Steam & Excursion > Progress on #4449, Doyle & last Santa Runs of #700

My Son Ben and I volunteered at the Oregon Heritage Railroad Foundation Santa Trains at Oak Park in Portland last weekend. I also spent a few hours as a docent at the Doyle McCormack Engine House. I had time to view the progress of the #4449 undergoing its 1472 FRA inspection. Tubes and flues were removed some time ago. Most of the grinding has been done. It was found that a piece of the fire box above the trailing truck need to be replaced and has been cut-out. Some running gear work is also being worked on. Piping and plumbing is also getting attention. The big board inside the engine house details some of the work. The next series shows the work on the engine.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/17/14 18:52 by weather.

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Most of the work now involves fabricating the new patch for the boiler.

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Here is a shot of Doyle doing some welding on some piping that will go back on the engine.

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The last in this series is a shot of Doyle and Ben Pechner talking about the ongoing work.

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After two damp, chilly days, the sun came out on Sunday. It was in the low 50's with a an east winds. Here are three shots of #700 returning to Oak Park during the late afternoon. The final shot at sundown,shows the train leaving for the 4:00 pm run. The engine runs to Vancouver next week and then it goes into the engine-house for its FRA mandated 1472 day inspection. #4449 returns next year on the Santa Trains. All runs were sold out this year. The income benefits ORHF. You can do your part in keeping these engines running. Make your tax deductible donation and become a member at ORHF.org. Text and Photos by Mike Pechner

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Great update! Thanks for sharing!

Ryan

Posted from Android

Mike --
Thank you very much for the interesting photos
of the work on the 4449, and the LONG list of
things to be done, AND your beautiful shots of
the 700. That last two photos are gorgeous!

Glad Ben got to talk to Doyle. Man, Doyle really
should write a book!

Thanks so much Margret!

I agree with Margaret that Doyle should write a book and I look forward to the 4449 being back on the rails and just hope that things being whatever they are with the BNSF will allow that to happen again!! Happy holiday everything to you and yours, Mike---------
C.

Carol Voss
Bakersfield, CA

I've spoken to Doyle quite a lot this past year, working on my AFT series, and the subject of a book came up a month or so back. Doyle agrees a book WOULD be an interesting project, but feels his simply wouldn't have time for the resulting litigation.
SR

doing a book is a HUGE task......in 2016 our Oregon Rail Heritage Center primary exhibit will be the Portland American Freedom Story. Arlen

Thanks for sharing the photos and update, Mike. I am certainly looking forward to the 4449s return.

~Ryan

Speaking as a book author with a title published by a New York house, I'll tell you straight up that just because you complete a book does not mean that it'll ever be published (unless you do it yourself at Kinkos with little or no distribution) and if by ridiculously long odds a publisher does give you a contract you'll basically forfeit all control of the book from design to release date even though it's been your baby for years and years and years.

It's not an easy field to plow. That's why most of us write articles for a living.

Ryan



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/18/14 09:36 by ryan199.

I don't know what types of terms they set or how they are to deal with, but the Indiana Univesity Press has gotten a LOT of railroad books into print and out to the world. I also wanted to commend Doyle and his team for the marker board with CLEAR explnations of what has been done, what IS being done and what still needs to be done for the whole world to see. It stands as quite a contrast to a certain program that shall remain nameless........

good point, Doyle and his crew are very aware that one of our primary goals is to be "visitor" friendly. He is firmly behind the idea that we are a working museum. Arlen

Hey Chief...All the stories couldn't be told anyway! PB

No kidding.
SR

Posted from iPhone

Here she is in 1977

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Nice pics Skeeiz, many thanks for sharing!

Skeezix Wrote:
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> Here she is in 1977


Nice!!!

Any specific date and location information? I know the first photo is in-bound to Oakland, probably April 27, 1977.