SP # 4449 From Alma WI to Alma MI July 18-26, 2009

Just about everyone in the railfan community is aware of the transcontinental trip made by SP 4-8-4 #4449 from its Portland, OR home base to the 2009 Train Festival held at the Steam Railroading Institute in Owosso MI, July 23-26, 2009. On Saturday, July 18th, the locomotive and its colorful consist operated from St Paul MN to Chicago, via BNSF's main line along the Mississippi River. That Friday evening, I headed for La Crosse WI in hopes of catching 4449 the following morning as it made its way down the river toward Chicago. My first encounter with the train was at Alma WI, a picturesque town along the river, where a pedestrian overpass in the middle of town quickly filled up as the train got closer. Enthusiastic crowds were the order of the day, as seemingly everyone came out to watch 4449 as it steamed along the Mississippi. Train speeds were high, and pacing was not generally possible, so the best that I could hope for was to catch up to the train during its scheduled servicing stops at La Crosse WI and Savanna IL. Although an unexpected flat tire on my rental car ended my pursuit of 4449 west of Rochelle IL on its final leg into Chicago, I still managed to photograph the train at a few places along the BNSF Twin Cities-Chicago main line.

On Sunday the 19th, 4449 and its train operated over Amtrak, NS, CN and Great Lakes Central from Michigan City IN through Kalamazoo, Battle Creek, and Durand MI to Owosso MI. Due to a last minute clearance issue, the locomotive operated light from Chicago to Michigan City under cover of darkness, while an Amtrak engine brought the train consist to Michigan City the morning of the 19th to rendezvous with 4449 there. Again, the train moved along at a brisk pace, especially on CN between Battle Creek and Durand. Between this circumstance and the overcast, wet weather, my opportunities to obtain decent photographs of 4449 as it moved across Michigan were somewhat limited.

The remainder of the album consists of images taken of the two (of four) excursion trips that 4449 piloted during the Train Festival. These aold out "all day" trips operated over the Great Lakes Central's former Ann Arbor main line between Owosso and Alma MI on July 23rd and 24th. The 2009 Train Festival turned out to be a resounding success, with many more attending than organizers originally planned. It was also the first time that the famous Southern Pacific "Daylight" locomotive #4449 had ventured east of Chicago in over thirty years, giving those of us from the Midwest a unique chance to witness it firsthand.