Southern Pacific #4449 - Portland, OR - Philatelic Photographs on Waymarking.com

With its distinctive red, orange, and black color scheme, Southern Pacific’s premier passenger train named the ‘Coastal Daylight’ was advertised as the ‘most beautiful passenger train in the world.’ Operating between Los Angeles and San Francisco and originally called the ‘Daylight Limited,’ the train was streamlined with a special class of 4-8-4 ‘Northern’ type steam locomotives in 1937. In 1999, the ’Daylight’ became one of five famous named trains featured on a set of U.S. postage stamps.

#4449 was built by the Lima Locomotive Works of Lima Ohio in 1941, one of 28 delivered to Southern Pacific at that time. It was immediately put to work pulling the ‘Coastal Daylight.’ Southern Pacific referred to these streamlined 4-8-4 ‘Northern’ type steam locomotives as class GS. By the mid-1950s, they had been replaced with ALCO PA and EMD F7 and E8 diesel units. Of the 50 or so GS class ‘Northerns,’ only #4449 survives today.

Southern Pacific donated #4449 to the city of Portland, Oregon, in 1958, where it was placed in a static display for many years. In 1975 it was whipped into operational condition in order to pull the American Freedom Train which crisscrossed the country as part of the American bicentennial celebrations. Repainted in its ‘Daylight’ livery, #4449 has occasionally pulled other excursions over the years. Though still in operational condition, its weight and long fixed wheelbase is damaging to the track so it is rarely run any more. It is stored at the Oregon Rail Heritage Center in Portland which is open to the public.

Of the five trains portrayed on the 1999 set of postage stamps, two show locomotives that still exist and can be visited: SP #4449 in Portland, OR, and PRR GG-1 #4935 at Strasburg, PA. Though difficult to make out on the stamp, the larger image on the corresponding postal card, issued in conjunction with the stamps, clearly shows the number 4449 on the front of the locomotive.

Stamp Issuing Country: United States Date of Issue: 26-Aug-1999 Denomination: 33c Color: multicolored Stamp Type: Single Stamp Relevant Web Site: Not listed

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