Southern Pacific Engine 4449 was built by the Lima Locomotive Works of Lima, Ohio in 1941. She was one of 27 GS-4 Class locomotives built by
Lima for Southern Pacific's Coast Daylight trains that ran up and down the California coast from 1941 to 1955. The Daylight locomotives were
considered by many to be the most beautiful trains in the world. Engine 4449 spent the beginning of her career as a troop and freight train during World War
II. Following the war, the engine was placed on the Coast Daylight routes along the California coast and San Joaquin Valley until its retirement in
1956. During that year it was placed in storage at the Bakersfield Yard awaiting dismantling. Then, in 1958, Southern Pacific decided to donate the engine
to the City of Portland, Oregon where the engine was placed on display in Oaks Park, along the Willamette River.
In 1974, engine 4449 was chosen to power the American Bicentennial Train. The engine would pull the train around the country, putting on display many
famous American documents such as the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution. To begin the restoration, the engine was moved from
Oaks Park to the Hoyt Street roundhouse on the north end of downtown Portland. (The roundhouse has since been destroyed, and apartments built in its
place). Engine 4449 toured the country with the American Freedom Train from 1975 to 1977. After, it returned to Portland heading an Amtrak
excursion from Alabama.
Engine 4449's next outing was in May of 1981 for the Grand Opening of the California State Railroad Museum
in Old Town Sacramento. During this excursion 4449 received once again her Daylight paint scheme and emblem, more then 25 years after she
had lost them. Following the excursion to Sacramento, 4449 headed to Los Angeles for the first time in almost 30 years, where the engine participated in
the citys' sesquicentennial celebration before heading back to Portland.
In 1984, 4449 and a string of 13 Daylight painted cars, traveled to New Orleans, Louisiana for the World's Fair. Traveling over 7,000 miles in almost 2 months
the engine retraced many of the old Southern Pacific passenger routes including the Coast Daylight route 99, up the California Coast from Los Angeles to
San Fransisco.
In 1986 and again in 1989, 4449 traveled down to Los Angeles, California. In 1986 4449 traveled to Southern California to take part in the filming of a Touchstone
Pictures production. The movie, entitled "Tough Guys" starred Burt Lancaster, Kirk Douglas, and 4449. In 1989 the engine traveled to Los Angeles to take part at
Los Angeles Union Station's 50th Anniversary Celebration. 4449 traveled into the station side by side Union Pacific Northern engine 844. The festivities concluded
with both engines racing through Cajon Pass, east of Los Angeles.
In 1991 and 1999, 4449 took part in Railfair, in Sacramento, California. The first was to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the opening of the California
State Railroad Museum, and the second was in celebration of the railroads importance in the development of the state of California during the state's sesquicentennial
celebration.
Needles to say, since its intitial restoration in 1974, Engine 4449 has become an active participant in keeping steam alive in the hearts of the public. It has been across
the country, and been labeled "the most beautiful train in the world", as well as one of the most well known in North America. The engine, thanks largely to the efforts of
Doyle McCormick and his ever changing crew of volunteers, has remained active to this day. Having just recently finished with Burlington Northern, Santa Fe's Employee Special
Train in July 2000. The excursion service of the engine has lasted far longer then anyone ever thought possible, and there are still many more excursions planned for the
sole survivor of Southern Pacific's steam locomotive Daylight fleet.
