Southern Pacific 4443: Fresno Flyer | Oakland - Fresno | March 24, 1957

[@nikhilmurthy7096]

11:13 and 11:56. Note the train indicator boards changed from "X4443" to "51"! This indicates that the Oakland to Fresno portion via the West Valley Line through Los Banos was run as an "Extra Train" and the Fresno to Oakland portion via the San Joaquin Valley through Merced was run as the "San Joaquin Daylight."

[@thomasavensjr.2790]

I really enjoy observing these farewell to steam operation special excursions, it's a shame that SP 4443 was scrapped but at least SP 4449 and 4460 still remain in existence. The black/ silver paint scheme on the SP Mountain types and the GS class 4-8-4 types was attractive to see in passenger hauling service.

[@denizen9998]

They are such a complicated marvel of engineering and artistry only to end up with the cutters' torch.

[@santanagarza1313]

Dang! One of 4449’s fallen sister 4443 does a great excursion from Oakland to Fresno ❤

[@ilikeminecraftgaming9331]

Nice to see a GS-4 beside 4449!

[@geohig01]

Outstanding video - my father took me to see this train. What wonderful footage and memories for me.

[@bob_beingessner]

Great production, Hunter. Brings back memories of the west valley line; we lived in Los Banos in the '60s while working on construction of San Luis Dam. Now not even the rails run through there. Got a kick out of the heavy oil smoke during the runbys!

[@HunterLohseRRVideos]

Glad you enjoyed it Bob! I loved hearing all your stories of the stuff you used to do kicking around trackside in the 50s and 60s whenever you’d come into the store when I was there!

[@donharsh1503]

Awesome locomotive and watching enjoying too AWESOME VIDEO ❤❤

[@johnfitzgerald1192]

1:53 That's a nice scene for a model set.

[@alwaysbearded1]

Thanks for this production. I still remember the gas tanks in Oakland that appear at the beginning. One of my early memories. Thought the run would have originated at the Wood St. Station. The station was heavily vandalized and fragments of the platforms still exist including a portion now preserved in a housing development located next to the station. Soon all the land around there will be redeveloped and I hope at least the station will be properly reused. That station is another of my early memories, going there to pick up my grandparents who would travel from Buffalo NY to visit.

[@berkeleygang1834]

Another fine production. Thanks again from making these films available here on KZbin. Keep up the good work!

[@jacksalvin364]

Extra 4443 East: The Fresno Flyer.

[@danielboone3770]

😍😍😍🤩🤩🤩 A wonderful production.

[@jamesharness6478]

Excellent! Thanks for posting!

[@TrainLordJC]

Wonderful video, great footage showing the heyday of SP steam. Seeing those classic cars on the roads was an additional bonus. Greetings from South Australia and I have subscribed to your channel.

[@BruceFJRay]

What a great video. Thank you.

[@SuperFoxyRailwayProduction6702]

8:55

[@JOEMAMA_534]

SP 4455's whistle, recorded going into a tunnel.

[@lazzy._.looserlol9321]

Please!!!!!!! like I’m begging you!!!! Upload more Fresno train videos!!!

[@SuperFoxyRailwayProduction6702]

I remember that 4443 had a movie before been retired and scrapped.

[@tracksofnyc]

Yes it's in the video toward the end Sinatra and Kim Kovach

[@ShinGhidorah17]

@@tracksofnyc It’s actually at the beginning.

[@2quintly]

Great stuff, I bet the poor fireman was "sanding the flues" after those photo run-bys. I'd also guess the narrator wasn't even born when this event happened, although I must give him credit for knowing steam engine terminology well.

[@JungleYT]

*Researched 4443... Sadly it was sold for scrap in 1958. Was hoping this was the black GS on display in St. Louis, Missouri, but that's GS-6 4460, that also pulled last steam powered SP train in 1958*

[@kaseyleitchnextgen3281]

Scrapped a whole year after its appearance on Pal Joey.

[@billimplom6610]

I was a 11 year old kid living in Walnut Creek Ca. saw lots of SP steam . untill the end in 1957. that's when I saw the last steam engine roll by my grammer school.

[@Bri-rb5lq]

Like the black livery

[@Bri-rb5lq]

❤

[@cathrynm]

SP. Rest in peace.

[@SPS700TheE1]

The whistle sounds like a up challenger

[@HunterLohseRRVideos]

It isn’t, all of these sounds are SP steam

[@JOEMAMA_534]

Most of what you hear is from either 4449 during AFT or from the cab of 4455 in 1957

[@captvictor]

man, fantastic trip, wonder how much of the Audio track was live?

[@HunterLohseRRVideos]

None, all post production, home movies at this time were traditionally silent

[@alwaysbearded1]

@@HunterLohseRRVideos Does that explain steam whistles and what sounds like a ship whistle from the same loco?

[@HunterLohseRRVideos]

@@alwaysbearded1 No that is prototypical, GS4 locomotives had a steam whistle and an air horn

[@alwaysbearded1]

@@HunterLohseRRVideos Cool, must have had an impressive air reservoir for such a large air horn. (kidding, I know all the sound was post production just like my dad's old 8/super 8.)

[@danosf]

@@alwaysbearded1 They used the same type air horn (Leslie A-200's) as was used on E and F units from the '40s through the early '50s. SP usually used the air horn at crossings with steam engines that had them.

[@lynn4205]

Strange, that whole run this old girl did and NO DERAILMENTS !!! MUST BE SLEEPY WAS SLEEPIN.

[@nathancorcoran5347]

Honestly, if they have preserved Southern Pacific 4443, it could’ve been displayed at the Amtrak-Caltrain San Francisco Train Station.

[@mikehawk2003]

Amtrak never used it barring a small window of time in 1971. SP only put locomotives on display at the request of a city or organization, so I don't believe putting one on their own property would make much sense if they could just make money off it scrapping it.

[@nathancorcoran5347]

@@mikehawk2003 But it’s true.

[@mikehawk2003]

How so?

[@nathancorcoran5347]

@@mikehawk2003 Because there are some space for a large locomotive to fit there. And since the SP has used that same station before.

[@mikehawk2003]

​@@nathancorcoran5347There wasn't any space at 3rd and Townsend St. Station. All of the property was filled up by tracks or buildings. The track that was used to display 4449 in 1975 was still being used until 1971 for the Daylight and Lark trains. The SP President at the time was a very money-efficient man, and made it clear he was not interested in preserving any steam locomotives on SP property beyond very few exceptions.

[@barksatyoubarks]

Hi Hunter, excellent video!! I live in Fresno and I was hoping I could ask how you got a hold of some of the footage of the Fresno depot. I'm working on a video project about the Belmont Subway a little to the north of the SP depot in Fresno, and those clips would be amazing if I could use them. It's really hard to find footage of the depot still in use. Thank you!!

[@HunterLohseRRVideos]

Contact the archives at the Western Railway Museum, as that is where those films were sourced, and personally, I’d say if you are doing a project like the Belmont Subway what we have in photos and diagrams is most likely better and would be more conducive to your project than any of this footage

[@DovregubbenProductions-vn3vy]

Strange. It didn’t blow its whistle at all. Just it’s air horn.

[@DovregubbenProductions-vn3vy]

9:00 oh I was wrong.

[@thealexshow2890]

2:06 it also blow it hear

[@genepoon8905]

Air horn instead of steam whistle was standard procedure on SP engines so equipped. But often on excursions, the steam whistle was operated for the fans.

[@ericcalhoun9160]

If Southern Pacific 4443 was preserved at the Reading and Northern Railroad.