Southern Pacific Daylight 4-8-4 No. 4449 at Bend, Ore., in October 2012. The fog horn is at the top of the smokebox on the fireman’s side, or the right, as you look at the engine.
Alex Mayes
Q I was watching a video about the Southern Pacific Daylight 4-8-4 No. 4449, and I noticed that the engine has an air horn and a steam whistle. Why does this engine have both, and did all the Daylights have both? — Murphy Jenkins, Van Buren, Ark.
A The 4449 has both the whistle and a fog horn. Since she ran along the California coast, she often met sea fog on the right-of-way. The whistle does not penetrate
the fog well enough to ensure crossing protection, so the fog horn was used on many of her trips. The fog horn was original equipment ordered from Lima Locomotive Works starting with the GS2 steam locomotives and continuing through the GS6 design before diesel locomotives took over the Daylight route. — Mark Kramer, president, Friends of SP 4449 Inc.
