As of 8pm tonight, Doyle's painted the tender of the 4449...white, lots of white. To be followed by red and blue.

Locomotive and aux tender to follow soon.

The Icon, American Freedom Train 4449 returns!

Smokebox

And why are they doing that may I ask? Are we running another Freedom Train?

todengine@woh.rr.com

I for one am glad that these folks are recognixing this piece of history. The AFT was arguably the most extensive and ambitious operation since the close of the steam era. I was only 2 at the time, and it was the 2101 that came to my town, but it was my first steam experience, I swear I can actually remember that big black engine! This exciting time has been almost forgotton, sadly many of the cars have gone to scrap. We should all applaude the 4449 folks for keeping the memory alive!

Its interesting to note that at the close of the AFT program, the RDG 2101 found a home on the Chessie and T&P 610 on the Southern. It was the 4449 whose future was cloudy. Now 25+ years later its the 4449 who's still capturing out imaginations while the other two may likely never run again. Goes to show you never can tell!

Dave Crosby

bing@epix.net

> And why are they doing that may I ask? Are
> we running another Freedom Train?

No, I don't think we will ever see a true recreation of the 1975/76 "Freedom Train". But we do have a two day trip running in a couple of weeks.

The best thing I can say, in one sentence, is that it was decided that we needed to visit an old friend, one last time.

www.4449.com

Smokebox

I have already posted this on another board, but since I was one of those who dreamed of a return of AFT 4449, just let me say that I am thrilled that 4449 will be doing an encore performance in AFT colors.

I won't be able to ride or chase...Navy duties and the birthday celebrations for our daughters cancel out any possibility of making the road trip. Darn.

But, I am cheered by the fact that there will be a literal ton of photographers and video cameras out there to document the trip. I am afraid that I will get in serious trouble with the boss at home when I consider all of the purchases that I am going to have to make.

As Smokebox has posted earlier, please consider supporting the 4449 team by checking out their website and clicking on the link for all of the goodies that they have available. My birthday is less than a month away, so you can be rest assured that my boss here at home has the order form!

Regards (and way to go Team 4449!),
Burlington John

PS - The picture is from the Friends of 4449 web site (photo by Martin Hansen)...check it out!!!

4449 Official Web Site

cbqjohn@msn.com

> No, I don't think we will ever see a true
> recreation of the 1975/76 "Freedom
> Train". But we do have a two day trip
> running in a couple of weeks.

> The best thing I can say, in one sentence,
> is that it was decided that we needed to
> visit an old friend, one last time.

> www.4449.com

Three cheers to the 4449 group! She was my first taste of mainline steam and the AFT was when she came through Kenosha on the C&NW back in 75. Back then at the age of 13, I didn't know too much about her, but I knew that this was REAL special. I had been pestering my dad all day so we wouldn't miss it, and then I heard the steamboat whistle, I only lived 5 blocks from the tracks, but it was sure that we were not going to catch it at the Kenosha depot. We raced to the station wagon and headed along highway 32 that parallels the track to Racine and paced it into town. It made a stop in Racine, and we were able to get ahead of it and wait at the Racine depot for it to pass. I still have the penny that she flattened that day! Sixteen years later at Railfair 1991, I had the pleasure to visit the cab and say hello to an old friend. Thanks again guys!
Steve

> Smokebox


sacarlso@scj.com

I was all of five when she came through St. Louis, but I remember it quite well. She was on the line that used to run down the levy, (gone 20 years or so now,) and throungs of people were greeting her down in fornt of the arch. It was actually something of a dissapointment not to ba able to see hger from the top of the arch. (She had just left, and I couldn't spot her. I think my father did, but I was to young to recognbize her at that distance.) Anyway, she was my first experience with big time steam railroading. I'd grown up at the museum of transport and ridden the C&T, but she was big and breathing both. I've since seen any number of other locos, and done my bit to help our local lady 1522, but 4449 will always be special. (Course, thay all are.) Way to go gents. Get her out there and help us all remeber. I think she was actually quite instrumental in generating interest in main line steam excursions, since before her there wasn't much and after her there were 611, the A class, 844, the Challenger, and many others. She's a special pience of history.
Sincerely,
David

david_ackerman@yahoo.com

I was 18 in 1976 and a senior in high school when the American Freedom Train spent some time in Wichita, KS. Just like the other folks, the tracks where it was put on display in downtown are now gone. My parents allowed me to play hooky from school so I could photograph the train as it came into town on the Santa Fe Ark City Sub.
I am very appreciative of Doyle and all his group for their years of loyal service in preserving railroad history, and this is an excellent show of patriotism in painting the GS-4 back into a scheme that I remember very well. I loved the railroad's partcipation in your Bicentennial celebration!

was all of five when she came through St.
> Louis, but I remember it quite well. She was
> on the line that used to run down the levy,
> (gone 20 years or so now,) and throungs of
> people were greeting her down in fornt of
> the arch. It was actually something of a
> dissapointment not to ba able to see hger
> from the top of the arch. (She had just
> left, and I couldn't spot her. I think my
> father did, but I was to young to recognbize
> her at that distance.) Anyway, she was my
> first experience with big time steam
> railroading. I'd grown up at the museum of
> transport and ridden the C&T, but she
> was big and breathing both. I've since seen
> any number of other locos, and done my bit
> to help our local lady 1522, but 4449 will
> always be special. (Course, thay all are.)
> Way to go gents. Get her out there and help
> us all remeber. I think she was actually
> quite instrumental in generating interest in
> main line steam excursions, since before her
> there wasn't much and after her there were
> 611, the A class, 844, the Challenger, and
> many others. She's a special pience of
> history.
> Sincerely,
> David


wichita_rails@msn.com

Like so many have said here, this locomotive was what got me interested, and then hooked on steam. I skipped a college class (or two) in Spokane to go downtown to wait the arrival with several folks, all much older than I was. I still remember the first sight I had of it, and realizing just HOW BIG it was, and the experience of standing on the platform next to it - Thanks Doyle, for all you've done.



shawsinoly@aol.com

I rode the two day Southern trip from Atlanta to Alexandria with 4449 in August, 1976. What a ride, especially between Charlottesville and Manassas witht the old girl going flat out.

Six weeks later I saw the Freedom Train at the Pentagon. She was parked next to 2101 on the tracks serving the power plant (also since removed). As I have recounted before, I went with the lady who would become my wife a year later. I knew that if she could stand me around two live 4-8-4's, then the relationship had possibilities. God willing, we shall celebrate our 25th anniversary in September.

I wish I could look as youthful as the 4449 will in her Freedom Train colors.


kevingillespie@usa.net

Kevin, I chased that two day trip, and we indeed got left in the dust around Culpepper. It was a great trip, and we put 1500 miles on a rental car(4 of us)from Cincinnati-Atlanta-Virginia-Home, over a long weekend(3 plus days with night driving).

I went to Florida in 1977 and chased the Amtrak special from Miami to Birmingham, and my dad rode the last two days, as he didn't enjoy the high speed chasing.....we paced 4449 at 75 mph along the Bee Line Highway through Indian Town, FL, and were the only car next to it for 45 miles. Cops nailed a batch of chasers outside W.Palm Beach, right where we had decided to get a shot, so we had the road to ourselves! Those rods were rippin! My dad got a cool shot from the dome car with 4449 on a curve also.

Good luck to the folks on the upcoming excursion.
Greg Scholl

Videos
sales@gregschollvideo.com

Interesting that lots of places where the Freedom Train went, the tracks are now gone. I saw it go down the old Northern RR (B&M)line between White River Jct., VT and Concord, NH and that's long gone. Also saw it with 4449 by the Minnehaha Station in Minneapolis, tracks to which were being removed last I knew. Perhaps it's a curse?

bobyar2001@yahoo.com

> Interesting that lots of places where the
> Freedom Train went, the tracks are now gone.
> I saw it go down the old Northern RR
> (B&M)line between White River Jct., VT
> and Concord, NH and that's long gone. Also
> saw it with 4449 by the Minnehaha Station in
> Minneapolis, tracks to which were being
> removed last I knew. Perhaps it's a curse?

When AFT 4449 visited Wichita Falls TX, they came up the FW&D from Ft Worth then were switched over to the MKT and run up the Northwestern District a couple miles then backed into the Shepard Airforce Base spur for display. 4449 was the last thing on the base spur before it got ripped up a couple years later.

earlk489@hotmail.com

> When AFT 4449 visited Wichita Falls TX, they
> came up the FW&D from Ft Worth then were
> switched over to the MKT and run up the
> Northwestern District a couple miles then
> backed into the Shepard Airforce Base spur
> for display. 4449 was the last thing on the
> base spur before it got ripped up a couple
> years later.
Earl:

Here in Houston the Freedom Train,pulled by T&P 610,was displayed at Union Station.The last track was pulled up two years ago,and a ball park now rests there........

kbcotton@flash.net

The Freedom Train finally displayed in the Philadelphia area in 1977 at a Sears warehouse on an ex-Reading spur between Abrams and Norristown Jct. [it's near Valley Forge] The warehouse is now being converted to an office building and the branch is still in place but hasn't been used in several years.

RDG 2101 was, of course, the power.

The Electric City Trolley Museum Association