User:Mackensen/Amtrak Transcontinental Steam Excursion

File:SP 4449 Sac Riv Bridge Redding Apr29 1977xRP - Flickr - drewj1946.jpg leads the excursion across the Sacramento River bridge at Redding, California on April 29, 1977.]]

The Amtrak Transcontinental Steam Excursion was a special excursion train operated by Amtrak in 1977. Southern Pacific 4449, fresh from pulling the Freedom Train and still in Bicentennial colors, led the excursion. The train traveled from Birmingham, Alabama to Portland, Oregon by way of New Orleans, Louisiana and Los Angeles, a distance of {{convert|3655|mi|km}}. The journey encompassed nineteen days. The train carried thousands of passengers, and thousands more visited during its many intermediate stops.

Background

SP 4449 had been out-of-service since 1957 and on display in Portland, Oregon since 1958. It was restored to service in 1974-1975 in order to pull the Freedom Train, which it did in 1975-1976 as part of the United States Bicentennial. The conclusion of these activities found the locomotive in the Southern United States.{{rp|7}}

Schedule

The excursion was scheduled to begin at Birmingham, Alabama on April 13 and conclude in Portland, Oregon on May 1. Multi-day stops were scheduled for New Orleans, Louisiana, San Antonio, Texas, El Paso, Texas, Los Angeles, and Oakland, California:{{rp|21}}

April 13: Birmingham, Alabama–Jackson, Mississippi
April 14: Jackson, Mississippi–New Orleans, Louisiana
April 16: New Orleans, Louisiana–Houston, Texas
April 17: Houston, Texas–San Antonio, Texas
April 19: San Antonio, Texas–Sanderson, Texas
April 20: Sanderson, Texas–El Paso, Texas
April 22: El Paso, Texas–Tucson, Arizona

April 23: Tucson, Arizona–Yuma, Arizona
April 24: Yuma, Arizona–Los Angeles, California
April 26: Los Angeles, California–San Luis Obispo, California
April 27: San Luis Obispo, California–Oakland, California
April 29: Oakland, California–Dunsmuir, California
April 30: Dunsmuir, California–Eugene, Oregon
May 1: Eugene, Oregon–Portland, Oregon

The total length of the journey was {{convert|3655|mi|km}}. On average, the train traveled {{convert|300|mi|km}} per day, its progress slowed by the many stops it made along the way. Passengers could ride individual segments or the entire route; a ticket for the latter cost $299.

Excursion

A huge crowd greeted 4449 and the excursion on their arrival in Portland, Oregon. 3,000 passengers were aboard for the final segment.

Equipment

File:SP 4449 Obs Car in Tunnel Apr 29 1977xRP - Flickr - drewj1946.jpg #6602 at Bridge Bay on April 29, 1977. The Budd Company built the tavern-observation-lounge in 1947. #3342 brought up the rear for the Los Angeles–Portland portion only.]]

A wide variety of restored equipment operated on the excursion. Not all cars traveled for the entire trip; equipment changes took place in New Orleans and Los Angeles.{{rp|14}}

colspan="3" \| Birmingham–Portland
class="wikitable" ! Number !! Type !! Notes
#76	Crew/tool car	Owned by the Pacific Northwest Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society. For SP 4449.
#3644	Parlor car	The Nathan Hale, ex-Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) #7144.
#1117	Baggage car	Ex-Northern Pacific Railway (NP) #211.
#3965	Snack-bar coach	Ex-NYC #3022.
#3925	Snack-bar coach	Ex-Pere Marquette Railway (PM) #135.
#6024	Coach	Ex-Seaboard Air Line Railroad (SAL) #6226.
colspan="3" \| Birmingham–Los Angeles
#9545	Vista-Dome dome coach	The "Silver Vision", ex-Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad (CB&Q) #4730.
#9542	Vista-Dome dome coach	The "Silver Stream", ex-CB&Q #4727.
#9310	Dome-lounge-observation	Ex-Wabash Railroad (WAB) #1601.
colspan="3" \| Birmingham–New Orleans
#6008	Coach	Ex-Chesapeake and Ohio Railway (C&O) #1609.
#8339	Tavern-lounge	Ex-New York Central Railroad (NYC) #457.

References

{{Reflist|2|refs=

{{cite news | title=Steam-run choo-choo ends trek | newspaper=Lewiston Morning Tribune | date=May 2, 1977 | url=http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=dpRfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=EjEMAAAAIBAJ&pg=6173%2C527496}}

{{cite magazine | title=Steaming With The 4449: Part Two, The Journey Home | magazine=Pacific News | date=June 1977 | year=1977 | url=http://www.trainlife.com/magazines/pages/757/49772/june-1977-page-12}}

{{cite book | title=Super Steam Locomotives | last=Solomon | first=Brian | year=2000 | location=Osceola, WI | publisher=MBI | isbn=0760307571 | oclc=43599163 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XVMN0UcZFUgC}}

{{cite news | title=Steam engine trip slated | newspaper=Spokesman-Review | date=March 3, 1977 | url=http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=zDtOAAAAIBAJ&sjid=su0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=5518%2C1041707}}

}}

External links

[http://history.amtrak.com/blogs/blog/the-1977-amtrak-steam-excursion Leading the 1977 Steam Excursion Train]