Steam & Excursion > This Steam Locomotive Is Back In Her Full Livery One Last Time!

The Daylight locomotives of the Southern Pacific went through various changes in appearance over the years, the most dramatic caused by WW-2.  Many of these engines lost their colorful paint schemes in favor of a uniform black paint during much of the war.  In later years some of these beauitiful engines even lost their famous skirting whichh produced a very utiitarian look.

By April, 1953 when this portrait of SP #4449 was taken in San Francisco, California, the big GS-4 4-8-4 had been returned to her colorful Daylight livery with only the stainless steel strips on her pilot missing.  The shop forces have given her a good bath and she is ready for another trip down the California Coastline to Los Angeles on the head of her namesake train.

In just 5 short years after this photo was taken, in April 1958, #4449 would be donated to the City Of Portland, Oregon.  At the time of that donation, she would be all black in appearance with her skirting removed.  She would have to wait another 16 years before she would have her skirting reapplied and her colorful Freedom Train Paint applied as she started her 2nd career in steam.

Martin



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 12/10/19 03:41 by LoggerHogger.

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Did they have to make the skirting in Portland?

tomstp Wrote:
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> Did they have to make the skirting in Portland?

Yes.

Yes, the Skirting was made in Portland for the Freedom Train role.  A few years ago, we replaced that skirting with new skiritng that was more in keeping with her original Lima skiring from 1941.

Martin

Looks like Mission Bay yard. Bay bridge in the background.

Posted from iPhone

Is that the freedom train plaque under the builders plate?

OliveHeights Wrote:
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> Is that the freedom train plaque under the
> builders plate?

In 1953?  Don't think so. Maybe the Superheater Co. plate.

And even without the skirts and in all black. They still were handsome locomotives with their skyline casing and bullet nose.

Thank you, Jack Holst....

Thank You, Ross, Joe K & Doyle, & Laurie, and the HICO Crew,
Thank You, to the “City Fathers”, the citizens,  and the City of Portland...

The 4449 is the Queen of all the operable Mainline steam locos, without question.
Just count-off the numbers of other, following, mainline engines that have been restored to service, since the 4449’s 1975 revival...

4449 and all the crews, you have succeeded beyond my wildest dreams.....from way back in 1973...
And a special “Thank You”  to Don Kendall and Pepsi, for your vision, sponsorship, and leadership, following the stormy years of the ‘Watergate’ debacle.

 “History doesn’t repeat itself, but it rhymes.... “
Mark Twain

Wes Camp

( I think it’s curious that Doyle has been a Pepsi fan, since before we met in June 1968,  at Conneaut Roundhouse,
with the NKP 759.. .... I guess you could call that an Omen).


 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/10/19 14:19 by wcamp1472.

Amen!!!!

Bill Deaver
Tehachapi, CA

It has been so interesting to witness all of the changes made from the time she was rescued from Oaks Park to the present, the addition of the skirts, the new skirts, painted black for a certain railroad employee specials, painted in the AFT colors following the attack on New York City, back to Daylight, and guess what?  She operated again this past weekend hauling the annual Holiday Express, with hellpers from ORHF, NRHS-PNWC and others.  The Queen of restored locomotives she is.

1. The current plates on 4449, taken during the 15 year/1472 at Portland, 12 Jun 2014.
2.  Wes is not one to toot his own horn, so to speak, so allow me to do so.  Wes played a big part in 4449's selection for restoration.  Ross, Doyle (Chief Orgre) and Wes Camp at Portland. Photo taken in conjunction with the American Freedom Train crew reunion, 16 Sep 2016. 
3. Part of the 1975 era skirt still in R/W/B from the 2002 Bend excursion occupies a valued place in my AFT collection here in Missouri.

Regards,
Burlington John
 



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 12/10/19 18:26 by burlingtonjohn.

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Absolutely we owe Wes BIG time !!....I strongly believe that if he hadn't won his argument to use the 4449 in AFT service the three locomostives would NEVER had been moved from Oaks Park for restoration/preservation.....yes, they would have been moved but the destination would have been the scrappers torch.   As a Docent, I enjoy talking about this history with our ORHC visitors while they talke in our AFT history exhibit.  .   

ps:  I have messaged Rapido that their model of the PA is not in AFT livery....it is in Freedom Train livery.   A PA was used in the 1947 Freedom Train romp, the 4449 in American Freedom Train serivce...picky but there were two distinct trains with different names.     

thanks again Wes.           Arlen

asheldrake Wrote:
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> Absolutely we owe Wes BIG time !!....I strongly
> believe that if he hadn't won his argument to use
> the 4449 in AFT service the three locomostives
> would NEVER had been moved from Oaks Park for
> restoration/preservation.....yes, they would have
> been moved but the destination would have been the
> scrappers torch.   As a Docent, I enjoy talking
> about this history with our ORHC visitors while
> they talke in our AFT history exhibit.  .   
>
> ps:  I have messaged Rapido that their model of
> the PA is not in AFT livery....it is in Freedom
> Train livery.   A PA was used in the 1947 Freedom
> Train romp, the 4449 in American Freedom Train
> serivce...picky but there were two distinct trains
> with different names.     
>
> thanks again Wes.           Arlen
I cant think of allot of steam engines being scrapped after 1970. I'm sure there was a feew bt no way the only remaining Dayligh get the torch. Ever. We  are all fortunate 4449 was part of the AFT.

I believe that credit for the American Freedoom Train for their sponsorships also goes to General Motors, Kraft Foods and Prudental Life Insurance Co. per "Railroading Coast to
Coast" by S. Kip Farrington, Jr. on page 298. 

Hope to see SP 4449 rolling again with it's Holiday lights. 

Skip Marquard
Carmel Valley, CA

The big rectangular plate - in the 1950's photo - was the equipment trust plate.  Railroads frequently financed their new rolling stock - freight cars included - and this plate was the physical evidence of the loan and that the equipment was held in security.    NKP 700's had similar plates and the financing was usually for ten years.  When the loan, or trust, was paid off - the plate could be removed.

That is why some extremely short service life steam locomotives, like the Clinchfield 4-6-6-4's, were held on the property until the trust was paid off:  they were still subject to the loan or trust!  And they sat unused for several years.

I am up in the Portland area and plan on a trip to see the museum on Thursday.

Posted from iPhone

HotWater Wrote:
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> OliveHeights Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Is that the freedom train plaque under the
> > builders plate?
>
> In 1953?  Don't think so. Maybe the Superheater
> Co. plate.

Bank trust company plate

NKP779 Wrote:
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> The big rectangular plate - in the 1950's photo -
> was the equipment trust plate.  Railroads
> frequently financed their new rolling stock -
> freight cars included - and this plate was the
> physical evidence of the loan and that the
> equipment was held in security.    NKP 700's had
> similar plates and the financing was usually for
> ten years.  When the loan, or trust, was paid off
> - the plate could be removed.
>
> That is why some extremely short service life
> steam locomotives, like the Clinchfield 4-6-6-4's,
> were held on the property until the trust was paid
> off:  they were still subject to the loan or
> trust!  And they sat unused for several years.

Speaking of plates,  just noticed that the recast builders plates on the engine are of a later Lima design,  with the underlining.  Not like the original plates, wherever they might be.  Here's a photo of 4437 with original plates (but without a  superheater plate)   Taylor Yard LA 1956



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/12/19 06:11 by utwazoo.

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may i ask where did you get this photo?