Portland Train Day 2016, at the Oregon Rail Heritage Center, with Leland, on Saturday, May 14, 2016

At the bottom of these photos that I took yesterday, I have put a few previous photos that show several of these locomotives at other fun events. I love 'em all!


Oregon Railroad & Navigation 197 Built: 1905 Manufacturer: Baldwin Locomotive Works, Philadelphia, PA Length: 79’ Weight: 200 tons Drive Wheel: 77” Tractive Effort: 30,000 lbs. Boiler Pressure: 200 psi Fuel: Oil Donated to PDX: 1958 Volunteer Organization: Friends of the OR&N 197

Built in 1905 by Baldwin Locomotive Works as a 4-6-2 “Pacific” type locomotive for the E. H. Harriman rail empire that later merged into the Union Pacific, she’s 79′ long and, with 200 psi boiler pressure and 76″ diameter drivers, is capable of sustained speeds of 80 mph.

This treasure of the early 20th Century era of steam locomotives arrived in Portland just in time for the 1905 Lewis & Clark Centennial Exposition, just 17 months before the Wright Brothers first flew at 9.8 mph, when Teddy Roosevelt was President and 3 years before Henry Ford rolled out his first Model T. She then went on to serve Portland commerce for over 50 years before retirement in the 1950s. Residing as only a display piece in Oaks Park like her sisters since 1958, in 1996 she was moved to the Brooklyn Roundhouse where she is undergoing restoration today by the all-volunteer Friends of the OR&N 197.

Actually, once the Brooklyn Roundhouse became no longer available, the Oregon Rail Heritage Center was built and now houses the ORN 197 as well as other brilliant steam locomotives, a diesel locomotive, and all sorts of equipment and parts for the ever ongoing process of keeping these beauties at their best. Thanks, y'all!



ORN 197.



ORN 197.



ORN 197.



Leland taking photos of the ORN 197. It's huge!



ORN 197.



ORN 197.



ORN 197.



ORN 197.



ORN 197.



ORN 197.



SP 4449.

Southern Pacific 4449 Built: 1941 Manufacturer: Lima Locomotive Works, Lima, OH Length: 110’ Weight: 433 tons Drive Wheel: 80” Horsepower: 6,500 Boiler Pressure: 300 psi Fuel: Oil Donated to PDX: 1958 Volunteer Organization: Friends of the SP 4449

Built in 1941 as a 4-8-4 GS-4 locomotive, she is 110′ long, 10′ wide and 16′ tall. With locomotive and tender weighing 433 tons and a boiler pressure of 300 psi, her eight 80″ diameter drivers and unique firebox truck booster can apply 5,500 horsepower to the rails and exceed 100 mph. The only remaining operable “streamlined” steam locomotive of the Art Deco era, this grand Lady of the High Iron pulled Southern Pacific “Daylight” coaches from Los Angeles to San Francisco over the scenic Coast Route and then on to Portland until 1955.

Retired to Oaks Park in 1958 for display only, many thought 4449 would never run again. In 1974 she was completely restored specifically to pull the 1976 Bicentennial Freedom Train throughout the United States to the delight of over 30 million people. SP 4449 has also operated numerous excursions since. She is arguably one of the most beautiful locomotives ever built and kept that way by the all-volunteer Friends of SP 4449.



SP 4449.



Leland standing beside the SP 4449. Not long after I took this photo, the steam whistle blew!



SP 4449.



Not a very good photo, but it shows the interior of the SP 4449 cab. One other time when I was at the ORHC, I got to sit inside for a moment or two in the seat closest to the window where I stand. What a treat!



SP&S 700.

Spokane Portland & Seattle 700 Built: 1938 Manufacturer: Baldwin Locomotive Works, Philadelphia, PA Length: 111’ Weight 440 tons Drive Wheel: 77” Horsepower: 5,000 Boiler Pressure: 260 psi Fuel: Oil Donated to PDX: 1958 Volunteer Organization: Pacific Railroad Preservation Association

Built in 1938 as a 4-8-4 Northern Pacific Class A design, she is close to 111′ long, 10′ wide and almost 17′ tall. With locomotive and tender weighing almost 440 tons and a boiler pressure of 260 psi, her 77″ diameter drivers can apply 5,000 horsepower to the rails and exceed 80 mph. It’s oil fired, and features design specified roller bearings throughout which was quite advanced for the era.

This beautiful example of the latter years of steam locomotive development pulled the famous Empire Builder until that train was dieselized in 1947. She continued to faithfully provide passenger service from Portland up the Columbia River Gorge to Spokane until 1956, and in 1958 the 700 was ultimately placed on permanent display at Oaks Park in SE Portland. Returned to operation in 1990, she is lovingly operated and maintained by the all-volunteer Pacific Railroad Preservation Association.

Since March 3, 2016, the SP&S 700 has been undergoing a 1472-day boiler rebuild and inspection. In 2014 at National Train Day at downtown Portland's Union Station, I won a raffle to ride behind the SP&S 700 to Pasco, Washington, to spend the night and go over the bridge into Pendleton, Oregon, for the Pendleton, Rodeo. Unfortunately, not enough tickets sold to make the excursion a sure thing. Needless to say, I was sorely disappointed. Then, due to those hidden Facebook messages, I missed the chance to ride in the cab during the 2014 Holiday Express. When I happened on that hidden message, I felt sick to my stomach. So, I contacted Steve at Pacific Railroad Preservation Association and let him know what had happened. He offered me a ride in the cab during the 2015 Holiday Express, but the cancer kept me in such a fix that I had to decline. Now I'm hoping to get a ride in the SP 4449 cab during this year's Holiday Express. Wow!



SP&S 700.



Leland took a great photo of me and the SP&S 700, including the entire bell! Do my eyes deceive me, or is that bell's clapper red like on my shoes? Wow! How cool is that!



And here we are in a photo taken by a kind volunteer. Cut off the bell, but it's still a great photo!



Nickel Plate Road 190.

History of Nickel Plate Road #190

NKP #190 was built in March 1948 for the New York Chicago & St Louis Railroad, also known as the Nickel Plate Road. Doyle McCormack's father worked for this railroad, and it was in this locomotive that Doyle had his first diesel cab ride. A Nickel Plate Berkshire steam locomotive, the #743, was Doyle's first cab ride in a steam locomotive.

The #190 ran on trains that operated between Chicago, IL and Buffalo, NY, as well as between Cleveland, OH and Saint Louis, MO. The NKP PAs were based and maintained in Conneaut, OH, Doyle's home town. Unfortunately, none of the NKP PA locomotives survived the scrapper's torch.

Nickel Plate Road #190 is a Morrison-Knudsen PA4 diesel locomotive rebuilt from an ALCO PA in 1975. Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway #62L was a PA1, sold to the Delaware and Hudson Railway (D&H) in December 1967. It is one of only two ALCO PA locomotives remaining in the United States.

The D&H renumbered it 18 and sent it to Morrison-Knudsen for rebuilding in 1975.

In 1978, this locomotive was sold to the Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México. Doyle McCormack obtained the wreck-damaged unit and brought it back the United States in 2000. Restoration began in 2002. McCormack has chosen to restore the locomotive as a Nickel Plate Road PA.

In 2012, the locomotive was moved to the new Oregon Rail Heritage Center, in Portland, Oregon.



Nickel Plate 190.



The SP&S 700 the day that I won the raffle!



ORN 197 in early stages of work that I saw at the Oregon Rail Heritage Center. SP&S 700 to the left of her.



ORN 197 awaiting reattachment at the appropriate time.



This photo gives you an idea of the size of these locomotives!



SP 4449 under steam with Union Station in the background, downtown Portland.



SP 4449 decorated one year for Holiday Express.