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Union Pacific 8444 and Southern Pacific 4449 in Southern and Northern California 5/5-8/1989

For the 50th Anniversary of Los Angeles Union Station, both the Southern Pacific 4-8-4 4449 and Union Pacific 4-8-4 8444 were invited to participate in the celebration. The schedule of events and movements of these engines were in Flimsies and updated on the Flimsies Hotline. The highlight of the engines' journeys would be side-by-side running into Union Station on May 5th and the side-by-side trek up Cajon Pass on May 8th. My friend Bill Compton decided to join me, with another friend, Jeff Hartmann, joining for Southern Pacific 4449's journey to West Colton late in the afternoon of May 7th.

5/05/1989 Bill picked me up earl and we drove straight to the hill overlooking the flyover at Frost.

Freight action was heavy as Union Pacific 9137 West made its appearance. After a Santa Fe freight and a Union Pacific helper set drifted back to Victorville, off in the distance, the large group on the hill starting to see smoke and once cleared of the Upper Mojave Narrows, Union Pacific 8444 and its train came into view. It was a beautiful sight to behold as the train started up the flyover. Cameras were clicking from every angle.

The best of my pictures here. Once the train passed, Bill and I were off back to Interstate 15, taking it south to Cajon Pass where we went to Blu Cut.

A few more eastbounds ran through before Union Pacific 8444 drifted down through Blu Cut. Once past, we took our time letting all the chasers clear out before we drove Interstate 15 south to California Highway 60 en route to Van Buren Boulevard East. We followed the Union Pacific to Limonite Avenue, then all the way to Riverview Avenue, which brought us to the northeast side of the arch bridge over the Santa Ana River. Since Union Pacific 8444 was being watered in San Bernardino, we had plenty of time to get here on what now was a very overcast day. About twenty-five minutes later, we started to hear whistles of the approaching train.

Sure enough, it marched across the bridge and was now carrying both the American and California State flags. We returned to California Highway 60 and drove west to Industry where we exited at Nogales Street and turned left on Railroad Street after crossing the track. The steam train was closing in on us, so we pulled over.

Union Pacific 8444 blew by us at track speed, after which we returned to the highway and made our way into Los Angeles and the Los Angeles County Jail parking lot, which overlooked the leads to Union Station. We walked to the tracks and after a San Diegan train arrived, the scene was set for the historic side-by-side entrance of Southern Pacific 4449 and Union Pacific 8444.

It was a wonderful moment when these two great steam engines entered the station this late morning. We drove home after a very successful chase.

5/6/1989 Jeff Hartmann and I rode San Diegan 573 to Los Angeles Union Station for the festival.

We arrived and immediately went to where three historic cab units from the three original tenant railroads were posed next to each other to recreate a popular public relations and postcard photo from the pre-Amtrak days. Here was Southern Pacific E9A 6051 built by Electro-Motive Division in 1954, Union Pacific E9A 951 built by Electro-Motive Division in 1955 and Santa Fe F7A 347C, nee 39C, built by Electro-Motive Division in 1949. After looking at all the exhibits, we returned to Santa Ana on San Diegan 574.

Southern Pacific 4449 was going to leave LAUPT at 5:00 PM to be situated in West Colton for tomorrow's side-by-side excursion over Cajon Pass with Union Pacific 8444. With the line running mainly west to east, Jeff and I needed to find a location with good lighting so I choose a spot in El Monte, which in a few years would become the location of the city's Metrolink station. About 5:20, here came the steam train off the flyover and en route to San Bernardino silhouetted against the late afternoon sun; a most impressive view.

A minute later, Southern Pacific 4449 ran by our location then the two of us were off for another view, which we received at Humane Way in Pomona, then we returned home as I prepared for tomorrow's big day.

Bill picked me up and we were off to Martha McLean-Anza Narrows Park on the east side of the Union Pacific arch bridge over the Santa Ana River.

We waited patiently and when Union Pacific 8444 steamed over the bridge, we were rewarded with this picture. From there, we drove into Cajon Pass to one of my favourite locations between the tunnels and Summit. After a few freight trains, below us in the canyon we could hear the chugging of two distinct steam engines and hearing some whistling in the distance and seeing the helicopters, the stage was set.

Union Pacific 8444 steamed into view but not Southern Pacific 4449.

Union Pacific 8444 and train stormed by and as the rear of the train passed us, Southern Pacific 4449 came into view but moving very slowly.

It then stopped in front of us pouring out great amounts of smoke since its hot bearing sensor had gone off and not wanting to take any chances, the crew made the wise choice to check the engine.

Southern Pacific 4-8-4 4449 built by Lima Locomotive Works in 1941.

Bill and I drove up to the high desert for one last shot of Southern Pacific 4449 before it ducked under Interstate 15, then drove home, after a rewarding long weekend with both steam engines.

Southern Pacific 4449 went up to the Bay Area and was scheduled to pull round trips from Oakland to Sacramento during the Sacramento Jazz Festival. As my brother Bruce lived in Davis, it made perfect sense to visit him so I drove up on Friday to be in position for Saturday's run.

5/27/1989 I drove down to the levee over the Yolo Bypass, parked and walked down into the bypass to wait.

Southern Pacific 4449 crossed the Yolo Bypass.

I next went over to Old Sacramento, catching the steam engine sitting in front of the station after the train had been wyed.

I returned to Davis for the rest of the afternoon before returning to the Southern Pacific tracks for the excursion train's return to Oakland.

5/28/1989 The next morning, I went down to just east of the Davis depot for Southern Pacific 4449's passage through town.

Southern Pacific 4449 travelling east through Davis.

Later that afternoon, I went out to the levee to photograph it westbound crossing the Yolo Bypass.

5/29/1989

My brother, who was also the Amtrak agent, let me up on the roof of the Davis depot for the northbound passage of Southern Pacific 4449 on its way up the West Valley Line and back to Portland. I drove home to Santa Ana, thereby ending a great three-day Memorial Day Weekend with Southern Pacific 4449.

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