I am a retired S P locomotive engineer, 1950 -1996, and I had the pleasure of running the 4449, one time.

I am so glad that I had the opportunity to work this engine before I retired from my job as a locomotive engineer with SP, before I retired

What a GORGEOUS Locomotive! My Dad was a railroad man and I wished he was here with me to enjoy KZfaq and see this. I'm his daughter and seeing these steam trains and hearing the whistles blow makes me cry thinking of my dad and his love of trains.

I love how big and majestic steam locomotives can be. They are like Mythical Creatures. None express this more than the SP 4449 and the N&W 611. The way they bellow when departing, roar when gliding through the fields, sing when reaching a crossing, its amazing.

Look at her run. Sheer power. She's beautiful. It is good to see some of these old beauties still around and being restored. Even better that they are not stuck in a museum but are out on the rails doing what they were built for.

Love watching the steamers run; I grew up at the turn of the era from steam to diesel electric, and have fond memories of both types, but mainly the steam locomotives. We lived a block from the Southern Pacific main line running east out of Los Angeles, and I had to cross the line twice on my way to school and home again, and always stopped to wait and watch the trains go by. This video reminded me of my trip from Memphis, Tennessee back to the west coast in December of 1960. I was in the Navy, and being transferred to San Diego, with a two week leave at my home in Twentynine Palms, California. In Memphis, they put together a group of cars that they added to a train that was set up to be completely military. I don't know where it originated, but they stuck the six or so cars that were boarded in Memphis into it, and we headed on west, a whole train full of all branches of the military. And, the significant thing about it was, the train was powered by a double headed set of steam locomotives. Along the way, they would come through the cars and call for people going to certain places to go to certain cars, and they would stop and switch those cars off at some spot, or stop and pick up cars at others. The train resembled that one in the video, only somewhat longer. When the train left Phoenix, Arizona, heading toward Los Angeles, the conductor came through calling for me by name, and moved me to a certain car and told me to be there at a certain time, because they were going to make a stop at Palm Springs to put me off and they wanted to be sure I got there. At straight up midnight on December 23, 1960, the train whistled the stop, and they put me off at a closed station out in the desert about ten miles from anywhere. There was a pay phone booth on the station platform, and I called my folks to tell where I was, and my dad made the hour and some drive to get me. I spent a great quiet hour and a bit looking at the clear desert sky, sucking in the clean winter desert air, and singing with the coyotes.

Saw the 4449 one time in person .I think it is so great to be running for people to see .

What a wonderful sound! "Comin through!!-move over!!"

Without a doubt one of the most beautiful steam engines ever created !!!

If I was the engineer on that locomotive I'd be blowing that exhilarating whistle at every crossing even if I was the only human left of the planet.

One of the best looking locomotives ever! Love that whistle!

What a gorgeous machine. Look at those drivers dance. It's something to see, for sure.

That is the best looking steam locomotive I have ever seen

Must be the most beautiful locomotive ever built. Great video.

Thank you to whomever was so diligent in filming MY engine SP4449 so I could ride along with her!

All the active steam locomotives today certainly have their charm, but the 4449's clean lines & stunning paint job make her the sleekest and most beautiful of them all.The 4449 may not be faster than the others, but she sure looks like she oughta be.

These are like living animals. Breathing and whistling. They have soul.

This is kinda what I imagined "orange blossom special" would look like when I heard that song. Beautiful locomotive. 👍

Another five stars from Germany for the beautiful loco in the sun. I like also the dirty car at 1:45. It took a very long way to met the trainfestival. At 3:00 there is a old lorry to be seen, nice to put it on a modelrailroad-layout!

Before videos of this train, I had only seen steam trains actually operating in movies...old movies. I am 52 and this is one of the coolest things I have ever seen...and I have seen and done a boat load of cool things in my life. Just an amazing machine. Just realized thus video is almost 10 years old. Wtf?

As a child, I used to run alongside these 4-8-4s (the Daylight train) when they were leaving the stations in Pomona or Ontario (both in California). Of course, the trains would soon pass me by.

TrainFestival 2009 is Americas Largest Celebration of Railroading and will include 8 steam locomotives under steam, This family event is being held as a fund raiser to keep operating Pere Marquette steam locomotive no. 1225. This locomotive owned by the Steam Railroading Institute of Owosso, MI is due for FRA re-certification in 2010. This locomotive is best known as the steam locomotive portrayed in the animated movie The Polar Express.

Welded rail, excellent laid tracks, being able to run at speeds she is capable of running, priceless. I'm happy for her. They are the closest thing to a living machine. Was able to see her in Michigan. Teared up, just so beautiful.

That was a great trip. My wife, son and I rode in the last 2 cars, plus standing taking video on the Katy business car porch. We rode from Havre to Spokane, 2 segments. Once in a lifetime trip. Unless we get a new administration that’s pro-Amtrak, and get new leadership in Amtrak, we will probably never see this kind of special trains again. Thanks fo posting this video, as it brings back great memories of 11 years ago. Boy, how time flies by. Dave

I've got this train with all 8 of its original cars as an electric HO scale motel😄

EXTREMAMENTE VÊ-LOS COM CORES FORTES E IMPONENTES!!! MARAVILHA DE MÁQUINA.

Love that chuff, chuff as it pulls away from the station. It brings back memories of the early 1950's when my brothers and I would race to the tacks when we heard a steam whistle on the B&O east of Olney. If it was slowing down, we'd race west on East North to the station, a mile or so, two or three minutes on our bikes. I think they were using fuel oil by then, but they often needed to take on water.

My first and still favorite looking steam locomotive of all time

Fun video, pacing a big steam locomotive at passenger speed is very fun. I got to pace the 4449 back in about 1992 or so between the Yolo causeway and Davis CA on the frontage road parallel to the Old Sacramento-Oakland main line and the 4449 was going 79 mph.

We just do it for the youTube viewers & were Glad to hear that you like 'em Thank You

The baleful whistle so unique and the beauty of this run is there is no Diesel pushing at the rear.

Thank you for the upload this locomotive is a beautiful machine.

That’s a very beautiful video. Good job. I am glad I got to see it.

Excellent video.Mother of all Rail Engines, thank you for uploading from India

Please forgive me, I'm using my wife's YT account to post my comment. I'm a retired Army Infantryman (1983-2009) and was in the Gulf War and OIF 1. Skip, thanks for posting this and other great videos, many of us are unable to do what you do and I thank you. SP 4449 and I have a long history, I grew up in Northern California and Southern Oregon (Dunsmuir and Klamath Falls) and the first steam engine I ever saw running was when the Freedom Train came to Dunsmuir in 1976 when I was 11. We lived next to the mainline tracks and I saw a huge cloud of white steam off in the distance and then heard its whistle, it made the hair on my neck stand up, never heard anything like it. Then later on in 1993 I was assigned as the Army Recruiter in K-Falls for a couple years and I was down in Dorris, CA which is on the border with California and Oregon on Hwy 97. The gate guards came down while I was driving and I was the front car waiting for the train. Same thing happened when I was a boy, off in the distance I saw a huge billowing cloud of steam getting closer and I told myself, no, this can't be and she flew by me at 70 MPH! I was in my uniform so this time I got out of the government car and rendered a proper salute to her. Made me feel proud that our country made that amazing locomotive. I now live in San Antonio and I'm a member of our local model railroad club (SAMRA) and you're welcome to stop by if in town.

What a striking vehicle, one of my all time favourites. This is the type burt lancaster and kirk douglas stole in tough guys. They refetted to it as the gold caost flyer. A couple of years ago a purchased a bacchman double o replica. Beutiful peice of equipment.👍

this is just beautiful if only everyone could see this THIS IS THE SPIRIT OF OUR COUNTRY also i HATE that the amtrack is behind it!!! i know its there for help but these trains have been around for years there relible just let it go byitself!!

Oh why are American trains so gorgeous? With the best sounds ever! xx 😊💖

👑ONE OF THE 👑 QUEENS OF THE RAILS 👑

Daylight and the Big Boy. Legendary Machines until to this day. Period

Thumbs up for the guys keeping this lagecy beauty alive. And thumbs up for sharing this vid. Personally I am a two stroke low RPM marine diesel enthousiast, but oh man....isn't this beautiful.....

OMG that was awesome!!!!! nothing like a steam engine thundering and vibrating at a high rate of speed. You can feel the vibrations in your body when watching up close.

Once again Skip I must say you have some of the best steam pacing videos out there. You've definatly covered western steam as good as anybody out there and I thank you for doing so.

Gave me goosebumps, just by thinking in all the history behind this beauty. It is crazy to see how we had advanced technologically and how we moved from steam to the trains we have nowadays. Its crazy.

They're like ghosts on the line. As a kid my dad had a 8 track of Merle Haggard called My Love Affair With Trains. I listened to that all the time. Makes me want to hear Silver Ghost as I watch these.

LOVE this Locomotive, I had the experience to go on it in Oregon, unbelievable footage you got. I subscribed 👍😎

What a beautiful train! Really pretty color scheme too. Would be awesome to see it for real. It looks huge. Great sound too. Thanks for sharing.

I think 4449 was the nicest looking locomotive.... Don't know why some of the others weren't dressed up. And that bad boy is Huge. I saw it once in Berkeley, and the drive wheels were taller than me.

I was like 10 yo when I saw this engine roll through it made my day lol and hearing it whistle in real life omg beautiful

I see the California Zephyr dome cars & dome-observation are in the middle of the consist. When the train was eastbound through Minnesota, those cars were on the rear with the dome-observation's neon tail sign clearly visible.

Gorgeous locomotive with Art Deco lines. Possibly the most beautiful steam engine ever built.

What a car at 1:45 lol, great video, thank you so much Skip :)

Que padre se ve este tren!, gracias 🙏 por subir este video!. ❤️❤️❤️😊😊😊💕💕🇲🇽

She is one of my favorits trains over the world, a fast beautiful beast.

I showed this video to a friend of mine who doesn't care much for trains and asked him what he thought of 4449's whistle "Haunting...but beautiful"

i used to ride this sp4449 between L.A. to S.F. back in the '50's.. it was on a regular schedule back then { the daylight} & we thought nothing of it.,.

Henry Flagler was a pioneer in his day. They actually do have one of his business rail cars from the Pullman company at the Whitehall house museum in Palm Beach, FL. They've done a marvelous job restoring it, but unfortunately, I don't have a video of that as it's been a few years since I was last down there.

what a beauty this engine is. would love to see it in action for real

After successful of TrainFestival 2009 in Owosso, Michigan, 4449 was on her way home to Portland, Oregon.

Man that loco can sing! Beautiful. Thanks for posting.

I could watch these all day,goose bumps!!!!!

the older trains have more attitude

this big guy has an awesome whistle

Magnificent is an understatement!

Awesome engine! Thank you!

Beautiful machine, look at her run

It’s a great locomotive love it I’m glad for it to still be around

The steam engines are a thing of grand beauty, an awesome projection of power and grace.... may they forever cross the American landscapes, bringing us sounds and thrills... best described by poets... and lovers of trains..

these engines need to get run as much as possible.

She’s a beauty! I love the fact that Doyle left the bell on.

Great job filming and keeping vehicle speed just right. All train sound the whole time. Thank you for your efforts.

Fantastic! I would like to experience this. Love trains and seeing one like this working, is a dream come true.

Very fine and powerful locomotive Engine and the speed with which it perfectly runs is really appreciable. I think these are not in use. Really very pleasent to see such heavy powered Locomotives. Kindly go on relay such other Locomotives also. S.A.Munawar. Deputy Controller , Retd.

Blowing the horn in Montana big sky beautiful mountains great picture keep it up

That is the best looking and sounding steam train in the world

Thank you so much for these shots!

Absolutely marvelous. What a beautiful monster she is. Pity they couldn't have the whole train in the same livery, and a shame they had to use an AMTRAK diesel as backup, just spoilt the effect.

Incredible... love the horn.... a sweet oldtimer

Watching this beast NEVER gets old..

Fantastic ! Thank you very much

What absolutely beautiful machine . 👍

What a Beautiful train.old is gold.

Take a good look it the 4449. You will be lucky to ever see this locomotive run again. Amtrak has banned ALL charter trains expect for the WV New River train. They will no longer support these kinds of excursions. If this makes you mad, which it better, demand your US Senators take action against the current Amtrak regime that has become anti-train.

I really enjoyed this video! Fun, fascinating, yet relaxing. Thanks for posting it.

Wow! Majestic and king of the rails!

Some nice pacing!

great pace video of 4449 my favorite heading back home after days of the Owosso train Festival

Amazing high tech and cutting edge high style at the time these models were developed. Caused a lot of excitement. Still very compelling to look at today just like certain classic cars and trucks.

What a beautiful looking locomotive.

There is so much about a steam locomotive that makes it so much more impressive and so much cooler than a diesel electric.

That sure looks like an old Milwaukee Road Hiawatha parlor car at the end. Beautiful!!

This is what used to be, "Made in America." Now America can't even make a good, family sedan for a fair price.

WHAT A BEAUTIFUL ENGINE & COLORS!

Great video as always...I like IT!!!! ..... Regards from Romania

Nice romantic locomotive! Wonderful film!

ITS MY TRAIN FAVORITE...!🤩😍

Fabulous to see them doing what they were built for.....running free!

Simply fantastic.

it is clear that he loves the simple mechanics, can not ignore the high technology in times that ignored certain countries, these advances have been unusual due to lack of information, knowledge that today we can enjoy thanks to KZfaq, this must never leave out and we must have recognition. I admire people with their high experience and professionalism difficult, complicated prática that time was evidently giving these men that we observe in the video already have an age where other countries would be retired or retired. Our thanks go to those with patience and dedication filmed these videos are very instructive in order to show our grandchildren as it came to translate success in these great engineers, technicians and workers of level because not everyone although perhaps not possess expertise , they can not but be highly trained to compañar large assembly and repairs following accidents, failures, etc. WONDER THIS CRUISE IS MORE THAN AN ART PRESENTED TO THE WORLD FOR ENGINEERS ....! tito Christian researcher nonprofit //

Mov'n pretty good ! It looks like it's happy !!