# Daylight info



## steam chaser (Feb 21, 2011)

Does anyone happen to know if the sp 4449 daylight was ever used on the shasta route between Oakland pier California and Portland Oregon.I know that in july of 1949 was when the southern pacific started using emd e 7s but switched to Alco s due to better traction motors.appreciate the info


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## Bwells (Mar 30, 2014)

Here is a bump. I'm interested in this also.


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## Bwells (Mar 30, 2014)

It doesn't look like the 4449 left Calif. Here is a short wiki


Southern Pacific 4449
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (June 2011)
Southern Pacific 4449
Night session june 23 2011 033xRP - Flickr - drewj1946.jpg
SP 4449 under steam in Tacoma, WA in June, 2011.
Type and origin
Power type	Steam
Builder	Lima Locomotive Works
Serial number	7817
Build date	May 1941
Specifications
Configuration	4-8-4
Gauge	4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Driver diameter	80 in (2,032 mm)
Weight on drivers	275,700 lb (125,100 kg)
Locomotive weight	475,000 lb (215,000 kg)[1]
Locomotive and tender
combined weight	870,000 lb (390,000 kg)[2]
Fuel type	Bunker oil
Cylinder size	25.5 in × 32 in (648 mm × 813 mm)
dia × stroke
Performance figures
Maximum speed	110 mph (180 km/h)
Power output	5,500 hp (4,100 kW)
Tractive effort	64,800 lbf (288,000 N), 78,000 lbf (350,000 N) with booster
Factor of
adhesion	4.25
Career
Operator(s)	Southern Pacific
Class	GS-4
Number in class	28
Number(s)	4449
Nicknames	"The Daylight"
First run	May 30, 1941
Retired	October 2, 1957
Restored	Removed from Oaks Park on December 14, 1974
Current owner	City of Portland, Oregon
Disposition	Currently going through 15-year inspection and overhaul; based in Portland, Oregon, at the Oregon Rail Heritage Center
Southern Pacific 4449 is the only surviving example of Southern Pacific Railroad's (SP) GS-4 class of steam locomotives. There is one other GS-class locomotive surviving, but it is a GS-6. The locomotive is a streamlined 4-8-4 (Northern) type steam locomotive. GS is abbreviated from "Golden State", a nickname for California (where the locomotive was operated in regular service), or "General Service". The locomotive was built by Lima Locomotive Works in Lima, Ohio, for SP in May 1941; it received the red-and-orange "Daylight" paint scheme for the passenger trains of the same name which it hauled for most of its service career. No. 4449 was retired from revenue service in 1956 and put into storage. In 1958 it was donated, by the railroad, to the City of Portland, who then put it on static display in Oaks Amusement Park, where it remained until 1974. It was restored to operation for use in the American Freedom Train, which toured the 48 contiguous United States for the American Bicentennial celebrations. Since then, 4449 has been operated in excursion service throughout the continental US; its operations are based at the Oregon Rail Heritage Center in Portland, where it is maintained by a group of dedicated volunteers called Friends of SP 4449. In 1983, a poll of Trains magazine readers chose the 4449 as the most popular locomotive in the nation.[3]


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## Hot Water (Oct 24, 2015)

I recall that someone found some of the old SP Brooklyn Roundhouse records, and determined that 4449 had made it to Portland, OR occasionally. No indication of what passenger train she handled, however. You might try contacting the Friends of SP 4449 and inquire if anyone did save those roundhouse records.


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## steam chaser (Feb 21, 2011)

Thanks bwells and hot water , appreciate the info


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## Old_Hobo (Feb 20, 2014)

There's nothing in that story that says it stayed only in California.....


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## Frisco Firefly (May 17, 2012)

I have often wondered if the daylight engines ever pulled freight trains. I ran across this YouTube video called Railroadin' 1941. Somewhere around 2 minutes it looks Daylight pulling a freight train.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4sQJ4TNP80


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## Hot Water (Oct 24, 2015)

Frisco Firefly said:


> I have often wondered if the daylight engines ever pulled freight trains. I ran across this YouTube video called Railroadin' 1941. Somewhere around 2 minutes it looks Daylight pulling a freight train.
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4sQJ4TNP80


Yes, the GS class locomotives started handling all sorts of freight trains, beginning in the early 1950s. In fact, there was a 2nd class freight on the coast route, that operated at night with a GS class northern, and carried a Harriman coach on the rear for the crew and any possible passengers. There are also lots of photos of GS class northers in freight service on the San Joaquin Valley line.


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## Viperjim1 (Mar 19, 2015)

I believe the Shasta was the 4450 same colors , if I'm not mistaken I believe one was a morning run and the other an evening run, but then again I thought I was wrong once , but found out I was only mistaken!


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## Hot Water (Oct 24, 2015)

Viperjim1 said:


> I believe the Shasta was the 4450 same colors , if I'm not mistaken I believe one was a morning run and the other an evening run, but then again I thought I was wrong once , but found out I was only mistaken!


I believe you are confusing the Shasta Daylight train numbers with GS-4 locomotive class road numbers, as 4450 was just another GS-4 4-8-4 steam locomotive.


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## Viperjim1 (Mar 19, 2015)

I looked up Shasta daylight and what came up was the Shasta was the name of the first diesel to pull the daylight during the transition from steam to diesel and pulled the daylight past Mt. Shasta in the daytime.
You can find out also San Joquin , Shasta , and the Sunset, and daylight. Just put it in your google search . Hope this helps.


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## Hot Water (Oct 24, 2015)

Viperjim1 said:


> I looked up Shasta daylight and what came up was the Shasta was the name of the first diesel to pull the daylight during the transition from steam to diesel and pulled the daylight past Mt. Shasta in the daytime.
> You can find out also San Joquin , Shasta , and the Sunset, and daylight. Just put it in your google search . Hope this helps.


Just my opinion but, I really don't hold much with all that "Google search crap" and the various sources they may com up with. You might want to look at the books Daylight Passenger Trains" by Richard K. Wright and "Daylight Steam locomotives" by Robert J. Church. Both books are the definitive authorities on Southern Pacific passenger train operations in the steam era, and early diesel era. Also, for what it's worth, the SP did NOT name any of their diesel units. Names such as "Shasta Daylight", "Noon Daylight", "The Lark" ,and the "Sunset :limited" for example, were ALL names of passenger trains.


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## Viperjim1 (Mar 19, 2015)

Yes you are correct!


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## steam chaser (Feb 21, 2011)

Thanks for all the help and info, I appreciate it fellas.


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## Viperjim1 (Mar 19, 2015)

I had rode on the daylight back in 09 when it came to Owasso mi. For steam fest and rode it to Chicago I model the daylight so it was a bucket list thing and what a trip😋😍


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## Hot Water (Oct 24, 2015)

Viperjim1 said:


> I had rode on the daylight back in 09 when it came to Owasso mi. For steam fest and rode it to Chicago I model the daylight so it was a bucket list thing and what a trip😋😍


So,,,you rode the Amtrak Steam Special. Glad you had a nice time. How far did you ride the train? The entire trip from Portland, OR to Train Festival? I can tell you we all had a great time, and good old 4449 performed flawlessly all the way to Michigan and back to Portland.


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## Viperjim1 (Mar 19, 2015)

*Daylight*

I rode it from Durand to where it turned off I believe in Indiana and the Amtrak took us the rest of the way to Chicago station.


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