Steam & Excursion > Here are A Few From Yesterday With SP #4449 On The Oregon Trunk!

I got a chance to take a break a few times and catch some images of us heading down the Trunk yesterday on our way to Bend.

Enjoy.


Martin

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Nice to see 4449 out and about. My only beef with steam these days is there frequently seems to be a diesel in the consist too. Is it like RR's consider steam so unreliable now that they have to have a diesel? It always mars the look of the train.

Cheers, Jim Fitch



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/25/17 06:41 by SPDRGWfan.

SPDRGWfan Wrote:
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> Nice to see 4449 out and about. My only beef with
> steam these days is there frequently seems to be a
> diesel in the consist too. Is it like RR's
> consider steam so unreliable now that they have to
> have a diesel? It always mars the look of the
> train.
>
> Cheers, Jim Fitch

It's for HEP on the Amtrak cars.

Posted from Android

Martin, your mailbox is full. What is the significance of train number 925? EDIT: Disregard, answered on another thread.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/25/17 21:20 by nycman.

Diesels for the head end power? Try this trip on a non-air conditioned train and you could read about it in the news:
49 DIE IN HOT CAR
(A play on the children in hot cars news....)
I am so pleased that the train is able to get out on the main line that little distractions with the color schemes and head end power can't spoil it.
Thanks to all the 4449 team (and that includes you, BNSF). I would have been riding but for waiting too long to buy tickets.
Keep up the good work.

Thanks for sharing the photos. As for the Amtrak diesel, my question is would the 4449
have been able to pull this train up the canyon without it? There were quite a few cars on
this train and it seems like it would have been quite a task for the 4449 to pull a train
this size up the long grade south of Wishram.

Nice work, Martin.

Cheers,
Jack

SPDRGWfan Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Nice to see 4449 out and about. My only beef with
> steam these days is there frequently seems to be a
> diesel in the consist too. Is it like RR's
> consider steam so unreliable now that they have to
> have a diesel? It always mars the look of the
> train.
>
> Cheers, Jim Fitch

Your post indicates your desire or failure to read the numerous answers given year after year after year.

Great pics Martin!.And great to see 4449 plus the other big steam out on the main lines around the country this year, considering all the insurance, permissions, planning and logistics involved with getting even one of them on the mainline these days, we should all feel lucky, and thankfull for all who work to make these trips possible.

Jim Baker
Riverside, CA

Yes, we could have pulled it all without the diesel. But we would have been cutting it pretty close on water.

Posted from iPhone

I'm glad the diesel is there!  Keeps the host RR happy in case of a breakdown, not to mention keeping the customers cool with HEP power!

See the bigger picture and be happy about it!!!!!!!!!!

One would think the diesel was providing AC and lighting in the cars.

keep in mind that Martin and wife were in the Gordon Zimmerman baggage car most of the trip without AC.....very nice pictures. this was run as an Amtrak train....if Amtrak goes away, so does the ability to run these trips. Arlen

Very nice work Martin. Thank you.

A few years ago, I rode a "tourist train" in Texas that ran old school heavy weights without AC.. Needless to say, in summer, even with the windows wide open, an old lady had to be taken away in an ambulance.

asheldrake Wrote:
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> keep in mind that Martin and wife were in the
> Gordon Zimmerman baggage car most of the trip
> without AC.....very nice pictures. this was run
> as an Amtrak train....if Amtrak goes away, so does
> the ability to run these trips. Arlen


I spent most of the trip in the baggage car myself. I regret not getting to meet Martin and we must have been next to each other at some time?

-Fred-