SP 4449 leaving Staples, MN on 7.9.2009

Southern Pacific's Daylight 4449 leaves Staples, MN after a quick service stop. Amtrak 23 is helping SP 4449. Taken at 11:33 a.m. on July 9th, 2009 along the BNSF Staples Sub. BNSF 4330 left Staples about a minute after SP 4449 left.

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

[MrFelt1000]

is this the actual 4449 amaracan fredom train or is it a mock up

[xkinslyc]

@MrFelt1000 This is the actual American Freedom train.

[jomosavwa]

I no its a steam loco , but can anyone tell me what fires the fire, is it wood coal, or is it using LIke LPG Gas, cause this thing is burning very clean no black smoke like wood fires would make.

[xkinslyc]

it be an oil burner.

[hekkjestol]

Is there an electric locomotive to push, or is it just steam?

[xkinslyc]

The train is being pulled purely by 4449. The Amtrak unit's only duty is to generate electricity for the passenger cars.

[maganaonline]

With the price of oil these days, I wonder if at some point it'll make sense to go back to coal powered loco motives? Modern technology applied to designing a new steam engine would be so sweet!

[TokoroaAce]

Yes,nice to see that the fireman, knows his stuff.When an oil burning locomotive is being fired properly,there should only be a light grey haze,from the stack.A lot of railfans ,think that only when there is a lot of black smoke from the stack,that the loco is being fired right.When you feed to much oil, into the fire,you not only get black smoke,but also the oil clogs up the fire tubes,you then have to put sand through them,when the loco is working hard,which scores the tubes.

[1966gto1000]

There'a s no comparison when #4449 is sitting alongside that rusty ol' diesel. They should bring back steam locomotives....in spite of the likes of the Obama administration, who wholeheartedly HATES anything that smacks of old America(Americana) or good old Western culture. God I hope we get a new president.

[theMuffinMan9999]

@xkinslyc Also as backup, all trains have backup loco

[WTFGamingUSA]

That's close where i live, lolz

[butterflykitty76]

LOVE the two little boys who get so excited! My son loves these videos. thank you!

[railfanatic844]

it looked like the old girl was fighting for that start a little bit

[LoneSniperSG]

@xkinslyc That and the federally-mandated Dynamic braking system that it has too.

[Petemonster62]

Years ago when 4449 was in regular service; each passenger car had its own electrical system. Each car's electrical system consisted of a direct current generator that was spun by the car's wheels, & a set of batteries. To simplify passenger car maintenance; Amtrak went with Head End Power ( HEP ) - using an alternating current generator on board the locomotive to send power to all of the passenger cars.

[Blackboilingrobotoil]

I bet that BNSF would bow if it could.