Steam & Excursion > SP 4449 on Amtrak Transcontinental Steam Excursion

April 1977
About 25 miles after leaving New Orleans, 4449 is westbound crossing the Bayou des Allemends on the SP headed to Houston on this epic excursion to get the engine back to Portland.

Gary

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Nice view!  ---from the open cab-hatch!

( Where does the train's 480v, 3-phase power come from?)

​W.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/16/23 13:37 by wcamp1472.

GREAT pictures of a historic romp!!!!  the clerestory baggage car, sadly, went to scrap last year.....to far gone to save....I continue to tout it as the most traveled baggage car.....PNWC 76.    Arlen

Well-chosen scene.
Bob

Brings back so many great memories! Thank you so much for sharing these photos. My wife and children were on that train, riding in the first dome car in the consist. I chased it as far as Boutte, LA, took another photo and then got on I-10 and went directly to Houston to meet them.  As some may remember, 4449 broke down near Lacassiene, LA because of an incident on the Iillinois Central in Mississippi where she stressed some boiler tubes taking a crossover at speed. The train arrived in Houston at 2:00 am the next morning being pulled by an SP SD-45. I had an exhausted family to haul to our motel. We visited Astroworld in Houston that weekend and then drove home to New Orleans. Made memories for my kids who are all in their 40's and 50's these days.

Larry W. Grant
(olddude41)
Dallas, Texas

olddude41 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Brings back so many great memories! Thank you so
> much for sharing these photos. My wife and
> children were on that train, riding in the first
> dome car in the consist. I chased it as far as
> Boutte, LA, took another photo and then got on
> I-10 and went directly to Houston to meet them. 
> As some may remember, 4449 broke down near
> Lacassiene, LA because of an incident on the
> Iillinois Central in Mississippi where she
> stressed some boiler tubes taking a crossover at
> speed.

Sorry but, the "crossover incident" is NOT what caused some/any of the lower boiler tubes to crack/fail.

The train arrived in Houston at 2:00 am the
> next morning being pulled by an SP SD-45. I had an
> exhausted family to haul to our motel. We visited
> Astroworld in Houston that weekend and then drove
> home to New Orleans. Made memories for my kids who
> are all in their 40's and 50's these days.
>
> Larry W. Grant
> (olddude41)
> Dallas, Texas

Excellent scans!
GK

No 480v on that train!

wcamp1472 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Nice view!  ---from the open cab-hatch!
>
> ( Where does the train's 480v, 3-phase power come
> from?)
>
> ​W.

All pre-HEP equipment...no need.

Dave

I rode the next day from Houston to San Antonio.
The diesel pushed the 4449 the whole way!

That reminds me of a scene I witnessed.  On some dirt road paralleling the SP  I saw
one chaser rear end the chaser in front of him.  The trunk of the front car just popped open
upon impact!

No one hurt but it was hilarious to watch.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/17/23 18:50 by PVSfan.