thanks for the great video. i have been in love with this locomotive since i was a little boy. it is the most beautiful train in the world!! i wish it could run more often...i live in northwest ohio, does it ever come throught these parts? would love to see it in person or purchase a ticket to ride..lol..
@koup1979 - Unfortunately mainline excursions got incredibly expensive in the post-9/11 world so she doesn't leave the Pacific NW much. The last time she was anywhere near Ohio was in 2009 when she went to Michigan for TrainFest. Thanks for your comment...I'm glad you enjoyed the video.
sure is a beautiful locomotive, everytime i watch this video the look of her makes me smile, i love classic steam engines especially the gs class bigboys and challengers awesome video
@wackymac28 - The horizontal one is call the atomizer and controls the flow of oil into the firebox. Steam locomotives are like cars in the fact that you can run them too rich or too lean and just like a car, it affects performance and fuel consumption. Today it's common for firemen to 'smoke it up' for crowds but back in the days of steam, it would have been an unnecessary waste of fuel and could have gotten you written up or even fired. A properly-fired locomotive will run a clean exhaust.
@Barricade360 - They originally ran on the coast route between Los Angeles and San Francisco and on the route through the valley, the trains commonly encountered Tule Fog which is a very thick fog. The horn was installed to penetrate this fog with greater directionality and allow people to clearly tell which way the train was coming from. Doyle hates how it sounds so it is rarely used.
@southern4501isawesom - If you have the funds, I highly suggest check out a book called 'SP Daylight Locomotives' by Robert Church. It is packed with photos (including GS-4s sans streamlining), technical specs, and even construction photos. It's not cheap but trust me, for the 4449 enthusiast it is worth every cent.
@97trainman - Doyle is chief mechanical officer (CMO) and engineer. The locomotives are owned by the City of Portland but to be quite honest, they couldn't give less of a shit if they wanted. But they won't sell them....
@deloreanman14 true, thats why they just sat the thing in a park and painted it, if the city was smart they would definitley sell the locomotive to the group or give them a place to stay instead of a crappy UP building
I Believe you are incorrect with which brake was the independent brake and automatic (train) brake. I would be interested in knowing whether or not the automatic brake is a 6 or an 8 brake. Either way very cool that it doesn't have a 26 brake, I always felt 26 brakes are for pussies. Thanks for posting.
I love the 4449. To those that have never seen it in person, this video does not do the sheer size of this beauty justice. I remember when they use to bring her down to the Oregon state fair (the only reason to go to that thing imo). At 6+ft tall, i am about the same size of the drive wheels alone! lol
I remember once, way back maybe 13 years ago, my dad and I stopped into the Brooklyn yard to check out some trains. We were just looking for somewhere to watch some freight moving around. So as we're wandering about, we happen upon the roundhouse, and the doors just so happened to be open. There, looming up and looking way, WAY bigger than the diesels, was 4449 and 700. I didn't appreciate what I was seeing, because I was something like six at the time. we even talked to Doyle once!
Thank you for calling me out on the GS-5 road numbers. I'll make a correction.
However, I got my information about the stars from Doyle himself. I'll ask again but I'm pretty sure he's told me numerous times that everything is roller bearing EXCEPT the drivers which are friction bearings.
it's correct that the Friends have installed roller bearings on all but the drivers. however, historically, the stars indicated the spring pad lubricators had been installed on friction bearings.
thanks for the great video. i have been in love with this locomotive since i was a little boy. it is the most beautiful train in the world!! i wish it could run more often...i live in northwest ohio, does it ever come throught these parts? would love to see it in person or purchase a ticket to ride..lol..
koup1979 6 days ago
@koup1979 - Unfortunately mainline excursions got incredibly expensive in the post-9/11 world so she doesn't leave the Pacific NW much. The last time she was anywhere near Ohio was in 2009 when she went to Michigan for TrainFest. Thanks for your comment...I'm glad you enjoyed the video.
deloreanman14 5 days ago
Im SO glad they had an airhorn on the GS steam engines....one of the best sounds in the world!
bond1011 2 months ago
sure is a beautiful locomotive, everytime i watch this video the look of her makes me smile, i love classic steam engines especially the gs class bigboys and challengers awesome video
Barricade360 3 months ago
whats that lever on the firemans side called?
wackymac28 5 months ago
@wackymac28 - The horizontal one is call the atomizer and controls the flow of oil into the firebox. Steam locomotives are like cars in the fact that you can run them too rich or too lean and just like a car, it affects performance and fuel consumption. Today it's common for firemen to 'smoke it up' for crowds but back in the days of steam, it would have been an unnecessary waste of fuel and could have gotten you written up or even fired. A properly-fired locomotive will run a clean exhaust.
deloreanman14 3 months ago
why did the gs series steam engines have air horns when they have whistles?
Barricade360 5 months ago
@Barricade360 - They originally ran on the coast route between Los Angeles and San Francisco and on the route through the valley, the trains commonly encountered Tule Fog which is a very thick fog. The horn was installed to penetrate this fog with greater directionality and allow people to clearly tell which way the train was coming from. Doyle hates how it sounds so it is rarely used.
deloreanman14 3 months ago
thank you. great video! its nice to see a beautiful loco up close like this :D
updaboodyhole2 6 months ago
@updaboodyhole2 - Glad you enjoyed it and thanks for taking the time to comment. :-)
deloreanman14 6 months ago
... i wonder what 4449 looks like with out stream lining
southern4501isawesom 7 months ago
@southern4501isawesom - If you have the funds, I highly suggest check out a book called 'SP Daylight Locomotives' by Robert Church. It is packed with photos (including GS-4s sans streamlining), technical specs, and even construction photos. It's not cheap but trust me, for the 4449 enthusiast it is worth every cent.
deloreanman14 7 months ago
the 4449 dose have rooller barings
daylight671 1 year ago
Does doyle own the 4449 or is he just the engineer of it? And who owns all the other locomotives?
97trainman 1 year ago
@97trainman - Doyle is chief mechanical officer (CMO) and engineer. The locomotives are owned by the City of Portland but to be quite honest, they couldn't give less of a shit if they wanted. But they won't sell them....
deloreanman14 1 year ago
@deloreanman14 true, thats why they just sat the thing in a park and painted it, if the city was smart they would definitley sell the locomotive to the group or give them a place to stay instead of a crappy UP building
lolz976 1 year ago
I Believe you are incorrect with which brake was the independent brake and automatic (train) brake. I would be interested in knowing whether or not the automatic brake is a 6 or an 8 brake. Either way very cool that it doesn't have a 26 brake, I always felt 26 brakes are for pussies. Thanks for posting.
OddlyEntertaining 1 year ago
I never knew there were brakes on the leading trucks.
NorfolkSoutherncats 1 year ago
I love the 4449. To those that have never seen it in person, this video does not do the sheer size of this beauty justice. I remember when they use to bring her down to the Oregon state fair (the only reason to go to that thing imo). At 6+ft tall, i am about the same size of the drive wheels alone! lol
salemcripple 1 year ago
I remember once, way back maybe 13 years ago, my dad and I stopped into the Brooklyn yard to check out some trains. We were just looking for somewhere to watch some freight moving around. So as we're wandering about, we happen upon the roundhouse, and the doors just so happened to be open. There, looming up and looking way, WAY bigger than the diesels, was 4449 and 700. I didn't appreciate what I was seeing, because I was something like six at the time. we even talked to Doyle once!
JETZcorp 1 year ago
I Did last time when i was in portland 3 years ago
jjsd1996 1 year ago
Comment removed
DanielVolker 2 years ago
great video, however: stars indicate SP's spring pad lubricators. the GS-5's were 4458 and 4459.
Elsa4449 2 years ago
Thank you for calling me out on the GS-5 road numbers. I'll make a correction.
However, I got my information about the stars from Doyle himself. I'll ask again but I'm pretty sure he's told me numerous times that everything is roller bearing EXCEPT the drivers which are friction bearings.
deloreanman14 2 years ago
I think I replied to the wrong person, sorry
Elsa4449 2 years ago
@Elsa4449 GS-4's weigh 368,000 pounds it self GS-5's had heavy roller bearings making them 7800+ pounds heavier which means 375,800 pounds.
mark10788 4 months ago
Great video 5* great information, and very interesting to see the inside of the cab
ervans 2 years ago
Thanks, man. I appreciate it.
deloreanman14 2 years ago
it's correct that the Friends have installed roller bearings on all but the drivers. however, historically, the stars indicated the spring pad lubricators had been installed on friction bearings.
Elsa4449 2 years ago
Comment removed
DanielVolker 2 years ago
Whenever I can. I just shot this today and I'll probably be down on Sunday.
deloreanman14 2 years ago