There's nothing like a steam engine and a five-chime steam whistle across the valley! My memory from 6 years old and I'm now pushing 70! The southern Pacific Daylight is probably the finest looking steam engine ever to roll on rails
Southern Pacific 4449 is always a thrill to observe in operation and it has a unique and attractive paint scheme to accompany it's streamlined skirting design. I always enjoy seeing the 4449 race along the tracks at speed and I really enjoy hearing that whistle, from my perspective the 4449's whistle sounded best during the time period of 1984-2009 which I enjoyed the best.
The diesel supplies electricity for heating,lighting and air conditioning to the train,dynamic braking where necessary,and an emergency push if there is a major failure on the steam locomotive.
i dont think the cars are around anymore, and if they are friends of 4449 doesn't own them sadly. maybe down the line, UP will restore a set and take on 4449.
There are Daylight cars around. Several of them are located at the Oregon Rail Heritage Center (ORHC): DLMX Baggage car 5659 Gordon N. Zimmerman, DLMX Steam generator car 8645 Little Boy (soon to pe painted into Empire Builder colors), DLMX Sleeper car 2444 Magnolia Grove (soon to be painted into Sunset Limited colors), DLMX coach car 1210 Plum Creek (soon to be painted into Daylight colors), DLMX Lounge car 498 Travelers Rest (currently painted in NP North Coast Limited colors, but I've been told that next time it needs to be repainted, they will do Daylight colors), PNWC coach car 6800 Red River, and DLMX Round end observation car 2955 James J. Gilmore. Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad (OCSR) in Tillamook has one Daylight coach car NRM/OCSR 2202, and one Daylight baggage ex MLIX 202 (now OCSR 202). There is a Daylight Combine car in Beaverton, Oregon PNWC 3300 Miln D. Gillespie. There is a set of Daylight cars in California on the Northwestern Pacific Railroad (NWP) that are being restored to operational condition in Los Angeles, California. Niles Canyon Railway (NCRY) has a Daylight coach car (297) if I remember correctly, a Daylight triple-unit Diner car, and a Daylight heavyweight RPO car. Orange Empire Railway Museum (OERM) has at least one Daylight car that I remember. Golden Gate Railroad Museum (GGRM) has one Daylight car. Montana Rail Link (MRL) has a twin-unit Daylight coach car set currently in use on their executive OCS train, painted in MRL colors. There was a twin-unit Daylight car set that was permanently wrecked in an accident on the Algoma Central Railroad (ACR) in Canada. Two Shasta Daylight RPO cars owned by Oregon Rail Heritage Foundation (ORHF) were just sold, no idea where to. California State Railroad Museum Foundation (CSRMF) in Sacramento has two Daylight cars that ran once behind SP 4449. UP's heritage passenger car fleet also has several ex SP passenger cars (at least a few that had been known to previously be in Daylight colors), now running behind UP 844 and UP 4014. The UP shop complex in Cheyenne, Wyoming also has a heavyweight Daylight car, hidden away behind the roundhouse. Private car Overland Trail (that was once in Daylight colors) is now one of two private cars leased to the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad (WMSR). One other former Daylight car survives somewhere on the east coast.
4 of the 8 downvotes as of this comment are probably people upset about the diesel, the other 4 are doubtless people whining about seeing a loco with equipment from other roadnames behind her. I hear the diesel chugging as the train passes by early on, but it definitely sounds like it's in idle, only running to supply HEP. The movement and the speed are all 4449. Take note, people who do showcase videos of your model Daylights in operation: they should not spend the entire video meandering along like a recreational excursion train.
You're correct about the diesel. I've talked with the 4449 guys and they said the diesel is there for insurance; They run on Amtrak's cheaper insurance and to qualify for that they have to have an Amtrak engine in the consist. They almost never use the diesel for power; it idles or is turned off. Rarely even provides HEP. And if you don't like a diesel in your picture, well, that's what photoshop is for.
+Xxxkingdoge43xx Navales It would be unlikely. Not to mention the fact that the train would be without heat or air conditioning. 4449 can't produce enough juice to support a modern excursion train.
(not Kaitlynn) Very cool, I see it has some Milwaukee Railroad Hiawatha Coaches. The end car for sure. The Milwaukee F7 Locomotive was very nice looking and the fastest steam engine it is said to have run at 120 mph. To bad all were scrapped. Not to take anything away from this beauty.
Great Video!! My friends and I must have been standing right next to you in Minnesota City because we all got that same shot!! I love all of your shots and to think the 4449 was just out here in 09 still blows me away! I had a great time chasing and working on here when she was here in town!
Why wasn't I aware of this 10 years ago?!? Ilive an hour north of the Twin Cities, and I have the Skyfire documentary of this legendary beauty!! Also, at first I though the video was sped up. She was booking it!!
Superb video and wonderful to see one these magnificent locos at speed! I loved the side by side chase along the highway - breath taking! Was she doing about 70 mph? Thanks for a great video from Ken in Scotland UK
@salemcripple Amen. They are amazingly majestic machines that can't be fully appreciated until they are in motion. The fact that 4449 was saved at all was a sheer stroke of luck. If it hadn't been for one fateful phone call, nobody would know what a Daylight steam locomotive was.
i love how they use Milwaukee road passenger cars to try and keep as much realism as possible. i just wish they had a P42 fleet painted by amtrak in daylight livery with Southern Pacific Lines on the sides. i also wish that they could paint all those coaches in daylight livery.
+Noah whitehouse (BNSF9643) I'm pretty certain those are privately owned cars to start with, because I see many of the same cars behind Milwaukee Road 261. I wish 4449 had matching cars like in the 90's..
@Trackagerights This was a ferry move (w/ tickets sold) to return the 4449 and Friends of the 261 coaches to Minneapolis after Train Festival in Owosso, MI. This consist traveled from Chicago to Minneapolis. I believe the other coaches were dropped off in Chicago.
I know guys, there is actually no need to paste music into this BUT: just do it at 3:19 with "Choo choo ch´boggie" from Louis Jordan and i think you´ll all see it´s just perfection :) Everytime i listen to this song this scene is running through my head!
This is how great machines should be remembered. On the road, doing what they were meant to do (while still being cared for of course). Not coped up in a museum someplace.
My dieing wish to be on the footplate of 4449 or 844 flying down the rails at70mph and hanging on to that whistle cord and making it sing its beautiful song. Music to my ears.
@Conductor261 Yeah, I was closest to the tracks and there were probably 2-3 guys next to me. Hard to believe it was already 2 years ago. I hope 261 is running again in 2012.
I didn't know Daylight had 2 tenders. Now America has its OWN Flying Scotsman. Does anyone know if this double-tendered Daylight is available anywhere as Train Simulator DLC? Or Trainz?
Wonder if this Orange Beauty will over show up in Texas? After all, SP was big here in Texas. After all, UP often run their Big Boys round these parts every so often, like to see SP follow suit.
3:23 Now.. Thats Racing The southern Pacific... your car must be really fast.. yes i mean REALLY REALLY REALLY FAST. Speed is key!!!!!!!!!!! *jumps off train car roof*
He's gotta be hitting maybe 80, roughly 90 MPH. Guy's lucky the cops weren't around. I don't think "I was chasing Daylight!" would work as an excuse for speeding. But it'd be damn worth it!
SP 4449 was only doing 79 MPH, as allowed by Amtrak and BNSF safety regulations for passenger trains. I work with a retired FRA official who said that 4449 only hit 80 MPH top speed on this trip.
how come union pacific is the only company that lets their trains use coaches will the same paint scheme. nowadays, trains like day light or other random steamies pull mixed random coaches with different shapes and paint schemes.
@deloreanman14 exactly! And yet you get people who say they should be scrapped or pent up, collecting dust in the corner of some rail museum somewhere.
@deloreanman14 I think rail fans would still know what the daylight was. I know i would! Especially since i live in the city where it is stored, and has made it's "home" since it's decommissioning.
I'm british and that's one of my most favorite lcomotive's in the world. It would be cool if that loco and its passenger cars could come and do a tour of england like how flying scotsman had done a tour of america in 1969 - 1972.
To bigdan4712..... FYI I have ridden behind 4449 at better than 70 mph many times. This locomotive the way it is maintained by the Friends of 4449 and Doyle is every bit as capable of speeds of in excess of 90mph as when it was built. Amtrash unit is probably in worse mechanical shape than this 65+ year old locomotive.
@salemcripple - People would know what it was but I think it's best if you compare it to a Pennsylvania RR T1 steam locomotive; around 50 were build and none were preserved. I can't help but look at that and say, "Wow...must have been amazing to see that in real life."
