What It Looks Like To Get Hit By A Giant Steam Train (As It Thunders Over the Camera at High Speed!)

The mighty SP 4449 steam locomotive, aka "The Freedom Train", aka "The Daylight" in a high-speed straight on overhead pass.
This video was taken July 3rd, 2011, in the Columbia River Gorge as it was on its way from Portland, Oregon to Wishram, Washington. The crossing we were at is located in Prindle, Washington. The Daylight was really moving this pass, chugging steam and laying on that amazing steam whistle! I laid my HD video camera on the tracks half buried in the ballast rocks and hoped it wouldn't be destroyed. I got lucky! This gigantic streamlined beauty is quite a sight to behold! Got a nice wave from the Engineer as it raced by!
Southern Pacific 4449 is the only surviving GS-4 locomotive and is one of the most recognizable locomotives of all time. She was donated to the City of Portland in 1958 and moved to Oaks Amusement Park for static display until December of 1974 when the locomotive was removed from the park to undergo restoration. From August 1975 to December 1976, 4449 shared duties with several other steam locomotives pulling the American Freedom Train throughout the U.S. 4449 is still operational and since mid-2012 resides at the Oregon Rail Heritage Center in Portland along with other preserved locomotives and rolling stock.
This video was used in the short film "The Hobo"
• The Hobo
Click here to see the H.O. scale versions of this beautiful locomotive on Amazon:
HO scale model engine in the "Daylight" colors: amzn.to/2KuxdR5
HO scale model engine In the "Freedom Train" colors: amzn.to/2DVtsns
An SP 4449 wall clock: amzn.to/37EfuRg
An SP 4449 T-shirt: amzn.to/2FH7xC5
The links above are affiliate links. This means I will earn a small commission (at no extra cost to you) if you make a purchase. This helps support the channel and allows me to continue to create content. Thanks for your support.

[@RobertPlays385]

Like Dude I LOVED How The Underneath Of The Train Looked! I Wish I Was Laying On The Train Tracks! Not The Track Itself, But The Gravel And Wood Combs! That Would Look Awesome Underneath!

[@Robloxtrainbusboy]

I love steam trains just like the SP 4449

[@rainpo9fromRoblox]

Same

[@transfigur]

Me too

[@DixieAlleyEAS]

The power of the locomotive makes it seem like an angry beast.

[@Trainspotter_Tim]

,,wow it’s comin” ~Brutal whistling~

[@MacJaxonManOfAction]

I keep coming back to this video, it's a thing of beauty. I love people like this dude who are so full of life and enthusiasm for what they do.

[@afly2612]

nembc6540qpcm

[@TrainTrackTrav]

4449's whistle never fails to make a statement!

[@paullsang895]

Steamment you mean?

[@whatthefunk05]

SP 4449: rolls over a camera 14 MILLION people: I N T E R E S T I N G

[@Upguy-tj3gv]

Well it is interesting

[@whatthefunk05]

@@Upguy-tj3gv that is true

[@Upguy-tj3gv]

@@whatthefunk05 you can say that again.

[@Upguy-tj3gv]

@Emerald Bascle lol...

[@DubmareProductions634]

0:36 Bro imagine walking on the tracks with your gf at 3:00 AM and hear the tracks hissing and you look behind you and see that thing coming at high speeds with that creepy whistle

[@patrickdumas224]

0:14 that reminds me so much of STAND BY ME. The way the train emerges into view, it's just like the scene on the bridge.

[@MikeLaVoie]

I loved that scene... of course!

[@suesmith3744]

They wouldn’t have outrun this beaut 😂

[@beeking1792]

Imagine slightly opening a hatch in your secret base, and you look & hear this 0:46

[@bigboyproductions4212]

cartoons in a nutshell

[@rickrickinhogamer]

0:36 This was the best whistle I've ever seen 😮

[@mr.watermole8931]

I actually went in the cab of that train once in Portland on a day that the museum that it rests at was closed! I will never forget that day

[@MikeLaVoie]

Lucky guy! And what a great memory to have!

[@BCrailguy45]

Close as in permanent or temporary?

[@mr.watermole8931]

@@BCrailguy45 temporary

[@mr.watermole8931]

@@BCrailguy45 it was on a day that the museum wasn’t open that week

[@BCrailguy45]

@@mr.watermole8931 oh ok

[@johnwhitley2898]

Powerful and very cool 😎!!! I have this saved in my faves.... When I get a little bit jacked up at the world or "stuff", I navigate to three saved faves, and this is one of those.......!!!!!! Just blows the blues aside... Thanks for this! It's fantastic!!!

[@MikeLaVoie]

Wow John, that makes me happy! I also have a few faves that I watch for the exact same reason, one of them is this one right here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hYK2f5uhaq52iqs The "Double rainbow guy" just warms my heart and never fails to uplift my spirits. And thank you for your wonderful comment!

[@johnwhitley2898]

@@MikeLaVoie WOW!! Really appreciate this!!!! He's got a whole lot of vids dedicated to his area and rainbows... very cool 👍. The circle ones at Vernal falls are crazy stuff!!! Thanks Mike 😄!! Got another fave for stepping out of the hole!!!

[@discbreakerchanel8180]

0:39 When a cartoon character opens a ramdom door.

[@saxonaudio]

Or when the aristocats learn their lesson about playing train.

[@RobertPlays385]

DANG BOY! That Southern Pacific Is As Fast As A Corvette Going Down The Road!

[@Granola_BarOfficial]

probably only more than 70 mph

[@RobertPlays385]

@@Granola_BarOfficial Well It's More Like 250,000 MPH Dude!

[@sirbader1]

That whistle doe. Damn Daylight, you go hard.

[@bigboyproductions4212]

0:44: Cartoons When They Open A Door Be Like

[@beeking1792]

Very true lol

[@transportfanaticsshorts]

Let's go. I remember watching means when it first came out. Holy cow that's video still gives me goosebumps.

[@chrisl2090]

Gahh that whistle gave me the chills so beautiful and such mean powerful machine at the same time @0:35

[@MikeLaVoie]

Yes! It is a very haunting sound, especially when it is echoing through the Gorge.

[@BryanKoneful]

I don’t care what anyone says... That’s cool! Thanks for sharing this.

[@MikeLaVoie]

That's a very nice comment, Thanks Bryan I'm glad you liked the video!

[@Elijah1573]

2018 And people still love this video I find it cool the fact when the day light locomotive it self ran over the camera it was shakeing ALOT More then it normally would due to the giant wheels and wheel base And the weight of the locomotive Very cool!

[@Gearz-365]

She's a beauty. I've loved steam trains my whole life and Daylight is one of them

[@MikeLaVoie]

Yep she was the first train I fell in love with. I was 11 when I saw the Freedom Train in Portland Oregon... when she was Red, White, and Blue!

[@jsinc4511]

I love that 4449 steamer.

[@AndrewTheRocketCityRailfan4014]

That whistle is from an SP&S challenger

[@DaliDoneDusted4019]

It's been 9 years and I still watch this video

[@SuperFoxyRailwayProduction6702]

WOW

[@plaguepg3d642]

The quality for 9 years is amazing

[@MikeLaVoie]

Almost ten years since I filmed it... Back then "HD" video was still pretty new, and the video camcorder I used cost me over $3K! So... I was pretty nervous and taking a big risk. Now, almost every cell phone has HD video that far surpasses what that camcorder was able to provide.

[@MaxTheKiller1915]

0:42 THE SPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEED

[@elliottlewandowski6115]

That's just awesome!

[@zackaryroman1267]

0:36 ♥️

[@thebrummierailenthusiasts5329]

Great shot and that’s a fantastic loco

[@koreanjesus1983]

This is the scariest train horn ever. It reminds me of the Chicago Tornado Sirens. Also, the train seems to ride so low in the tracks that I thought that the camera would be crushed.

[@MikeLaVoie]

Yeah it's horn is very haunting, especially when it echoes through the gorge

[@UNIVERSE_X_STUDIOS]

That’s epic looking!

[@KaijuForceNeo]

Daylight is looking grand today!

[@CHOCOLATEDADDY28]

That's was🔥🔥🔥. Great job

[@OlympiaMapping]

its a diesel powered steam locomotive and is also known as one of the most iconic steam locomotives that the world has ever known!

[@MikeLaVoie]

The 4449 actually now runs on Waste oil. It originally used a heavy oil called "Bunker C"

[@OlympiaMapping]

@@MikeLaVoie Yes i heard about that but was going on things i knew.

[@anetajohnson8446]

I never heard of a diesel powered steam engine! Thats like saying the POPE is a Lutheran!

[@MikeLaVoie]

@@anetajohnson8446 the good thing about steam power is that you can use almost anything to heat the water. You can use the most efficient or the most available fuel source. Many of the later steamships and locomotives used fuel oil instead of coal. Even nuclear power plants generate their power with steam.

[@EdWhizAviationTrains]

LOVE that Locomotive and Stunning footage - I Liked & Subscribed 👍😎

[@MikeLaVoie]

Awesome, thank you!

[@DistanceNsVeterans]

Nice catch of the GS-4

[@Eric_Ramirez_Gaming_101]

It's amazing to see what really goes on UNDER a big steam engine like that. Loved the ending "IT'S OVER!!"

[@AlienofAndromeda]

Love the violence of the camera shaking. The power of steam!!!

[@electricgaming9914]

S t e a m r u l e s

[@MikeLaVoie]

So much bigger and heavier that modern locomotives.

[@Leatherface123.]

@@MikeLaVoie I’d hit you with a BUt wHAt abOuT THe UniON pACIfiC CenTENnial but that was built in the 70s

[@user-li2bj8kx9p]

@@electricgaming9914 всчччссс

[@devonbranstetter9261]

That's one of my favorite steam locamotive

[@suesmith3744]

Great vid and awesome loco, but don’t try this at home kids ‼️

[@lildebbie86328]

0:14 is when the train comes

[@MikeLaVoie]

Yeah I cut out a lot of my yappin' and made it into a short!

[@woody1236]

love this....awesome bud!

[@josseqikegrivera2993]

That was amazing🎉🎉

[@Oraoraora69]

That was always really beautiful and I like the train

[@saxonaudio]

Me too.

[@MikeLaVoie]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@Rawirigabbwarren]

I love this video so much I'm probably half the views on this video

[@MikeLaVoie]

And I'm probably the other half! LOL!

[@Rawirigabbwarren]

@@MikeLaVoie amazing video dude keep up the good work

[@adam62060]

Wow! Great shot! LOVE THE 4449!

[@stellahambardzumyan6502]

NS Railfans .

[@cellogirl11rw55]

That was awesome with my stereo headset!

[@vmertz4415]

WOW! That was amazing!!! 🤯

[@MikeLaVoie]

Thanks! I'm glad you liked it!

[@CSXEMDTrainLover]

Awesome train video

[@markschroeder2578]

Nice video. I ❤ SP 4449, or as I call her, The Great Lady. And...the camcorder lived to tape another day! Stay safe and healthy!

[@a.m11558]

0:40 A few very unfortunate souls have seen this as their last view of the world

[@MikeLaVoie]

Hopefully not with the 4449.

[@swagboyspeedrunner_mario8996]

Omg i love daylight 4449

[@nathanielpatterson-rc9dq]

I've seen that locomotive when I visited Portland in September 2022.

[@Thomasthetankengineandfriends]

0:45 EXPRESS COMING THROUGH

[@Vibe69909]

This was Awesome! 😊

[@MikeLaVoie]

Glad you think so!

[@sajilabeevi8920]

That was SP 4449 boys!

[@MikeLaVoie]

Heck yeah!

[@bjkaye9918]

One of the many beautiful steam trains in the world

[@ironrailphotography1253]

Love this

[@ZerryBerrytheSpaceRaccoon]

POV: You manage to survive being run over by a train by ducking between the rails.

[@MikeLaVoie]

I've always wondered if a person could do that... Not gonna try though! lol

[@TheCloakedTiger]

Wow. That’s awesome.

[@danni1993]

Cool video...I didn't even know that was a thing.

[@khansahabkeadventures]

OMG at 0:37 train sounds so scary. By the way nice video.

[@phillipsfilms8023]

Hey! I work on the locomotive in portland at the oregon rail heritage center. Im one of the volunteers.

[@MikeLaVoie]

That's awesome! I hope you realize how much we appreciate the wonderful work you all have done, and do!

[@Railfanunionpacific5277]

0:46 RIP ears

[@timothyweist3335]

Cool video!!! Interesting way to run it!!! Thanks

[@adventuresofamtrakcascades301]

I LOVE USA TRAINS!!!

[@No.419Fan]

Perfection

[@jackdundon2261]

Freicking awesome!

[@gemmahaines3039]

Holy cow man

[@HENRYTHEBLUECOMST831FAN]

4449: GAS GAS GAS!!!!

[@coolayzek9762]

That was awesome!!

[@MikeLaVoie]

Thanks! Glad you liked it!

[@fabianasousa9757]

Bom dia

[@emanuelnunezlazo]

Amazing! 😮

[@MikeLaVoie]

Glad you like it!

[@emanuelnunezlazo]

@@MikeLaVoie 😁👍🚂

[@henrybrightonmusicuploads]

I love how excited you were and how concerned your mother was for you 😂😂

[@adventuresofamtrakcascades301]

DAYLIGHT IS MY FAVORITE STEAM LOCOMOTIVES!!!

[@MikeLaVoie]

Mine too! And has been since I saw it back in 1976 when it was the freedom train!

[@rbd1303]

0:45 Birds screaming at my window at 3:00

[@Anders7109]

Love that horn and whistle

[@MikeLaVoie]

Me too!

[@turtlegamer7213]

Agree

[@class56trainsrock62]

I like the whistle

[@sunnyngwu]

Trains are super duper cooler than ever!

[@horsegamer2749]

Wow nice video 👏

[@calebmack4544]

Imagine this same exact thing but instead of the 4449 g-s daylight but with the Norfolk & western j class 611 (Like if you agree) 👍🏼

[@class56trainsrock62]

0:36 I like that whistle

[@MikeLaVoie]

I do too!

[@lukixzy6782]

Ok. That nice

[@jameshill1740]

She did say, 'get off the track the train is coming', so let's give the 'are you going to take pictures with the camera' comment a pass

[@thebrummierailenthusiasts5329]

Yeah I heard her too James

[@michaelborg5798]

Yeah same

[@RelaxationPrayerStation]

She said get off the tracks the train is coming now

[@alejandroroldan7427]

0pá

[@jabrown04]

She said wow its coming comment pass

[@souadouleye3905]

I❤that train

[@elijahprasad7884]

That is the most sickest thing I ever seen in my life. Awesomest video of my most favorite train.

[@MikeLaVoie]

Wow, thanks! My favorite too!

[@Eire1916.]

That was cool. Just be safe though. 😁

[@jimyang9805]

Big Hit for SP 4449

[@EerierFish16]

Nostalgia. i watched this back in the day.

[@MikeLaVoie]

Do you mean when I first posted it? Way back in 2012?

[@EerierFish16]

Nope. Somewhere on 2016-15

[@CSX6711]

AWESOME 👍

[@Tigerz_VR]

Wow this is how it’s like to die by the 4449 southern pacific steam locomotive

[@MikeLaVoie]

Yeah, but then you wouldn't be able to enjoy the video!

[@andrewtheberkshireengine4385]

That steam engine is called the southern pacific GS-4 daylight express 4-8-4 northern type steam locomotive built by Lima locomotive works

[@unamed668]

This (is) perfect

[@danycota824]

Yes

[@chickenoraria7559]

And Norfolk and Western 611!?

[@josep5565]

Buen vídeo Mikel de la voie

[@Haleyparr]

You have to be really, really, really, really careful.I'm trying track

[@KreativeFotoVideo]

Nice video my friend

[@MikeLaVoie]

Thank you 👍

[@WorkerOfEbay]

Imagine if you and ur friend Hang out in a train tunnel Then a A half acre train comes and then you hear "oh fuck the devil and Pim pom"

[@ophthodoc]

This doesn’t even look real. If it is that’s one mean looking train!

[@MikeLaVoie]

It's real, It's definitely real.

[@Java_Dude25]

it is, it is the Southern Pacific 4449, its home is right here in my home city of Portland, Oregon

[@jannatuljarin7124]

0:46 OH thats hard

[@ritamariadacosta9284]

Sensacional!!! Uau!!!

[@JBFAndBrix]

DAYLIGHT!!!

[@joshuasmith1724]

This is why I'm sometimes scared of trains they are big and can easily hurt you

[@TheMatrixRNG]

Yes Soo true I am also kinda scared if they Crash