Steam & Excursion > 4449 a few years back

With all that's going on in the world, it's nice to have some photos  the album to go through and remind us of days past. Also a treat to see what others are doing/chasing around the world, so thank you to those that continue to post their photos and adventures.
Cheers
K

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Nice. Date and location would also be helpful.

Roaring out of the southern states, northbound,  headed to D.C., & Bill Purdie hanging on for dear-life!
( "I've never went so far, so fast and never broke anything...!!")

​W.

( Note:  The above account is NOT related to the picture .... I was being facetious and adding a plausible 
and imaginary explanation.  Any resemblance between my speculations and the above picture is
unintentional and purely coincidental.  
However the story of Bill Purdie's quote is straight from Doyle..
edited 9/25, 1940hrs, EDT).
wdc



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/25/20 16:41 by wcamp1472.

That was a great story and an even better quote....Train magazine article wasn't it?

Cheers, Dave

I heard the full version from Doyle McCormack, directly ... years ago...

And he admits they were going really fast over the Southern’s
Mainline—- big engines LOVE to run with train, if let ‘out’...

Doyle let her out!

W.

(I think Bill Purdie was the Southern’s officer in charge of their
steam loco tourist operations, below Jim Bistline.)

Posted from iPhone



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/24/20 13:59 by wcamp1472.

I had an LP recording of that trip, and the 4449's exhaust was really fast on multiple passes!

I have always thought that trip up the Southern RR was THE event that established 4449's credentials as a bona fide member of the "big steam" community.  Before that, she (and the whole GS class) was just another pretty face.

AA

Stanford White
Carmel Valley, CA

Seeing her do 75 down through the Antelope Valley back in 84 with my dad and I leading a pack of railfans down Sierra Highway, I can agree with that experience back in the 70s!

ProAmtrak Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Seeing her do 75 down through the Antelope Valley
> back in 84 with my dad and I leading a pack of
> railfans down Sierra Highway, I can agree with
> that experience back in the 70s!

My son and I were on that leg of the Worlds Fair Daylight hanging out in a vestibule when 4449 stalled on Vincent Grade. Maybe it was not so much that it stalled but that they were having trouble getting the trailing truck booster to disengage so they had to stop. My house is in Santa Clarita and we went close enough on passing to see my house.Todd lives within sight of my house but his home had not yet been built in 1984.

-Fred-

flyingfred Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ProAmtrak Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Seeing her do 75 down through the Antelope
> Valley
> > back in 84 with my dad and I leading a pack of
> > railfans down Sierra Highway, I can agree with
> > that experience back in the 70s!
>
> My son and I were on that leg of the Worlds Fair
> Daylight hanging out in a vestibule when 4449
> stalled on Vincent Grade.

Sorry but, we did NOT "stall" on Vincent!  We had to stop after the summit, to make the pre-throttle for the booster close properly (it apparently stuck open).


Maybe it was not so much
> that it stalled but that they were having trouble
> getting the trailing truck booster to disengage so
> they had to stop.

See above answer.

My house is in Santa Clarita and
> we went close enough on passing to see my
> house.Todd lives within sight of my house but his
> home had not yet been built in 1984.
>
> -Fred-