Steam & Excursion > 50 years ago … Portland, Or…

It was 50 years ago that a young Doyle McCormack led a team of
locomotive restorers went to Portland, Oregon's "Oaks Park", and started 
a revolution in locomotive restoration.

Thank you, Doyie for your friendship and your tireless, brilliant leadership!
All that has transpired since then, with 4449 + others, would never have 
occurred, if you had decided on a different. 'career choice'.

 I'll never  forget our long-distance phone call that helped you make that
powerful decision.   Also, a deep thank thank-you to Laurie, who was with you,
all the way!

I'm deeply indebted to you for your decision to take over the '4449 Project'.
And, thank God, for Jack Holst's efforts under 4449's axles, at Oaks Park.
Its a wonderful coincidence that Jack had decided to save 4449's axles from 
the certainty of corrosive rusting...  I can't explain that wonderful coincidence..  
It came from a Source more powerful than I can explain...

Your friendship has been so rewarding for me, and " thank you"  for 
bringing Joe to the Conneaut Roundhouse in June 1968, back to 759!
Our lives were changed forever by your decisions, actions and leadership.
Thank you!

Wes Camp.
 

Amen!!!!

T'was a cold and rainy Winter's day...

Greg Stadter
Phoenix, AZ

---

Wow, looking at 4449 then,  who would have thought it would ever again breathe steam,  and right quickly too

In the picture, above——
That’s Doyle, crouched at the pilot, engineer’s side… being alert for
smooth entry onto TT.., He's also in position to signal the diesel's 
engineer at the first errant flange.... before it hits the ties...just in case...
( I'm guessing here: but, I think the guy in the green jacket,  close to the
   turntable & opposite Doyle, is Andy Adams, part of the restoration crew).

Doyle is good at immediately grasping the highest risk objective,
and focusing on satisfactory solutions. One step at a time —- that way he is
in command, and not the engine.

Engines are like that… they create problems to see the curators’ reactions…
... a favorite place to play games is axles & rod packing…
They relish confounding their caretakers…

Doyle has handled them ALL!

W.

Posted from iPhone



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 01/30/24 15:55 by wcamp1472.

This was FIFTY years ago?!  Oh, crap-  I'M OLD!
SR

I would like to thank all of you who had the love and the guts  to take on rebuilding ,running and maintaining these Engines a whole lot of hard dirty work for the small amount of time that you get to run them!  I love them all but as a small kid I got to see the last years of SP steam in the Central Valley of CA. The 4400s on the Daylight the big Freight Engines and I got to see the last run of the 4460 on the Daylight, the 4449 brings back some nice memories of a time when you had beautiful engines and rolling stock to match that were operated by people that loved them and CARED!   What a nice time to be a kid  THANKYOU  mwm237

Did 4449 ever wear that paint scheme in excursions?  The scheme without the fading.

Tominde Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Did 4449 ever wear that paint scheme in
> excursions?  The scheme without the fading.

Do you mean all black without skirts? If so, no.

On close examination, it looks like they moved 4449, with the
front cylinder heads removed --- a very commendable decision.

Its crucial to prevent scoring of the cylinder walls or ruining the 
piston rings ( 'cylinder packing', in RR terms).

A very important First Step...

​W.

 

A priceless photo!

I am grateful to Doyle aad his wonderful bride Laurie for allowing me into their lives all these yeasrs starting in Saan Fraqncisco as an AFT voluteer collecting everyones (crew) dirty laundruy and takikng ner to the 25 cent Wash and dry.  I thank Doyle for allowing me to b e a part of the AFT aand I continue to volunteer to year as I hjave been a part of the Santa Trains except for one year at the Oregon Railroad Heritage Center.  If you feel like I do at Wes Post, you can make a domnation to the freinds of the 4449 thru their Facebook Page or to the ORHC thru theres as well. Its an all volunteer effort so if you have a few dublooms to spare, pleaase donate if you can.   Mike Pechner

Here she is on her way to the Hoyt St. roundhouse that same day.

Martin

---

Martin's photo is very close to the current location of the ORHC, where 4449 now resides.

Some other dates of note: From SIGNIFICANT EVENTS IN THE HISTORY OF PORTLAND OREGON’S RAIL HERITAGE History Booklet from PNWC-NRHS, edited by T. Trent Stetz

1957 City of Portland purchases a 115 acre area from Portland General Electric, adjacent to Sellwood Park in SE Portland immediately east of Oaks Amusement Park, near the tracks of the Portland Railroad and Terminal Division of the Portland Traction Co. A temporary spur was created to store the museum’s future holdings. This site was named “Oaks Pioneer Park”.

1957 The Southern Pacific Railroad officially retired SP 4449 on October 2,

1957. SP 4449 Stored at Bakersfield, CA.

1958 The Southern Pacific Transportation Company on April 24, 1958 donated the SP 4449 to the City of Portland with the restriction that they retain approval for any operational use. The SP 4449 was chosen by the yard crew because it was easy to retrieve out of the Bakersfield, California Roundhouse dead line. City of Portland resolution No. 27662 thanks Southern Pacific for the donation. SP Baldwin No. 1495 towed the locomotive from Brooklyn Yard that day. The Portland Railroad and Terminal Division No. 100 delivered the 4449 to the location at Oaks Pioneer Park. In a brief ceremony, Bernal S. Quayle, passenger-traffic public relations manager for Southern Pacific’s Northwest district, presented a plaque for the locomotive to city Commissioner Bean.

1958 – 1974 Jack Holst and others provide care including lubrication of the parked locomotives at Oaks Pioneer Park in SE Portland, Oregon as the Transportation Museum concept idea has disappeared, due to park land usage plan changes. These efforts paid off as the SP 4449 rolled easily out of storage on April 12, 1974. Jack did not live to see it (1934 – 1972), but believed that the SP 4449 would someday be brought back to life. A plaque in tribute to Jack is in the cab of the 4449. Beginning in 1981 the Pacific Northwest Chapter, National Railway Historical Society has yearly recognized an outstanding chapter member by awarding them the Jack M. Holst Memorial Award for their outstanding service while remembering the award's name sake.

1974 The SP 4449 is removed for restoration from display (storage) near Oaks Amusement Park and taken dead in tow to the Burlington Northern Hoyt Street Roundhouse on December 14, 1974. Restoration for AFT service begins. The Portland Railroad & Terminal Division No. 100, an EMD SW1 built in 1952, pulled the 4449 from the Sellwood location.

1975 SP 4449 leaves the Hoyt Street Roundhouse in operating condition and in AFT livery on April 21, 1975 after a herculean effort by the restoration team.




 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/31/24 11:40 by TTStetz3.

Interesting timeline.  Retired in 1957 resored to operation 1975.  The 4449 was out of service only 18 years.  It's return to steam kicked off a whole slew of locomotive restorations.  Unfortunately a majority of the other locomotives that were returned to service are back to being cold.  

1522 and Cotton Belt 819 are the only ones that went back to retirement, but my take on 4449, all I can say 40 years ago this May, as a 9.5 year old, that day on the 12TH is always gonna be unforgettable for me and my Dad, Doyle, who's gonna replace you running 4449 after you're gone!

Posted from Android

There will be capable engineers, but NOBODY will be able 
to replace Doyle account of the VAST experiences that he's 
been exposed to, and to the invaluable teachings of his mentor,
Boilermaker Extrodinaire, Joe Karal, of Conneaut.

That depth of learning is simply not possible, after Joe's death.
So, Doyie and his background is a truly unique individual.experience.

Similar experiences are becoming harder and harder to occur.
But, again, good engineers know the railroad territory with a 
deep experiential background, and a keen knowledge of 
the territory that they cover.  The type of motive power may vary,
 but it's the knowldege of the right-of-way ---- even  'blind-folded' in 
dense fog, that makes a superb engineer.  

There will be other engineers, but none with Doyle's depth of background
& knowledge.   Doyle combined extrodinary mechanical skills with superb
understanding of the railroad & tracks he was navigating.

Its been my distinct pleasure to have known, mentored and encouraged 
Doyle.  We met when he and Joe greeted the HICO team when we arrived
on board NKP 759, at Conneaut, in June, 1968.
 Together, you said: "We want to Help!"
I'm SO GLAD you came forward!

Doyle is a wonderful person, with great skills.  
He's truly: One of a Kind.  Totally Unique.
Thank you, Doyle and Wonderful-Laurie for ALL you have done.

Let me know if you plan to come to Penna., to see and 
operate the PA that you saved from obliteration.
I'd like to link-up with you, again.

​Wes.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/02/24 18:13 by wcamp1472.

I've often wondered if there is anyone around with more mainline steam mileage than Doyle McCormack. He's run plenty "others" but I would bet he holds the record with just 4449, wouldn't you think? 
Ross Rowland maybe? 

Cheers, Dave

ProAmtrak Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> 1522 and Cotton Belt 819 are the only ones that
> went back to retirement, but my take on 4449, all
> I can say 40 years ago this May, as a 9.5 year
> old, that day on the 12TH is always gonna be
> unforgettable for me and my Dad, Doyle, who's
> gonna replace you running 4449 after you're gone!
>
> Posted from Android

There are a bunch of others that I can think of off the top of my head.  UP 3985, SP 1269, SP 1233, SP 2467, SP 3420 and N&W 1218.  Tons of projects that were being done have also run out of steam (ironic term) where the cost of doing an operational restoration got out of reach of the participants, the old heads who were driving the restoration passed or the realization that there would be no where to operate made completing the restoration pointless.  We were in the glory days of steam revival and didn't realize it.  If a steam locomotive is visiting your area go see it.  You never know when the chance will be gone.