Nostalgia & History > Chasing AFT 4449 westbound over Donner Thanksgiving 1975

My apologies to ShastaDaylight for stepping ahead his thread for the 40 years ago hunt for the American Freedom Train, but I didn't want to bury this story and image.

On Thanksgiving Day, 1975 I woke my family up in Reno at 3 a.m. and my  wife Pat and I along with our young daughter Shari, and the family dog, Australian shepherd "Belle" drove over to Sparks to watch the 4449 take off westbound.  We waited for it at the first grade crossing west of the yard.  We weren't disappointed by its thunderous departure in the dark as it left town. That was great!  We decided to drive over to the last grade crossing in Reno at Keystone Avenue to watch it there before going home to bed.  We were treated to another thunderous display and noticed there were other cars and people there with us.  After the train went by they all ran for their cars and took off with much spraying of gravel and squealing ties.  This was my first time with railfan mania chasing steam.  We ran to our vehicle and took off after them.

We caught the train at Boca in the light and again in Truckee.  By then were committed to the chase and headed over Donner Pass where we encountered snow.  No problem, I was driving our Toyota Landcruiser with mud and snow tires!   Finally we decided to pull in at Colfax below the snowline and take a final look.  This is the painting I did to remember that wonderful morning.   We drove on down to Auburn to have breakfast and still had time to drive home to Reno where we had Thanksgiving Dinner with friends. 

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
John  and Pat Bromley



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/23/15 19:02 by Copy19.

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John ---
Thank you very much for this great story!  I am so
glad your wife and daughter were willing to go with
you on that cold morning --- and apparently did not
at all mind chasing that incredible and amazing
locommotive -- and even did not mind chasing that
train on thanskgiving Day!  Kudos to them for their
tolerance and patience.  Man, am I glad you chased
her all the way over Donner!

EDIT ---
After checking the AFT website for the 4449's 1975
schedule, I saw that when you saw her and chased
her on Thanksgiving Day of 1975, that was actually
the 3rd time she had been over Donner.  All 3 times
were with the Freedom Train -- and she has not
been over Donner since then.

(You are quite right about "railfan mania" -- I have
experienced it myself.)

VERY nice paintings, too!

Your posts are always a treat.  Thanks!
 



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/24/15 00:08 by Margaret_SP_fan.

And how happy we are to have your painting of the 4449 in original livery at Coyote south of San Jose where  Carl farmed--- it hangs proudly here in the family room!!
C
 

Carol Voss
Bakersfield, CA



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/23/15 22:37 by CarolVoss.

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That was a very gloomy day.  The painting came out much better than any of my photographs.  I wonder what reason I gave my bride of a year for being late for only our second Thanksgiving dinner.  

JBWX



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/23/15 20:43 by jbwest.

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Thanks John for sharing your excellent narrative and painting.  Very nicely done!  Thanks to jbwest for sharing that great last shot.

Kent in CArmel Valley

Very nice paintings. You have a great eye for detail.

Also a great action shot of the flats at Weimar. I believe that's signal 1385. There's a small ditch or canal that goes under the track nearby. I spent many afternoons hiking along it from a friend's house with the hope of seeing westbounds working the throttle before slipping back into dynamics.

Carol,

I thought I would rotate your painting to give it its just due.

Martin

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Thanks to all for adding to our collective memories of the American Freedom Train in northern California and northwestern Nevada from four decades ago. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

ShastaDaylight

LoggerHogger Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Carol,
>
> I thought I would rotate your painting to give it
> its just due.
>
> Martin

it looks right on my screen but who knows--- you realize that this is a very first time in my 18 or so years on TO that I have EVER posted a picture!!!!!   :-)
C

Carol Voss
Bakersfield, CA

Margaret_SP_fan wrote:

> After checking the AFT website for the 4449's 1975 schedule, I saw that when you saw her and chased her on Thanksgiving Day of 1975, that was actually the 3rd time she had been over Donner.  All 3 times were with the Freedom Train --

Three times over Donner with the American Freedom Train?  From ShastaDaylight's earlier post and from what I can see on the the AFT website, the Freedom Train went over Donner Pass two times - going to and from Reno.

On 4449's first trip over Donner on June 23, 1975, she wasn't pulling the Freedom Train.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/24/15 13:17 by johnsweetser.

That's right- the 1st time the '49 crossed Donner was the ferry move from Portland to Chicago to join the AFT and take over for the 2101.
SR

Bit 'o Trivia:
The '49 actually arrived in "Chicagoland" a few weeks before the AFT itself.  She laid over at the EMD plant (GM was an AFT sponsor).  And this is how/where Hotwater entered the 4449 story...

BoilingMan Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> That's right- the 1st time the '49 crossed Donner
> was the ferry move from Portland to Chicago to
> join the AFT and take over for the 2101.
> SR
>
> Bit 'o Trivia:
> The '49 actually arrived in "Chicagoland" a few
> weeks before the AFT itself.  She laid over at
> the EMD plant (GM was an AFT sponsor).  And this
> is how/where Hotwater entered the 4449 story...
... by among other things, arranging the replacement of one of the front skirt panels which had been hit by a dump truck.