaheim in January of 1976.
I rode my bicycle back to the stadium that night for some night pictures.
The Big A watches over the AFT 4449 during its stay in Anaheim.
The AFT 4449 returned to Portland on an Amtrak Transcontinental Steam Excursion in 1977 at Colton.
Railfair 1981 was my first picture of Southern Pacific 4449 in Daylight Colors. 1981
After Railfair 1981, the Southern Pacific 4449 made a surprise trip to Los Angeles and left on May 13, 1981 crossing the Los Angeles River on its way out of town.
May 12, 1984 at Saco north of Bakersfield the Southern Pacific 4449 came speeding by minus the Auxiliary Tender which I learned later had been set out at Mountain View. It made for a very realistic Daylight looking train complete with 52 in the number boards. At Bakersfield two Daylight painted SP units were added to assist the Southern Pacific 4449 over the Tehachapi Mountains.
I caught the train above Woodford in sight of the Tehachapi Loop. 5/12/1984
The Southern Pacific 4449 was working hard as it passed our location. 5/12/1984
They cut the helpers off which allowed us to get a shot of Southern Pacific 4449 leaving Mojave. 5/12/1984
Avenue S in Palmdale where there is a nice little hill overlooking an S curve is where the Southern Pacific 4449 started up the grade of Vincent Hill. 5/12/1984
Near Vincent Hill Summit, the Southern Pacific 4449 slowed to 14 MPH as it had tried to climb Vincent Grade without a helper. The Southern Pacific 4449 cut its booster in and made the grade unassisted. 5/12/1984
In western Soledad Canyon the Southern Pacific 4449 drifted down the grade. 5/12/1984
West of the El Monte Trench, the Southern Pacific 4449 had the Auxiliary Tender back in the consist headed east towards West Colton. 5/15/1984
From the Mountain Avenue Bridge gave us this view with four dirty T-2s helpers added to the point at West Colton for the trip over Beaumont Hill. 5/15/1984
Below Garnet where those helpers were removed, the SP 4449 came down the tree lined right away. A VW Bug was racing the Southern Pacific 4449 at this point. 5/15/1984
Here is the Southern Pacific 4449 coming and going at Ferrum. 5/15/1984
The Southern Pacific 4449 performs a Photo Runby at the Gila River Bridge on June 17, 1984.
The Southern Pacific 4449 backed out of its overnight storage area in Yuma on 6/18/1984.
The Southern Pacific 4449 then came into the Yuma Station to pick us all up. 6/19/1984
The Southern Pacific 4449 took us into California and we stopped at Araz for a photo runby. 6/19/1984
The Southern Pacific 4449 backing by us to get into position for the Photo Runby. 6/19/1984
The Photo Runby at Araz on June 19, 1984.
At a Thousand Palms we added two very special helper units to the point of our train. The Southern Pacific 7347 was painted up for the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles and the Southern Pacific 7342 was in a Daylight paint scheme. 6/19/1984
Southern Pacific 4449 had arrived into Los Angeles Union Station and I detrained from my first Southern Pacific 4449 excursion.
Southern Pacific 4449 left Los Angeles Union Station for Portland on June 19, 1984.
At Los Angeles Union Station the historic side by side entrance of the Southern Pacific 4449 and Union Pacific 8444 on May 5, 1989.
The Southern Pacific 4449 headed east through El Monte on its way to West Colton for the night to be in position for the side by side trip with the Union Pacific 8444 over Cajon Pass the next day. 5/6/1989
The Union Pacific 8444 and Southern Pacific 4449 were coming up side by side up Cajon Pass so we set up at MP 58X. The Union Pacific 8444 came by us but the Southern Pacific 4449 slowed way down before stopping in front of us. The Southern Pacific 4449 hot bearing sensor had gone off and the crew not wanting to take any chances with the Southern Pacific 4449 made the choice of checking the engine which was the correct thing to do and ended the side by side trip over Cajon Pass. 5/7/1989
The Southern Pacific 4449 crossed the Yolo Bypass with the Sacramento Jazz Train on May 27, 1989.
The Southern Pacific 4449 sitting in front of the Sacramento train station after the train had been wyed. 5/27/1989
That same afternoon, the Southern Pacific 4449 returned to Oakland entering Davis. 5/27/1989
The next morning, I went down to just east of the Davis Depot for the Southern Pacific 4449 east passage through town. 5/28/1989
Later that same afternoon, the Southern Pacific 4449 returned across the Yolo Bypass for Oakland. 5/28/1989
The next morning, my brother the Amtrak agent let me up on the roof of the Davis Depot for the northbound passage of the Southern Pacific 4449 heading up the West Valley Line on its way back to Portland. 5/29/1989
During Railfair 1991 during the pageant, the Southern Pacific 4449 and Union Pacific 3985 would come together each day to recognize the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad on May 10th, 1869. It was a real well done pageant put on by the California Railroad Museum. 5/11/1991
The Southern Pacific 4449 heading to the NRHS 1992 Convention in San Jose crossed Putah Creek west of Davis. 7/21/1992
At Pinole along San Pablo Bay to wait for The Senator pulled by the Southern Pacific 4449 heading to Sacramento with a NRHS 1992 Convention Trip. 7/25/1992
The last trip of the NRHS 1992 Convention was the double headed trip of Southern Pacific 2472 and Southern Pacific 4449 seen here leaving San Jose on July 26, 1992.
The Southern Pacific 4-8-4 4449 still wearing its American Freedom Train paint scheme it has worn since right after 9/11 in the roundhouse at Brooklyn Yard on June 14, 2003.
The Southern Pacific 4-8-4 4449 at Wishram during the NRHS 2005 Convention Western Star Trip on July 6th, 2005
That trip was a doubleheader with the SP&S 700 and Southern Pacific 4449. The SP&S 700 led the train to Wishram and the Southern Pacific 4449 led the train back to Portland. Here they are backing the train to wye it. 7/6/2005
Here our two engines after being wyed backing into Wishram where the engines would switch positions. 7/6/2005
Here the Southern Pacific 4449 has pulled off the train to clear so the SP&S 700 can back onto our train then the Southern Pacific 4449 will couple up to it. 7/6/2005
The Southern Pacific 4449 now on the point of the NRHS 2005 Convention Western Star at Wishram. 7/6/2005
The Southern Pacific 4449 and SP&S 700 headed back west to Portland in the Columbia River Gorge. 7/6/2005
Our train seen after it had returned to Portland Union Station on July 6, 2005.
The next encounter with the Southern Pacific 4449 found it going to a Car Show in Sherwood Oregon on June 10, 2006. Here is the Southern Pacific 4449 leading the train south through Brooklyn Yards in Portland.
I next caught the Southern Pacific 4449 in Lake Oswego at the North Shore Drive grade crossing among the million dollars homes in this city. 6/10/2006
Later that same afternoon we caught the Southern Pacific 4449 at rest in Sherwood. 6/10/2006
The SP Sunset Symbol on the wooden floor of the Southern Pacific 4449.
The cab of the Southern Pacific 4449 at Sherwood. 6/10/2006
The Southern Pacific 4449 to Bend Excursion waits to leave Portland Union Station on September 16, 2006.
The Southern Pacific 4449 in the Deschutes River Canyon. 9/16/2006
Photo runby at Overbrook in the Deschutes River Canyon. 9/16/2006
The Southern Pacific 4449 climbing out of the Trout Creek Canyon. 9/16/2006
The Southern Pacific 4449 in Bend. 9/17/2006
The Southern Pacific 4449 Photo Runby on the Willow Creek Trestle. 9/17/2006
Descending Trout Creek Canyon. 9/17/2006
Coming off the Columbia River Bridge and heading west out of Wishram for Portland. 9/17/2006
The Southern Pacific 4449 has returned me to Portland Union Station ending a great excursion to Bend.9/17/2006. My next time with Southern Pacific 4449 would be at TrainFestival 2009 in Owosso, Michigan.
My first view of the Southern Pacific 4449 at Owosso. 7/24/2009
Southern Pacific 4449 Engineer Doyle McCormick.
Pulling down to load the coach passengers. 7/24/2009
Southern Pacific 4449 leaving Owosso for Alma, Michigan. 7/24/2009
Later that day the Southern Pacific 4449 has returned to the Train Festival 2009 grounds for display. 7/24/2009. My next time to see the Southern Pacific 4449 would be at the Milwaukee Road 261 Shop at Minneapolis Junction during its layover on its way home to Portland from Michigan.
The Southern Pacific 4449 at the Milwaukee Road 261 Shop on 8/10/2009
Until the next time I meet the Southern Pacific 4449 again, bye!| RETURN TO THE MAIN PAGE |