What route will historic steam locomotive SP4449 run?
Lots of little boys and girls grow up playing with train sets. Many of those children carry their love of trains into their adult life, working on either the toy version, or perhaps working with the real thing. Whether you have a fascination for trains or not, you might have enjoyed and appreciated seeing the Southern Pacific 4449 steam locomotive that rolled through Cut Bank on Sunday, July 5. The SP4449 was en route to Owosso, Mich., for the 2009 Train Festival, having left its home in Portland, Ore. on July 3. The big deal about this steam locomotive is twofold. First, very few steam locomotives are in existence in the world of railcars anymore. Second, it is the only “living” and running one of its kind remaining from the Southern Pacific’s GS-4 class of steam locomotives. The GS stands for General Service or Golden State, which is where this locomotive conducted most of its regular service. “This is by far the most famous locomotive in America,” said former Cut Bank resident, Mark
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
Locomotive to steam through tri-state area Clinton Herald – Jul 17, 2009 Historic steam locomotive SP 4449 will run the route of the former Chicago, Burlington and Quincy, now BNSF, through La Crosse, Wis. Sources: http://www.clintonherald.com/local/local_story_198103522.
