Portland Train Day 2016, at the Oregon Rail Heritage Center, with Leland, on Saturday, May 14, 2016

At the bottom of these photos that I took yesterday, I have put a few previous photos that show several of these locomotives at other fun events. I love 'em all!


Oregon Railroad & Navigation 197 Built: 1905 Manufacturer: Baldwin Locomotive Works, Philadelphia, PA Length: 79’ Weight: 200 tons Drive Wheel: 77” Tractive Effort: 30,000 lbs. Boiler Pressure: 200 psi Fuel: Oil Donated to PDX: 1958 Volunteer Organization: Friends of the OR&N 197

Built in 1905 by Baldwin Locomotive Works as a 4-6-2 “Pacific” type locomotive for the E. H. Harriman rail empire that later merged into the Union Pacific, she’s 79′ long and, with 200 psi boiler pressure and 76″ diameter drivers, is capable of sustained speeds of 80 mph.

This treasure of the early 20th Century era of steam locomotives arrived in Portland just in time for the 1905 Lewis & Clark Centennial Exposition, just 17 months before the Wright Brothers first flew at 9.8 mph, when Teddy Roosevelt was President and 3 years before Henry Ford rolled out his first Model T. She then went on to serve Portland commerce for over 50 years before retirement in the 1950s. Residing as only a display piece in Oaks Park like her sisters since 1958, in 1996 she was moved to the Brooklyn Roundhouse where she is undergoing restoration today by the all-volunteer Friends of the OR&N 197.

Actually, once the Brooklyn Roundhouse became no longer available, the Oregon Rail Heritage Center was built and now houses the ORN 197 as well as other brilliant steam locomotives, a diesel locomotive, and all sorts of equipment and parts for the ever ongoing process of keeping these beauties at their best. Thanks, y'all!



ORN 197.



ORN 197.



ORN 197.



Leland taking photos of the ORN 197. It's huge!



ORN 197.



ORN 197.



ORN 197.



ORN 197.



ORN 197.



ORN 197.



SP 4449.

Southern Pacific 4449 Built: 1941 Manufacturer: Lima Locomotive Works, Lima, OH Length: 110’ Weight: 433 tons Drive Wheel: 80” Horsepower: 6,500 Boiler Pressure: 300 psi Fuel: Oil Donated to PDX: 1958 Volunteer Organization: Friends of the SP 4449

Built in 1941 as a 4-8-4 GS-4 locomotive, she is 110′ long, 10′ wide and 16′ tall. With locomotive and tender weighing 433 tons and a boiler pressure of 300 psi, her eight 80″ diameter drivers and unique firebox truck booster can apply 5,500 horsepower to the rails and exceed 100 mph. The only remaining operable “streamlined” steam locomotive of the Art Deco era, this grand Lady of the High Iron pulled Southern Pacific “Daylight” coaches from Los Angeles to San Francisco over the scenic Coast Route and then on to Portland until 1955.

Retired to Oaks Park in 1958 for display only, many thought 4449 would never run again. In 1974 she was completely restored specifically to pull the 1976 Bicentennial Freedom Train throughout the United States to the delight of over 30 million people. SP 4449 has also operated numerous excursions since. She is arguably one of the most beautiful locomotives ever built and kept that way by the all-volunteer Friends of SP 4449.



SP 4449.



Leland standing beside the SP 4449. Not long after I took this photo, the steam whistle blew!



SP 4449.



Not a very good photo, but it shows the interior of the SP 4449 cab. One other time when I was at the ORHC, I got to sit inside for a moment or two in the seat closest to the window where I stand. What a treat!



SP&S 700.

Spokane Portland & Seattle 700 Built: 1938 Manufacturer: Baldwin Locomotive Works, Philadelphia, PA Length: 111’ Weight 440 tons Drive Wheel: 77” Horsepower: 5,000 Boiler Pressure: 260 psi Fuel: Oil Donated to PDX: 1958 Volunteer Organization: Pacific Railroad Preservation Association

Built in 1938 as a 4-8-4 Northern Pacific Class A design, she is close to 111′ long, 10′ wide and almost 17′ tall. With locomotive and tender weighing almost 440 tons and a boiler pressure of 260 psi, her 77″ diameter drivers can apply 5,000 horsepower to the rails and exceed 80 mph. It’s oil fired, and features design specified roller bearings throughout which was quite advanced for the era.

This beautiful example of the latter years of steam locomotive development pulled the famous Empire Builder until that train was dieselized in 1947. She continued to faithfully provide passenger service from Portland up the Columbia River Gorge to Spokane until 1956, and in 1958 the 700 was ultimately placed on permanent display at Oaks Park in SE Portland. Returned to operation in 1990, she is lovingly operated and maintained by the all-volunteer Pacific Railroad Preservation Association.

Since March 3, 2016, the SP&S 700 has been undergoing a 1472-day boiler rebuild and inspection. In 2014 at National Train Day at downtown Portland's Union Station, I won a raffle to ride behind the SP&S 700 to Pasco, Washington, to spend the night and go over the bridge into Pendleton, Oregon, for the Pendleton, Rodeo. Unfortunately, not enough tickets sold to make the excursion a sure thing. Needless to say, I was sorely disappointed. Then, due to those hidden Facebook messages, I missed the chance to ride in the cab during the 2014 Holiday Express. When I happened on that hidden message, I felt sick to my stomach. So, I contacted Steve at Pacific Railroad Preservation Association and let him know what had happened. He offered me a ride in the cab during the 2015 Holiday Express, but the cancer kept me in such a fix that I had to decline. Now I'm hoping to get a ride in the SP 4449 cab during this year's Holiday Express. Wow!



SP&S 700.



Leland took a great photo of me and the SP&S 700, including the entire bell! Do my eyes deceive me, or is that bell's clapper red like on my shoes? Wow! How cool is that!



And here we are in a photo taken by a kind volunteer. Cut off the bell, but it's still a great photo!



Nickel Plate Road 190.

History of Nickel Plate Road #190

NKP #190 was built in March 1948 for the New York Chicago & St Louis Railroad, also known as the Nickel Plate Road. Doyle McCormack's father worked for this railroad, and it was in this locomotive that Doyle had his first diesel cab ride. A Nickel Plate Berkshire steam locomotive, the #743, was Doyle's first cab ride in a steam locomotive.

The #190 ran on trains that operated between Chicago, IL and Buffalo, NY, as well as between Cleveland, OH and Saint Louis, MO. The NKP PAs were based and maintained in Conneaut, OH, Doyle's home town. Unfortunately, none of the NKP PA locomotives survived the scrapper's torch.

Nickel Plate Road #190 is a Morrison-Knudsen PA4 diesel locomotive rebuilt from an ALCO PA in 1975. Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway #62L was a PA1, sold to the Delaware and Hudson Railway (D&H) in December 1967. It is one of only two ALCO PA locomotives remaining in the United States.

The D&H renumbered it 18 and sent it to Morrison-Knudsen for rebuilding in 1975.

In 1978, this locomotive was sold to the Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México. Doyle McCormack obtained the wreck-damaged unit and brought it back the United States in 2000. Restoration began in 2002. McCormack has chosen to restore the locomotive as a Nickel Plate Road PA.

In 2012, the locomotive was moved to the new Oregon Rail Heritage Center, in Portland, Oregon.



Nickel Plate 190.



The SP&S 700 the day that I won the raffle!



ORN 197 in early stages of work that I saw at the Oregon Rail Heritage Center. SP&S 700 to the left of her.



ORN 197 awaiting reattachment at the appropriate time.



This photo gives you an idea of the size of these locomotives!



SP 4449 under steam with Union Station in the background, downtown Portland.



SP 4449 decorated one year for Holiday Express.

My favorite steam locomotive, the SP 4449 at Union Station

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My brother Howard came to visit on a Friday, flying in from Jackson, Mississippi. The next morning, October 20, 2012, we got up early in order not to miss the SP 4449 steaming out of Union Station, pulling the Deschutes Steam Special vintage rail cars on an excursion from Portland to Bend and back the next day. We stood around for a long time, waiting for a few memorable moments up close and personal with this beautiful machine. It was worth every bit of effort, every bit.

How I found the SP 4449 now and in the recent past. I adore this locomotive! I love the Oregon Rail Heritage Center!

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February 16, 2013, inside the Oregon Rail Heritage Center and from atop a set of stairs beside the Spokane, Portland & Seattle 700 steam locomotive, I took this photo looking across at the 16-foot tall SP 4449. You see two men and a youngster intimately involved with the steam locomotive in an all-encompassing, all-important process, explained thusly at the SP 4449 Web site:

Steam locomotives still in operation in the United States must undergo a federally-mandated inspection every 15 years. SP 4449's certification expires this year, which means there are no excursions planned while volunteers take apart and inspect the locomotive. . . . With the rebuild underway and expected to last 1-2 years, we'll also be fine-tuning and polishing up the locomotive for another 15 years of operation!

Also found on the Web site:

SP 4449 was built in 1941 as a GS-4 "Northern" type locomotive. A 4-8-4 wheel arrangement, she is 110' long, 10' wide and 16' tall. The locomotive and tender weighs 433 tons, and it operates with a boiler pressure of 300 psi. Her eight 80" diameter drivers and unique booster truck can apply 5,500 horsepower to the rails and exceed 100 mph. The only remaining operable "streamlined" steam locomotive of the Art Deco era, this grand Lady of the High Iron pulled Southern Pacific "Daylight" coaches from Los Angeles to San Francisco over the scenic Coast Route and then on to Portland until 1955. Retired to static display at Oaks Park in 1958, most thought SP 4449 would never run again. In 1974, she was selected to pull the American Freedom Train throughout the United States, and was subsequently rebuilt. SP 4449 ran for three years to the delight of over 30 million people. She is arguably one of the most beautiful locomotives ever built -- and kept that way by the all-volunteer Friends of SP 4449!
     

December 1, 2012, inside the Oregon Rail Heritage Center and from the top of a set of stairs that took me up beside the cab of the , I found the SP 4449 ready to leave the building and soon take part in the Holiday Express.

Framed for Christmas, No. 5

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Christmas lights, attached to the SP 4449 while she's still at home at the Oregon Rail Heritage Center, waiting her turn to take part in the 2012 Holiday Express which ends today. I'm not riding this year, but I count myself blessed to have been able to visit her at the museum, to walk along her length and think about the intricate and impressive workings of this steam locomotive and the skills of those who care for her.

Framed for Christmas, No. 4

For my birthday on December 12, 2008, Mama and I had tickets for the Oregon Rail Heritage Foundation's Holiday Express. Turned out that Mama had a head cold, it was raining and cold for Portland, so Leland went with me on a ride in a vintage railcar pulled by this magnificent steam locomotive, SP 4449. He took this photo for me because I was too short to get the entire locomotive in the shot, given the distance we were allowed to walk beyond the SP 4449.

If you're familiar with my blog, you realize that I adore this gigantic piece of machinery, so it should come as no surprise to you that one more image follows this one.

 



Massive strength and beauty, decorated for Christmas. I took this photo on December 1, 2012, at the Oregon Rail Heritage Center.

 If it fits your beliefs, join me in prayer for those impacted by the horrific tragedy in Connecticut.

SP 4449 Steam Locomotive, No. 6

Here she comes! Seconds later, steam surrounded me, and I giggled like a kid in a toy store who'd been told, "Take your pick!"
 

Good-bye to all those lucky, lucky folks aboard the Deschutes Steam Special.

 If you love steam locomotives, you’ll thoroughly enjoy the story and the video at this link.

SP 4449 Steam Locomotive, No. 5

Imagine with me for a few minutes. Forget that you know that the Willamette River is to the left of Union Station, in this photo. Look at the multi-story parking garage to the right of Union Station. See the metal flag flying atop it, at the corner. Imagine the parking garage to be a multi-deck river steamboat, waiting to begin its voyage, much like the train to be pulled by the SP 4449, once they're linked together, waits to begin its journey.



Here's a view of the steamboat American Queen which gives a bit of perspective to my imagination--from the left of that left-most smokestack, that is. I looked and looked at Google Images for a photo with a similar perspective as the parking garage in my photo--this one is the best I found. The steamboat is docked in Memphis due to low water level on the Mississippi River in August, 2012.
 

My brother Howard as he appears sans steam. Notice the rain on his hood and the bill of his cap. Wet we were, as Yoda would report.

SP 4449 Steam Locomotive, No. 4

Steam's heading our way as the SP 4449 continues to back up toward the line of vintage rail cars.
 

Steam enveloped my brother who stood closer to the tracks than I. Through the steam you can barely see the silver and orange stripes at the bottom of the front of the locomotive. Is that a cow-catcher?

Later on when the train pulled out, I myself stood even closer to the track than my brother in this photo.
Surrounded by steam in seconds, I soon realized that moisture covered my glasses and the camera lens. No photos of that--the camera couldn't find anything to focus on, and I was somewhat disoriented.

SP 4449 Steam Locomotive, No. 3

She's just about to stop and then begin to back up towards the line of vintage rail cars. Check out the man at the right edge of the photo--he's got her on his camera. Can't tell if he's shooting stills or video.
 

Steaming up for backing up.

SP 4449 Steam Locomotive, No. 2

Happy Birthday to my brother, Howard!
 

About to pass me by and cross the street in order to get the right amount of space between her and the line of vintage rail cars waiting beside Union Station, it's the magnificent SP 4449, seen through the chain link fence.
 

Coming closer, blowing massive amounts of hissing steam from all sorts of places, the SP 4449. The sight and sound brought a huge lump to my throat.

About this time, the grin splitting my face wide open grew even broader. I wish that I'd had enough sense to take out my iPhone and capture the sounds to share with you, to have to listen to whenever I wanted. My mind just didn't go there, consumed as it was by awe at the power I witnessed.

From the Oregon Rail Heritage Foundation's Web site:

Southern Pacific 4449
Built: 1941
Manufacturer: Lima Locomotive Works, Lima, OH
Length: 110’
Weight: 433 tons
Drive Wheel: 80”
Horsepower: 6,500
Boiler Pressure: 300 psi
Fuel: Oil
Donated to PDX: 1958
Volunteer Organization: Friends of the SP 4449

Built in 1941 as a 4-8-4 GS-4 locomotive, she is 110′ long, 10′ wide and 16′ tall. With locomotive and tender weighing 433 tons and a boiler pressure of 300 psi, her eight 80″ diameter drivers and unique firebox truck booster can apply 5,500 horsepower to the rails and exceed 100 mph.

The only remaining operable “streamlined” steam locomotive of the Art Deco era, this grand Lady of the High Iron pulled Southern Pacific “Daylight” coaches from Los Angeles to San Francisco over the scenic Coast Route and then on to Portland until 1955.

Retired to Oaks Park in 1958 for display only, many thought 4449 would never run again. In 1974 she was completely restored specifically to pull the 1976 Bicentennial Freedom Train throughout the United States to the delight of over 30 million people. SP 4449 has also operated numerous excursions since.

She is arguably one of the most beautiful locomotives ever built and kept that way by the all-volunteer Friends of SP 4449.