4449 The Queen of Steam from 1983

Classic Trains General Discussion
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I have a copy of the book from 1983, 4449 The Queen of Steam and 4449 is, indeed, The Queen of Steam after all.

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She sure covered a lot of miles back in those days!

Country scenic, 1984 by Fred Clark, Jr., on Flickr

First sighting, 1984 by Fred Clark, Jr., on Flickr

And a special shout out to Doyle McCormack who spearheaded the whole project!

The Man, 1984 by Fred Clark, Jr., on Flickr

4449 history, 1984 by Fred Clark, Jr., on Flickr

Maybe it’s time for a little ‘retro running’ fifty years later?

Bicentennial GS-4 by Wil Hata, on Flickr

Cheers, Ed

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Had to look it up.

The Queen of Steam" is a book by Henry Brueckman and Jeffrey Moreau that tells the story of Southern Pacific locomotive #4449, a Daylight steam engine, and its history.

The book covers the locomotive’s operation, its restoration, and its role in the American Freedom Train during the Bicentennial.

Rich

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Am I the only one who doesn’t care for the styling of the Gs4? I like the nonskirted ones with the skyline casing but the running board skirts and paint scheme just seem garish to me.

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It’s ugly if that’s what you mean.

Rich

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You should head out to St. Louis’ National Museum of Transportation, if you like the non-skirted GS-series locos. They have GS-6 number 4460 on one of the rearmost tracks, close to the UP line and the maintenance area. (And yes, she’s under a roof these days.) Compared to 4449, 4460’s considered the ‘Forgotten Daylight’.

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Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder!

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I was trying to be nice about it, but yeah, that’s what I meant.

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:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

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Love seeing 4449 get some appreciation, she really earned the “Queen of Steam” title. That book from ’83 is a gem and captures her story so well. Between pulling the Freedom Train and still running excursions today, it’s amazing how much history she carries. Huge credit to Doyle McCormack and the Oregon Rail crew for keeping her alive. One of the most iconic steam engines out there, no question.

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Welcome on board, CSS11.

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:+1:

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@Backshop @richhotrain You guys are nuts. The skirting and the beautiful paint is what made those daylights famous. You guys must be the only two that don’t like them! :joy: I love them.

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The same here with the A4s. They were rather difficult to maintain with the skirt, but a delight too see.

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That’s what sets the two of us apart from the crowd.

Discriminating and refined! The rest of you can only wish so. :face_with_tongue:

Rich

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In my opinion A4s were much more attractive without the phony skirt that was supposed to invoke a '20s aeroplane airfoil. They looked lean and streamlined rather than baggy-pantsed.

The Germans had an unusual take on this issue with the way they handled ‘de-skirting’ the BR 05s after the war. They reminded me of a stylish woman in an evening dress and hair made up… wearing nothing on her bottom half. Very different from the negligee attraction of those A4s…

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