Steam & Excursion > I spoke to Ross Rowland about a possible 2026 Freedom Train

This month is the 40th anniverary of the American Freedom Train and as they say, the rest is history.........The most beautiful steam engine in the history of the LIMA super power era was saved and displayed  at Oak Park, Portland Oregon and nutured by the most famous steam engineer today, Doyle McCormack.  Ross Rowland pulled his magic and train traversed the US from in 1975-76 with the #4449 the majority of the time. For steam starved steam fan, at the age of 28 in 1975,  I couldn't wait.  The paid train crew and the rest of the operating folks needed operate the display cars were already on-board so the only way to participate was to be a volunteer and thats what I did.  I had great fun wiping down the engine and doing odd jobs no one wanted to do.  In San Francisco, I drove Laurie McCormack around town on errands, including doing the laundry of all the paid folks on the train. The other aspect of being a volunteer was access to the engine and ability to ride the train, but most of all the opportunity to take pictures on the train and at ground level was too much to turn down. That was then and today is now.  Ross Rowland, the businessman who put the funding and the operation of the AFT togather is here in Portland this weekend for the 40th reunion. I asked him point blank IF the funding and operating contracts with the participating railroads was secured, could there and would there be a 2026 Freedom Train and he said YES!  It is in the early planning stages and at least three locomotives are part of the plan, including the #4449, 614 and the 611. Stayed tuned for details!   Here is Ross Rowland talking to Doyle McCormack  and the AFT crew from 40 years ago after yesterdays excursion to Oak Park. Second shot is the #4449 leaving ORHF.  In a bough to history, Dick Samuels of Oregon Pacific had the SW-1 that put  #4449 into Oak Park in 1958 and resuced it in 1975 out of Oak Park on the spur track at Oak Park to meet the #4449 as it arrived. More later.  Text and images by Mike Pechner

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If there is a Freedom Train in 2026, I wouldn't possibly mind to temporarily quit my career, which I feel it would be an Accounting or Business related Job, and volunteer or work on it.

Knowing I would have a wife then, I would want her to work and ride too.

Posted from iPhone



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/18/16 00:21 by PeaBock619.

In the first photo, which man is Ross Rowland?

Third from the left I believe!

Mike Bannon
St Catharines, ON

L to R:
Ross Rowland
Al Phillips
Doyle McCormack
Les Camp

BoilingMan Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> L to R:
> Ross Rowland
> Al Phillips
> Doyle McCormack
> Les Camp

That would be Wes Camp, on the far right in the group photo.

HotWater Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> BoilingMan Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > L to R:
> > Ross Rowland
> > Al Phillips
> > Doyle McCormack
> > Les Camp
>
> That would be Wes Camp, on the far right in the
> group photo.

I recognize Ross and Doyle.  I also know that Wes Camp is a regular contributor to TO.  Could I ask you to share Al Phillips' background with us?   Thanks.

redberan4449

redberan4449 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> HotWater Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > BoilingMan Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > L to R:
> > > Ross Rowland
> > > Al Phillips
> > > Doyle McCormack
> > > Les Camp
> >
> > That would be Wes Camp, on the far right in the
> > group photo.
>
> I recognize Ross and Doyle.  I also know that Wes
> Camp is a regular contributor to TO.  Could I
> ask you to share Al Phillips' background with
> us?   Thanks.
>
> redberan4449

Al Philips goes way back to the High Iron Company and NKP 759 days. Al brought his long experience with Merchant Marine Steam, and he was a member of the original AFT Paid crew on 4449. The AFT paid crew were: CMO Doyle McCormack, Andy Adams, Al Philips, and Russ Shipman, all from the High Iron Co.

Isn't Al Phillips involved somehow in the Delta Queen?  Or am I thinking of another Al Phillips?  Doyle looks great.
Let's see, 2026 I would be 86.  Might have to miss that one.  If you go out of St. Louis on the old Frisco, whistle signals to me at Oak Hill marble orchard.

Well at least now I know what one of the AFT crew looks like now. ( Hello Wes! ) I'd love to be a part of the AFT in 2026 and tour the country, but by then I'll be 55 going on 56. Don't know what life will throw at me between now and then, but if everything stays on track as it is now...... I"M READY TO GO ROSS!

The museum will be launching their "4449 and the AFT" exhibit this afternoon. Many of the original AFTers will be there. I expect there will be a bit of speechifing and meet 'n greeting going on.
SR

apollo17 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Well at least now I know what one of the AFT crew
> looks like now. ( Hello Wes! ) I'd love to be a
> part of the AFT in 2026 and tour the country, but
> by then I'll be 55 going on 56. Don't know what
> life will throw at me between now and then, but if
> everything stays on track as it is now...... I"M
> READY TO GO ROSS!

Believe me, it is a LOT more work than simply "touring the country", especially if your are on the steam locomotive crew. Not to mention the fact, you had better have LOTS of extensive steam experience prior to working on the locomotive crew.

I dunno Jack- at any given time throughout 1975-76 about 70-80 good people ran the train at any given time. How many of us had "extensive steam experience"?
Maybe a half dozen?
You might want to come out to Portland and meet a few of our family- no experience required.
Lots of good people here Jack. Most don't know a 4-8-4 from a 2x4.
SR

BoilingMan Wrote:
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> I dunno Jack- at any given time throughout 1975-76
> about 70-80 good people ran the train at any given
> time. How many of us had "extensive steam
> experience"?

True, but then you were not on the locomotive crew.

> Maybe a half dozen?

I wasn't aware that Doyle had that many "paid crew" on the 4449. LOTS of volunteers on the 4449 crew, however.

> You might want to come out to Portland and meet a
> few of our family- no experience required.

Sure wish I could have. Family funding issues.

> Lots of good people here Jack. Most don't know a
> 4-8-4 from a 2x4.

Well THAT sure would be interesting.

> SR

My point being- working steam involved only a fraction of the AFT jobs. The same will be true when/if there's an AFT 2.0.
SR

Oh: Al, Andy, Russ, Bobby. Craig, and Tommy when the
'49 was on point.
I think Doyle was paid too.
(I'll check)
I'm not sure how many were paid when Ross & Steve were running.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/18/16 08:07 by BoilingMan.

Ross Rowland is on the far left of the first photo.

The new Freedom Train would help get more young people to learn the basics of a steam engine too.

algoma11 Wrote:
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> Third from the left I believe!

I thought that was Steve Lee...

To border on redundancy....
The guy with no hat (" third from the left") is Doyle..

We share a deep comradeship that dates ( even before) 1968 -- that's when the NKP 759 was brought back to life...
That engine was a masterful teacher, very patient and very forgiving of our amateur-ish mistakes....

Dr. Karal treated her after the many  insults and injuries age suffered at our inexperienced hands.
Without THAT  engine, the High Iron excursions, and the team that coalesced, ------- the chances of the 4449 grow extremely dim, down to just a flicker....

W.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/20/16 15:55 by wcamp1472.

Steam groups have bigger crews because "in the day", the RR had people to do the hundreds of things you have to do at service stops and when under way.  They always seemed to have an engine terminal or service point every 100+/- miles and numerous water tanks along the line.
You have to have all of these people with you today.  Our service crew worked as a drill team and were very efficient.  
We were ALL volunteer, so the salary subject was moot.