Locomotive 4449 Southern Pacific "Daylight" leaving Chicago

This was shot on 08/02/09 just outside Chicago

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!

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• Locomotive
• 4449
• Southern
• Pacific
• Daylight
• old
• train
• streamlined
• steam
• vintage
• art
• deco

[JoelBassett]

Great video but why is that Amtrak diesel unit hiding behind the tender?

[TreasureFiend]

I have no clue.

[thEannoyingE]

Wow, what's she doing on a current railway?

[railman2015]

@JoelBassett I think the Amtrak is not only used to help but i think the generator of the loco provides the passenger cars with electricity

[Dinosorable]

@TreasureFiend I think the Amtrak diesel is there to help her. They're called "helper engines." Diesels use those a lot.

[SteffanLlwyd]

Magnificent. Thanks for posting.

[6709ify]

The chuffing from 0:57 - 1:10 I thought was awesome.

[DetectorOCD]

Yeeeahhh sweet shot with the train, buddy

[aheartattack1]

@TreasureFiend its for HEP "head end power" it supplies the electricity for the rest of the train, the steamer is doing the pulling.

[pepperkitty]

Wow, absolutely awesome!

Thank you very much for posting it up!