SP 4449 in Black, July 2000

Shores Railfan
Shores Railfan
93,647
0
Published 2014-04-04
In July, 2000, I was working in Seattle, WA, on a training assignment at now-defunct Airborne Express. My job was to train a class of eight technical new hires in the wonders of IBM mainframe programming. I had worked out a schedule where I drove up from California for the ten week assignment and then flew home every other weekend to take care of personal business. During the visit I learned that my favorite steam locomotive, the SP 4449, had been chartered by BNSF to pull an employee appreciation special. Part of the agreement was to paint the locomotive a glossy black much different form its normal orange and red color scheme.

During the last few days that 4449 was to be in Seattle, they ran one last excursion to Vancouver, BC, before heading east to Montana. I was fortunate enough to catch the Saturday return from Vancouver and the Sunday departure to Montana. Footage includes segments of the southbound journey from Vancouver to Seattle and the eastbound trip to the west portal of the 7.9 mile long Cascade Tunnel.
All Comments (21)
  • @thomasavensjr.2790
    SP 4449 looked very unique and interesting in the black and silver paint scheme, I like this scheme because it reflects SP's final years of steam power operation during the 1950s. The black and silver paint looks plain on most steam engines but for the SP GS class 4-8-4's and the MT class 4-8-2's, I really like this scheme and this scheme was used in both freight and passenger service for SP steam power.
  • @Vzw-dj9rf
    Like the 5 SD's on the stack train...great stack talk out of the Scenic siding.
  • @CoasterFan2105
    Wow, this is too cool! I know several of these locations well. Awesome video! If you have any more older PNW stuff, it would be great to see it!
  • @NorthlandTrains
    Amazing video, I liked how the BNSF locomotive was also number 4449!
  • @SwindellSteamWorks
    There are two reasons why was painted black for this event. On the Southern Pacific, Black Daylights did haul freight. #4449 was painted black on her original service record. Since BNSF is a freight railroad, it was only right to paint #4449 black to commemorate her days as a Black Daylight and to her other siblings her that wore the black scheme.
  • @Keasmcxz
    It's been twenty-two years since 4449 done this event.
  • @jacksalvin364
    Southern Pacific Daylight 4449 was painted all black and Silver Colors of The Burlington Northern Santa Fe and she pulls The Employee Appreciation Special across the Pacific Northwest in July 2000
  • @realdavidii
    Did anyone notice that the diesel loco has the same number as Daylight? (4449)
  • @evanf1293
    wonder if that BNSF unit numbered 4449 is still around today???? Along with BNSF still doing their employee appreciation trains. But if so its obvious there hasn't been one pulled by steam since sometime in the 2000s
  • @night1204
    nice vid - kato is coming out with the model of it - and i got all the cars - well almost
  • @jeffdemition2308
    wow that black almost look like the war babies but it has silver stripes and has the skirting. back then daylights were painted black because it was war days "1940"s and they remove the skirting for easier maintenance
  • @DavidSanchez-ks4ub
    Did anyone notice that both the the gs-4 and the diesel assist both have the same number? We could all assume that bnsf did that on purpose. Nice consist though, and you got an event very few people caught on video.
  • @bnsflover7062
    Another name for a black GS-4 I ls called the way baby
  • @mbp2ndchannel
    The Difference Between the two 4449s is one is a steam loco, the other is a BNSF Diesel.
  • @lamarstevenson5524
    Southern pacific 4449 black 2000 and 2001 in 2017 I was a kid in the for front of the southern pacific 4449
  • @morphman21
    Why did bnsf make the daylight be painted all black?