4449 in Wishram in 1997

On June 7th and 8th of 1997, Southern Pacific Daylight GS-4 #4449 made a pair of excursion trips over the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway from Portland, Oregon, to Wishram, Washington, and back. This was in preparation for a two-day excursion from Portland to Yakima, Washington, and back on the following weekend. My dad and I chased the June 7th excursion to Wishram and back.

 

While the excursion passengers stretched their legs, Southern Pacific #4449 backed the passenger train to the wye at the north end of BNSF's drawbridge over the Columbia River to turn the train around for the return trip to Portland.

Southern Pacific #4449 was accompanied by its water tender, DLMX #4219. This car was built as a tender for Southern Pacific's AC-10 class 4-8-8-2 cab-forward steam locomotive #4219. It was later used to provide water for the rotary snow plows, and for fire-fighting service in the remote areas of the railroad. It was purchased by the Friends of SP 4449 in 1984 to serve as an auxiliary tender for steam excursions and was aesthetically modified to conform to 4449's tender.

The excursion train consisted of the following cars.

DLMX Tool Car #5811 Yes Dear
DLMX Crew Sleeper "#9201 Clackamas River
WPRX Power Car #104
BKSX Dome Coach #9544 Silver Scene
BKSX Coach #4013
BKSX Coach #4700
BKSX Coach #4001
BKSX Dome Coach #9407
BKSX Dome Coach #9410
BKSX Coach #4734
DLMX Baggage Car #5759 Better Idea
NSR Coach #711
NSR Coach #713
HUNX Dome Coach #7003
WPRR Baggage Car #262
NRM Coach #2202
NRM Observation #2955 James J. Gilmore

Each of the passenger cars will be covered in its own post.