Steam & Excursion > SP 4449 in SP Psgr. Yard Oakland, 1977 - Dirty

Recent posts have mentioned the dirty condition of UP locomotives powering freight trains. Maybe because colorfully painted locomotives look far better when they are clean. Here is what the SP 4449 looked like upon arrival and backing into the passenger yard on April 27, 1977. She had just powered a special passenger run up the Coast line. Some said this condition was the result of her steam cleaning the tunnels up the coast. This engine has NOT been cleaned. It arrived with the front end looking clean as shown.

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On April 28, 1977 the SP 4449, still in American Freedom Train livery, but with an Amtrak notation added to the tender, has been steam cleaned. Here she departs Oakland and is about 3/4 mile railroad west of 16th St. station, heading toward Berkeley and points east. You can see other photographers under the bridge and I think they add human interest to this photo. And yep, she certainly looks better clean!

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*Please Post More*

Can't get enough of the Queen in AFT.

Had the REAL pleasure of watching a 1 hour documentary presented by Ross Rowland himself on the life of steam of Ross Rowland. Ohio Steam was the host last weekend. Great presentation, only regret, not enough 4449 highballing in 1975-76 in AFT. Incredible fuzzy film of a young Doyle and crew pulling her out of Oaks Park. They keep that locomotive so clean you could grill pancakes on her boiler!

This was taken in San Francisco in 1946.. From the collection of Harold K. Vollrath, with apologies to Harold, as the print is much better. My flatbed scanner is dying.

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Ah, the Oakland coach yard...

Westbound Wrote:
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> Some said this condition was the result of her
> steam cleaning the tunnels up the coast.

That's probably true. I think I posted the story once before of the 2472 coming up the coast with a couple of SP units behind her for assist. The diesels wouldn't load going up Cuesta, so the 72 had to work hard on the grade. They did such an effective job of steam cleaning the tunnels, that the windshield on the lead SP unit was coated in soot. The SP hogger had to send his brakeman out to clean the windshield.

DaveE

I was on the Los Angeles to Portland leg of this trip back in 1977. If you think that the engine was dirty, you should have seen all of us who had been hanging out of vestabule windows and the engine crew. This all happened on Cuesta grade in the tunnels north of San Luis Obispo. I believe that this was the first steam locomotive through those tunnels since about 1955 or 56.

Perhaps it strayed to Truckee?

With your permission (and with full credit to you), would you allow me to post these pictures to the American Freedom Train Yahoo Group? They would make a great addition to our 4449 folder.

Thanks,

Burlington John
Group Moderator
American Freedom Train Yahoo Group

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AmericanFreedomTrain/

Burlington John:

I shot these 2 photos with a size 126 cartridge film Rollieflex as I recall, so they aren't anywhere as good as one could get with even a standard 35 mm camera. But if you think they'll do, you are welcome to post them.

Same thing happened to 3751 when it slipped in one of the Tehachapi tunnels coming back from Bakersfield in 1991. The crew looked like they'd been in a coal mine all day.