BKSX Coach #4700

Pictured in Wishram, Washington, in the consist of an excursion train with Southern Pacific Daylight GS-4 #4449, BKSX Coach #4700 was built by the Budd Company in 1953 as Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe 48-Seat Coach #2823. It later became Amtrak #4817. In 1980, Amtrak rebuilt it with Head-End Power and it became Amtrak #4700. It was retired by Amtrak in 1995. At this point it was being operated as a RailVentures/Montana Daylight car.

BKSX Coach #4013

Pictured in Wishram, Washington, in the consist of an excursion train with Southern Pacific Daylight GS-4 #4449, BKSX Coach #4013 was built by the Budd Company in 1950 as Southern Pacific 44-Seat Coach #2370 for the Sunset Limited. In 1951 it was renumbered to Texas & New Orleans #443, and in 1961 it was renumbered to SP #2231. It later became Amtrak #4418. In 1981, Amtrak rebuilt it as a 40-Seat ADA Coach with Head-End Power and it became Amtrak #4013. It was retired by Amtrak in 1995. At this point it was being operated as a RailVentures/Montana Daylight car.

BKSX Dome Coach #9544 "Silver Scene"

Pictured in Wishram, Washington, in the consist of an excursion train with Southern Pacific Daylight GS-4 #4449, BKSX Dome Coach #9544 Silver Scene was built by the Budd Company in 1947 as Chicago, Burlington & Quincy #4729 for the Twin Cities Zephyr. It became Burlington Northern #5484 and then Amtrak #9544. It was retired in December 1983 and passed through a series of owners, by this time being operated as a RailVentures/Montana Daylight car.

WPRX Power Car #104

Pictured in Wishram, Washington, in the consist of an excursion train with Southern Pacific Daylight GS-4 #4449, WPRX Power Car #104 was originally built by National Steel Car in 1957 as Canadian National Baggage Car #9261. In 1968 it was rebuilt as Power Car #15300 and was later transferred to VIA Rail as its #15300. At this point it had been retired by VIA Rail and was being operated as a RailVentures/Montana Daylight car.

DLMX Crew Sleeper #9201 "Clackamas River"

Pictured in Wishram, Washington, in the consist of an excursion train with Southern Pacific Daylight GS-4 #4449, #4449’s crew sleeper #9201, the Clackamas River, was built by Pullman in 1941 for the Southern Pacific, Union Pacific and Chicago & North Western's City of San Francisco as 10 roomette-5 bedroom sleeper Rincon Hill. It was transferred to Southern Pacific in 1947 as #9201 and was retired in 1966. The Friends of SP 4449 acquired it in 1990 from a private individual in North Dakota. Though it is a Southern Pacific car, the Daylight paint isn't correct as it was only used on day trains, not sleeping cars.

DLMX Tool Car #5811 "Yes Dear"

Pictured in Wishram, Washington, in the consist of an excursion train with Southern Pacific Daylight GS-4 #4449, DLMX Tool Car #5811 Yes Dear was originally Union Pacific RPO/Postal Storage Car #5811. It was one of three built by American Car & Foundry in 1949. Union Pacific transferred it to maintenance of way service as #903672 in 1973. It was sold to Doyle McCormack for use as #4449’s tool car in 1985.

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.