Steam & Excursion > World's Fair Daylight Question

Was the return trip west also under the name World's Fair Daylight or was it called something else?
TIA,
—Mac

MacBeau Wrote:
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> Was the return trip west also under the name
> World's Fair Daylight or was it called something
> else?
> TIA,
> —Mac

As best as I can remember, the return was also called the "World's Fair Daylight".

If I remember correctly it was the "Transcontinental Steam Excursion'"

I believe it was a transcontinental excursion from Miami, and was operated under Amtrak if I remember right.  It ran in February and I chased 3 days, and my dad rode it 2 days(he got tired of the 75 mph chasing).  I know he got a few shots from a dome car, but my brother has those.  It was extremely cold that year.
My friend flew to W.Palm Beach, and we dopped him off at Birmingham after we finished the 3 days(We returned to Florida).  My friend arrived in Cincinnati to -24 degrees, and had to call his dad to come to the airport(35 miles away), to get his car started.  The final day from Sanford to Birmingham was pretty cold and around 30 degrees.  There was clear sky and white steam most of the day from 4449.
This photo was scanned but dust not removed.
Greg Scholl
http://www.gregschollvideo.com
 

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Youse guys are talking about two different special trains with the SP 4449.  The World's Fair Daylight was a round trip from Portland to New Orleans in 1984 with the all-Daylight painted consist.  The Transcontinental Steam Excursion ran in 1977 as a one-way move to ferry the 4449 back from Birmingham, AL to Portland via New Orleans.  That trip was operated by Amtrak with a consist of mostly Amtrak equipment.  And of course the 4449 was still painted in Freedom Train colors for the 1977 trip. 

Rereading it again, I believe you are correct that the original poster must be referring to the 1984 deal which was 4449 in Daylight colors.  I chased some of 8444 heading to New Orleans in the snow in March 1984. It was the very first video footage I shot with my new system.
My bad with the references to the Feb 1977 trip.
Greg



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/11/20 07:41 by gregscholl.

atsf62 Wrote:
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> If I remember correctly it was the
> "Transcontinental Steam Excursion'"

Nope. The "transcontinental Steam excursion" was in the spring of 1977 and intended to return  American Freedom Train, i.e. red, white & blue, 4449 back to Portland, OR. The original poster is inquiring about the 1984 "New Orleans World's Fair Daylight" trip.

The literature I saved from the excursion says Louisiana World's Fair Daylight.  The Arizona Chapter NRHS sponsored the Phoenix to Tucson segments, and as one of the sponsors, we received brochures about each segment of the trip.  Realizing this was probably going to be a once in a lifetime event, I saved one from each segment. Unfortunately, they are in storage so I can't look at them to be sure, but I distinctly remember the wording as Louisiana World's Fair Daylight.

will need to do some research on the return run but the "going to the fair" trip was managed by the PNWC-NRHS with legs tickets sold by local organizations....financially it just about put the into the hole of never to return.   the fair had a water theme and the city of portland sent many cases of Bull Run water (our water source) to the fair on the train.    Arlen

I rode the "Transcontinental Steam Excursion in 1977, on the leg from LA  to Santa Barbara,  then taking Amtrak back to LA.  I remember we past a school yard where the kids were outside for recess,
out in the San Fernando Valley, and it was on a long sweeping curve. When the 4449 started blowing the whistle, the kids ran in a mass, and pressed themselves up against the fence, to get a better
look at 4449.  Although I had a assigned seat, I rode the whole trip in hanging out a vestibule door  (try doing that today)  I was wearing sunglasses, and when I got off the train at Santa Barbara, I took
off my sunglasses and I had two large white circles around my eyes,  the rest of my face was covered in dirt.  No matter,  I enjoyed every minute of it.  I was 12 years old in 1954, and just caught the end
of steam on SP. Living in Ontario, California,  I would do down to the SP depot on a Saturday and watch the trains.  You could still see Cab-Forwards, GS4's and 2-10-2's in helper service, and the local
from Colton, that switched Ontario, usually drew a 2-8-0 or a ten wheeler.. I never made it to Union Station during that time,  while  steam was still running, however,  I had looked at hundreds of pictures
taken there, of GS4 powered Daylights, leaving the station for San Francisco.  As I was riding the train out of LA,  I thought to myself, I would never have dreamed, that in 1977, I would be riding a train
leaving LA Union Station, powered by GS4 under steam....just like those hundreds of pictures I had looked at all those  years. Good memories were made that day.

Does anyone have a list of the cars (road numbers) of the 1977 Transcontinental Steam Excursion featuring the 4449 that they could share?  I have a friend who wants to model this train, as he was a rider on it as a kid.
 
Thanks in advance.

Best Regards,
Harry



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/14/20 15:18 by tracktime.

tracktime Wrote:
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> Does anyone have a list of the cars (road numbers)
> of the 1977 Transcontinental Train Excursion
> featuring the 4449 that they could share?  I have
> a friend who wants to model this train, as he was
> a rider on it as a kid.
>  
> Thanks in advance.
>
> Best Regards,
> Harry

Since that was more than 43 years ago, such information, if it was ever published, might be a bit difficult to find.

HotWater Wrote:
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> tracktime Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Does anyone have a list of the cars (road
> numbers)
> > of the 1977 Transcontinental Train Excursion
> > featuring the 4449 that they could share?  I
> have
> > a friend who wants to model this train, as he
> was
> > a rider on it as a kid.
> >  
> > Thanks in advance.
> >
> > Best Regards,
> > Harry
>
> Since that was more than 43 years ago, such
> information, if it was ever published, might be a
> bit difficult to find.

Thanks!  It took a little digging but I managed to find my answer here:
https://www.freedomtrain.org/amtrak-transcontinental-steam-excursion-consist-main.htm

Cheers,
Harry



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/14/20 21:30 by tracktime.