Steam & Excursion > It Was 30 Years Ago This Week This Magical Steam Trip Took Place!

It is amazing how fast time goes by when it comes to milestones of steam powered trains.  This weekend sees yet another such milestone pass by into history some 30 years ago.

It was on a cold weekend in December 1988 that Southern Pacific #4449 was called upon to run the now famous "Spirit Of The West" steam trip from Portland to Medford and back to celebrate the merger of the SP and the D&RG.  This was not an excursion but more of a shippers special to recognize the many shippers on this part of the SP that would become part of the merged SP and D&RG.

For those of us who witnessed this magical trip it was a sight to behold.  The weather was cold and clear that weekend and the photography simply spectacular.  Normally a trip like this in the winter time in Oregon would not be such, but this year was different.  We were greeted by frozen fog in Roseburg, Oregon on the second morning.  That soon cleared just south of town and the trip though Cow Creek Canyon (as we see here) as the special headed south  saw simply spectacular.

In the past 30 years both SP and the D&RG are gone, having been assimilated into the UP.  Steam has never returned to Cow Creek Canyon or Medford.  What a shame.  Time marches on.

Martin



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 12/16/18 03:31 by LoggerHogger.

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That was a great day to chase the 4449, albeit I froze at Roseburg.
 

Tony,

We all froze in Roseurg!

Martin

love the clean stack!!!   Arlen

Thanks for sharing such a great image ...

Not only the 4449 and vintage SP and D&RG diesels but the
amazing probable hand-laid rock work as well ...

Odyssey
Evergreen, CO



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/16/18 21:28 by Odyssey.

I remember the trip well. As Asst. Fire Chief in Roseburg I managed to talk my way into the cab for a quick "look-see."  It wasn't cold there!

Keith

This is one of those great 'model-railroady' photos that show there's a prototype for nearly everything!  So go ahead and build your layout as you like it. And then run your SP4449 with a DRGW diesel and an SP diesel--all three unweathered, of course--and pull a mish-mash of passenger cars over rockwork retaining walls, just like the prototype...hell yeah!  Gosh I love this steam hobby, and model railroading too!

-Tom



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/17/18 21:34 by Sasquatch.