McCormack, best known as the engineer aboard Southern Pacific 4-8-4 No. 4449, will remain on the board of directors representing the Friends of SP 4449. He is being replaced by Roy Hemmingway, who previously served as ORHF treasurer. McCormack has been president since the founding of ORHF in 2004.
The ORHF runs the Oregon Rail Heritage Center near downtown Portland, home to three steam locomotives owned by the City of Portland and a number of other historic locomotives and cars.
In an interview with Trains News Wire, McCormack, 75, says he told the board in January that he did not want to run for another one-year term as the head of the ORHF.
“It was time,” he says of his departure as president.
McCormack was instrumental in the creation of the Oregon Rail Heritage Center, an interpretive museum and locomotive shop on a 3-acre site across the street from the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry. The ORHF was established to find a permanent home for Portland’s three steam locomotives – SP No. 4449, Spokane, Portland & Seattle 4-8-4 No. 700 and Oregon Railroad & Navigation Company 4-6-2 No. 197 – that were previously kept and maintained at the SP’s Brooklyn Roundhouse. The roundhouse was torn down in 2012 to make way for a new intermodal facility. The new ORHF facility was named the “Doyle L. McCormack Enginehouse” when it opened to the public in 2012.
“Without Doyle, the magnificent Oregon Rail Heritage Center would not exist,” says incoming President Hemmingway. “No one has done more for heritage steam preservation in America than Doyle McCormack.”
McCormack plans on staying involved with ORHF, specifically the installation of the former Brooklyn yard turntable in front of the enginehouse. He’ll also stay busy maintaining No. 4449 and his “big blue-and-white beast,” Nickel Plate Road PA1 No. 190. The Alco locomotive was originally built for the Santa Fe and made famous on the Delaware & Hudson before being sold to Mexico. McCormack helped bring the locomotive back from Mexico in 2000 and he’s been restoring it ever since to resemble an NKP PA-1, just like the one he got a cab ride on as a kid in 1955.
Although the locomotive was successfully started up in 2013, and even appeared at “Streamliners at Spencer” in Spencer, N.C., in 2014, McCormack says there’s still a “three-page long checklist, all single space” worth of tasks before the Alco will run under its own power. He’s hopeful that will happen sooner rather than later.
“I still have a lot to do on it,” he says. “I just want to see her run once so I can die happy.”
To Mr. Doyle McCormick, May you have a long & happy retirement and may you get to finish your NKP ALCO PA-1. I will however, always remember you as the engineer of the Mighty 4449. I’ll even bet you’ll still want to get behind the throttle of 4449 on occasion, maybe during some of the Christmas lights trips along the river. As for your ever being at the throttle of UP 4014, I’m sure that Ed Dickens will invite you to “come on up” when the 4014 comes to Portland and you’ll be able to operate her for a short ways up & down UP’s tracks. Having said that, I’m also equally sure that you’ll be at trackside when 4014 comes to town. Again, have a long and happy retirement and God bless you for bringing so much happiness & joy to railroaders & railfans everywhere.
The Mexicans indeed took much pride keeping the PAs nice and clean and groomed. I believe they were involved in some unfortunate accidents so by no means even attempt to put any blame on our ferroaficionado amigos South of the Border. Gracias!
Doyle McCormack remains a living legend and an icon in his own time. He should be the man chosen to operate Union Pacific 4014 during the Golden Spike ceremony runs…Period!
Mr. McCormick even has a cameo appearance in the 1986 produced motion picture Tough Guys that starred Kirk Douglas and Burt Lancaster. He can be seen behind the throttle of Espee 4-8-4 Daylight 4449!
Sir, all the best!
Yes it’s nice that Doyle McCormick is bringing back this Alco PA back to operating condition. I wish he found another Prime Mover for the other Alco PA in the museum In Frisco, TX as well so that Alco PA can run again in classic Santa Fe Warbonnet colors.
Anyways McCormick has done a fantastic job keeping the SP 4449 rolling and knowing very well what it takes to run an excursion.
Railroaders Love You Man!
I salute you Mr. McCormick.
I,m very happy Mr. McCormick is bring back the ALCO PA back from the dead , it was a shame that the PA,s went to Mexico . These locomotives were not taken care of and destroyed by a railroad company that didn’t care about the equipment DAM SHAME!
The wonderful thing about a visit to the Oregon Rail site after arrival by streetcar was the chance encounter with Doyle McCormick, who was eminently willing to jaw. Interesting how men like him and Steve Sandberg, for example, exemplifly what can be described as a love of men and their machines.
Railfans owe this gentleman a very large debt of gratitude.
ABSOLUTLY!! What Mr.Arthur J. Miller said! Not only locally, but all over the country, when4449 toured; it was a thrill to see it running.