An October 1940 graduate of the American Locomotive Company, No. 3001 was one of 600 4-8-2 Mohawk-type steam locomotives rostered by the New York Central. Its class was designed by the highly-regarded mechanical engineer Paul W. Kiefer, who was also responsible for the Central’s Hudson and Niagara locomotives, and featured roller bearings on all axles, boiler pressure of 250 PSI, and the ability to attain speeds up to 80 miles per hour, making it a perfect mixed-service workhorse.
Not keen on preserving its old steam locomotives, the vast majority of the Central’s steam roster was scrapped upon dieselization. No. 3001 became an exception when it was sold to the Texas & Pacific Railway in March 1957, replacing a displayed T&P 2-10-4 that suffered from vandalism. It was then donated to the city of Dallas, disguised as Texas & Pacific No. 909, and was displayed at the Texas State Fairgrounds. The city subsequently donated it to the Southwest Historical Society for display at @HistoricTrains. No. 3001 eventually became one of just two mainline steam locomotives from the New York Central to survive.
In 1984, the Lakeshore Railroad Historical Foundation received No. 3001 in a trade, cosmetically restored its New York Central appearance and towed it to the National New York Central Railroad Museum in Elkhart, Ind.. It was considered for restoration numerous times over several decades, but no plans succeeded. Around 1987, No. 3001 was leased from the Lakeshore Railroad Historical Foundation to the @CityOfElkhartIN.
In 2017, the Lakeshore Railroad Historical Foundation dissolved, and No. 3001’s ownership was in question until the @fortwaynerailroad and the city of Elkhart agreed to a sale in 2023. No. 3001 is now the focus of the American Locomotive Project, which aims to return the Mohawk to operation as part of the Indiana Rail Experience. This will make No. 3001 the first New York Central steam locomotive to operate since 1957.
🍀 WE ARE TURNING A NEW LEAF IN 2026. As part of a rebranding effort, several of our older, out-of-date videos will soon become unlisted, including our Top 10 Retired Steam Excursion Stars series — but there will be plenty more to make up for it.
🧡 SOUTHERN PACIFIC No. 4449 — one of the world’s most famous and most beautiful steam locomotives.
Constructed by the Lima Locomotive Works and pressed into service on May 30, 1941, this GS-4 class 4-8-4 locomotive was capable of operating up to 110 mph. Its most famous assignment was the San Francisco to Los Angeles “Coast Daylight”, the finest named passenger train on the Southern Pacific, but as diesels proved themselves in passenger service, No. 4449 and its siblings were slowly reassigned or bumped down to lower trains.
On October 2, 1957, the locomotive was retired at just 16 years old, and it became the only GS-4 to be preserved when it was donated to the city of Portland, Ore., for display in 1958. Today, it is one of only two locomotives from the entire GS series in existence.
It reentered service in April of 1975 for the American Freedom Train, a nationwide celebration of the United States Bicentennial, and despite clearance issues in parts of the eastern U.S., the majority of the mileage was made behind No. 4449. Since then, the locomotive, now often referred to as simply the “Daylight”, has racked up many more miles in excursion service, including three feature film appearances, tandem excursions with many other locomotives, and a legendary excursion from Portland to the @SteamRailroadingInstitute in Owosso, Mich., in 2009.
In 2012, the @oregonrailheritagefoundati496 was established in the heart of downtown Portland, where the Daylight now resides with four other steam locomotives in various stages of restoration.
Clover Leaf Media
💨 NEW YORK CENTRAL No. 3001
An October 1940 graduate of the American Locomotive Company, No. 3001 was one of 600 4-8-2 Mohawk-type steam locomotives rostered by the New York Central. Its class was designed by the highly-regarded mechanical engineer Paul W. Kiefer, who was also responsible for the Central’s Hudson and Niagara locomotives, and featured roller bearings on all axles, boiler pressure of 250 PSI, and the ability to attain speeds up to 80 miles per hour, making it a perfect mixed-service workhorse.
Not keen on preserving its old steam locomotives, the vast majority of the Central’s steam roster was scrapped upon dieselization. No. 3001 became an exception when it was sold to the Texas & Pacific Railway in March 1957, replacing a displayed T&P 2-10-4 that suffered from vandalism. It was then donated to the city of Dallas, disguised as Texas & Pacific No. 909, and was displayed at the Texas State Fairgrounds. The city subsequently donated it to the Southwest Historical Society for display at @HistoricTrains. No. 3001 eventually became one of just two mainline steam locomotives from the New York Central to survive.
In 1984, the Lakeshore Railroad Historical Foundation received No. 3001 in a trade, cosmetically restored its New York Central appearance and towed it to the National New York Central Railroad Museum in Elkhart, Ind.. It was considered for restoration numerous times over several decades, but no plans succeeded. Around 1987, No. 3001 was leased from the Lakeshore Railroad Historical Foundation to the @CityOfElkhartIN.
In 2017, the Lakeshore Railroad Historical Foundation dissolved, and No. 3001’s ownership was in question until the @fortwaynerailroad and the city of Elkhart agreed to a sale in 2023. No. 3001 is now the focus of the American Locomotive Project, which aims to return the Mohawk to operation as part of the Indiana Rail Experience. This will make No. 3001 the first New York Central steam locomotive to operate since 1957.
You can learn more about No. 3001’s next chapter at the link: www.americanloco.org/
4 months ago | [YT] | 82
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Clover Leaf Media
⬇️ Peep what we and @fmwsolutions put together! ⬇️
5 months ago | [YT] | 4
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Clover Leaf Media
🍀 WE ARE TURNING A NEW LEAF IN 2026. As part of a rebranding effort, several of our older, out-of-date videos will soon become unlisted, including our Top 10 Retired Steam Excursion Stars series — but there will be plenty more to make up for it.
8 months ago | [YT] | 18
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Clover Leaf Media
Latest collab w/ @fortwaynerailroad has arrived! ⬇️
8 months ago | [YT] | 7
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Clover Leaf Media
🧡 SOUTHERN PACIFIC No. 4449 — one of the world’s most famous and most beautiful steam locomotives.
Constructed by the Lima Locomotive Works and pressed into service on May 30, 1941, this GS-4 class 4-8-4 locomotive was capable of operating up to 110 mph. Its most famous assignment was the San Francisco to Los Angeles “Coast Daylight”, the finest named passenger train on the Southern Pacific, but as diesels proved themselves in passenger service, No. 4449 and its siblings were slowly reassigned or bumped down to lower trains.
On October 2, 1957, the locomotive was retired at just 16 years old, and it became the only GS-4 to be preserved when it was donated to the city of Portland, Ore., for display in 1958. Today, it is one of only two locomotives from the entire GS series in existence.
It reentered service in April of 1975 for the American Freedom Train, a nationwide celebration of the United States Bicentennial, and despite clearance issues in parts of the eastern U.S., the majority of the mileage was made behind No. 4449. Since then, the locomotive, now often referred to as simply the “Daylight”, has racked up many more miles in excursion service, including three feature film appearances, tandem excursions with many other locomotives, and a legendary excursion from Portland to the @SteamRailroadingInstitute in Owosso, Mich., in 2009.
In 2012, the @oregonrailheritagefoundati496 was established in the heart of downtown Portland, where the Daylight now resides with four other steam locomotives in various stages of restoration.
11 months ago | [YT] | 51
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Clover Leaf Media
✨ Ready to see how 2024 changed everything for @fortwaynerailroad?
1 year ago | [YT] | 44
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Clover Leaf Media
Unlike some shop cats, we haven’t been lying down on the job. Plenty to come in 2025… 🐈⬛
1 year ago | [YT] | 45
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Clover Leaf Media
👀 Coming (really) soon….
1 year ago | [YT] | 38
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