THE
  Story of
America's Freedom Trains
  TIMELINE FOR THE 1975 - 1976
AMERICAN FREEDOM TRAIN
Spring, 1973 June, 1974 December 19, 1974 February 3, 1975

After two years on the road pitching the idea of a touring exhibition of American history (55 presentations, and 55 turndowns), Rowland makes the acquaintance of Ralph Weisinger. Weisinger has a friend at Pepsi, which in turn leads to a meeting with Don Kendall, chairman of PepsiCo. Within hours the American Freedom Train Foundation has a green light with $1 million each from Pepsi, General Motors, Prudential Insurance and Kraft Foods. The Atlantic Richfield company (ARCO Petroleum) also contributes $1 million, but takes no credit for doing so. (These are the days of the OPEC oil embargo.) Within weeks, President Richard Nixon instructs federal archivists to make virtually everything in their holdings available to the AFT Foundation. Selection of artifacts begins.

 The red, white, and blue Preamble Express leaves New Jersey to scout the path the American Freedom Train will begin to follow in less than a year. The Express consists of a General Electric locomotive (U32B #2312) and four passenger cars from the Springmaid Mills line. The passenger cars will eventually form the tail of the Freedom Train. The GE engine lasts until Chicago where it is replaced by a GM locomotive, Union Pacific E9 #951. (Only fitting as GM is, after all, a sponsor.)

President Gerald Ford inaugurates the American Freedom Train from the observation platform of the Preamble Express at Alexandria, VA.

Another giant steam locomotive has entered the picture - former Texas & Pacific #610.

Having purchased #610 in the late 60s for the bargain price of one US dollar, owner David Pearson of Ft. Worth, TX has secured funding for its restoration (with the generous support of local newspaper magnate Amon Carter, Jr.) and the AFT Foundation has agreed to let the locomotive pull the Freedom Train while in Texas. On this date, #610 is moved to its open-air restoration site near the stockyards in Ft. Worth.

March 28, 1975
With the paint still drying on its drive wheels, Ex-Reading #2101 (now AFT #1) makes an early morning run to Cameron Station to pick up the AFT. The train heads North to Wilmington, Delaware, stopping for a brief ceremony in Alexandria, VA where President Ford had inaugurated the train three months earlier.
April 6-9 Albany, NY April 20-27 Boston, MA May 14-20 Cleveland, OH June 17-19 Ft. Wayne, IN July 14-16 South Bend, IN August 5-6 Crystal Lake, IL August 20-24 Madison, WI September 12-14 Sioux City, IA October 7-8 Cheyenne, WY October 22-24 Boise, ID November 11-14 Portland, OR November 28-30 Sacramento, CA December 14-17 San Jose, CA January 5-8 Long Beach, CA January 22-23 Yuma, AZ February 7-9 Odessa/Midland, TX February 26-28 Fort Worth, TX March 15-18 Tulsa, OK March 31 - April 3 Jefferson City, MO April 24-26 Jackson, MS May 15-17 Columbus, GA June 4-6 Knoxville, TN June 19-21 Dayton, OH July 2-5 Harrisburg, PA July 17-18 Binghamton, NY August 3-5 Milford, CT August 17-19 Tarrytown, NY August 30 - September 1 Trenton, NJ September 17-20 Baltimore, MD October 5-7 Norfolk, VA October 20-24 Greenboro, NC November 6-8 Columbia, SC November 20-23 Jacksonville, FL December 7-9 Sarasota, FL
April 11-12 Burlington, VT April 29 - May 1 Lowell, MA May 22- June 2 Columbus, OH June 21 - July 6 Detroit, MI July 18-21 Peoria, IL August 8-10 Rockford, IL August 26-30 Minneapolis, MN September 16-21 West Des Moines, IA October 10-13 Billings, MT October 26-29 Spokane, WA November 15-17 Salem, OR December 1-3 Stockton, CA December 19-21 Fresno, CA January 9-13 Anaheim, CA January 24-28 Tempe, AZ February 11-14 San Antonio, TX February 29 - March 4 Dallas, TX March 19-23 Wichita, KS April 4-11 St. Louis, MO April 28 - May 1 Baton Rouge, LA May 19-25 Atlanta, GA June 7-10 Chattanooga, TN June 23-24 Huntington, WV July 7-10 Pittsburgh, PA July 19-21 Scranton, PA August 6-9 Providence, RI August 21-23 Newark, NJ September 2-6 Ashbury Park, NJ September 21-23 Hagerstown, MD October 8-14 Richmond, VA October 25-27 Charlotte, NC November 9-11 Florence, SC November 26-28 Tallahassee, FL December 10-15 St. Petersburg, FL December 26-31 Miami, FL
April 14-15 Manchester, NH May 3-5 Worcester, MA June 4-11 Cincinnati, OH July 8-9 Grand Rapids, MI July 23-26 Springfield, IL August 12-13 Aurora, IL September 1-4 Fargo, ND September 23-28 Omaha, NE October 15-18 Salt Lake City, UT October 31 - November 4 Seattle, WA November 19-22 Springfield, OR December 5-8 Oakland, CA December 23-30 Pomona, CA January 14-18 San Diego, CA January 29 - February 1 Tucson, AZ February 15-17 Austin, TX March 6-8 Wichita Falls, TX March 24-26 Topeka, KS April 13-15 North Little Rock, AR May 3-9 New Orleans, LA May 27-31 Birmingham. AL June 12-13 Lexington, KY June 25-27 South Charleston, WV July 11-12 Brackenridge, PA July 23-25 Morristown, NJ August 10-12 New London, CT August 24-26 New Brunswick, NJ September 8-11 Atlantic City, NJ September 25-29 Washington, DC October 15-16 Fredericksburg, VA October 29 - November 1 Raleigh, NC November 12-15 Charleston, SC November 30 - December 1 Gainesville, FL December 16-19 Lakeland, FL Letter from President Ford
April 17-18 Portland, ME May 7-12 Rochester, NY June 14-15 Archbold, OH July 11-12 Kalamazoo, MI July 28 - August 3 Chicago, IL August 15-18 Green Bay, WI September 7-10 Sioux Falls, SD October 2-5 Colorado Springs, CO October 19-20 Ogden, UT November 5-9 Tacoma, WA November 24-26 Reno/Sparks, NV December 10-13 San Francisco, CA January 2-4, 1976 Santa Barbara, CA January 19-20 San Juan Capistrano, CA February 3-6 Albuquerque, NM February 19-24 Houston, TX March 10-14 Oklahoma City, OK March 27-30 Kansas City, KS April 17-22 Memphis, TN May 11-13 Mobile, AL May 31 - June 2 Huntsville, AL June 15-17 Evansville, IN June 29 - 30 Cumberland, MD July 14-15 Williamsport, PA July 27 - August 1 New York, NY August 13-15 Meriden, CT August 27-29 Bethlehem, PA September 12-15 King of Prussia. PA September 30 - October 3 Newport News, VA October 18-19 Danville, VA November 3-4 Greenville, SC November 16-18 Savannah, GA December 3-6 Orlando, FL December 21-24 West Palm Beach, FL

 

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2007+
About this timeline... May, 1969 1971-1973 Fall, 1974 Winter, 1974 Return to Museum Home Page... March, 1975 8AM Tuesday April 1, 1975 Wilmington, DE

This timeline extends to the right quite a long way. To see the rest of it, click and drag the "scroll bar" at the bottom of this page. You can "click" on most images to go to more in-depth material.

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 The Golden Spike Centennial Limited travels from New Jersey to Utah for the 100th anniversary celebration of the completion of the first transcontinental railroad. Enroute, engineer and organizer Ross Rowland, Jr. and actor John Wayne discuss the idea of a special steam-powered train to tour the country in celebration of the Bicentennial of the American Revolution. After giving up on the idea of getting financial assistance from the US government, Rowland, also a successful New York commodities broker, tries to make the concept a reality by hitting the "corporate trail". He goes armed with dozens of pieces of conceptual art by noted railroad artist Bob Lorenz.  

After considering any number of steam locomotives (including Nickel Plate Berkshires #755 and #763, Norfolk & Western #611, Union Pacific #8444 and Santa Fe #2925), former Southern Pacific #4449 is selected for restoration to pull the American Freedom Train. On December 14, #4449 is pulled from Oaks Park in Portland, OR and moved to a Burlington Northern roundhouse where work begins. Engineer Doyle McCormack leads the effort.

 Designer Barry Howard's vision comes to life as the display cars of the American Freedom Train (12 former NY Central/Penn Central baggage cars) are mechanically converted into traveling museums in Oakland, CA and Venice, FL. A moving walkway is installed down one side of each car to keep the crowds moving through the train (a lesson learned from the experience of the 1947 Freedom Train). Final outfitting takes place in Pittsburgh and Chicago.  

Restoration work on locomotive #4449 has fallen behind schedule and it would seem the AFT will begin its journey pulled by modern diesels. Rather than let this happen, Rowland makes arrangements for the purchase of former Reading Lines #2101 from the Striegel Supply Company in Baltimore. Restoration of the huge locomotive is accomplished in 30 days by volunteers working 'round the clock.

At Cameron Station Military Reservation in Virginia, the display cars of the AFT are outfitted with the 500+ artifacts of Americana that they will carry around the nation. Among them are the Bill of Rights, the Louisiana Purchase, Judy Garland's dress from The Wizard of Oz, Joe Frazier's boxing trunks, Abe Lincoln's stovepipe hat, and even a rock from the moon.

The 25-car steam-powered American Freedom Train opens to a sellout crowd of 40,000 at Delaware Park. Admission is free until noon, but this is soon extended to cover the entire day. Governor Sherman W. Tibbet attends the opening day ceremonies.

The train displays in Delaware Park from April 1-4. At 2AM on the 5th, the train is moved by a pair of GG-1s through the high-vandalism Newark yards without incident.

August 26, 1975

Hubert Humphrey and his grandson ride the cab of the American Freedom Train into its display site at Minnehaha Falls Park. A lesser known Minnesota politician (Fritz Mondale) rides in the back.

 

September 23, 1975

The Daylight locomotive is shopped at the Union Pacific Railroad's Omaha shops to correct the contour of its drive wheels.

The tricky procedure causes the steam locomotive to miss dates in Colorado, Wyoming and Montana. The Burlington Northern Railroad provides diesels to pull the train in those states.

While in Omaha, Mike Love of the Beach Boys gives a benefit concert for the train and the AFT sees its 2,000,000 visitor.

Salt Lake City, Utah

Soviet cosmonauts from the Apollo-Soyuz flight tour the train and are each presented with a model train set in the likeness of the AFT.

Only a few thousand sets were produced by Lionel and are prized collectibles today.

Seattle, Washington

The AFT gets a visit from a trainful of Canadians on a steam excursion specifically to see the Freedom Train.

One of BC Rail's Royal Hudson steam locomotives leads the excursion down from Vancouver and the two steam locomotives display side-by-side next to Seattle's famed Kingdome (now demolished).

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San Francisco, CA

The AFT displays on the Presidio military reservation near Golden Gate Park. The locomotive is spotted near the base of Hyde St. in the shadow of Ghiradelli Square.

This is the furthest point "West" the train ever displays.

On December 14, the long journey East begins.

Pomona, CA

The crew celebrates Christmas with a party in Southern California.

The locomotive is dressed as Santa to celebrate.

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Tempe, AZ

Country superstar Johnny Cash gives a benefit concert for the train.

Cash, an early supporter of the AFT effort, had made television public service announcements for the Foundation in mid-1975 -- as had the likes of Tennessee Earnie Ford and Lady Bird Johnson.

While in Tempe, the train crosses paths with the Bicentennial Wagon Train to Pennsylvania for the first and only time.

  Just a year after its restoration began, locomotive #610 takes over at Austin, TX for the run to Houston. The 610 will pull the AFT to Ft. Worth and Dallas (and then back to Ft. Worth) as well.

Kansas City, KS

The American Freedom Train receives its 4,000,000th visitor, Marian Nettleton.

Jefferson City, MO

April 1, 1976

The AFT crew celebrates one year on the road in a ceremony at Missouri's capital. Many of the people who designed and promoted the train in its early days are in attendance.

Memorial Day, Birmingham, AL

The AFT switches locomotives again. This time, the rejuvenated and repainted T-1 engine takes over for the AFT's run up the East coast. The Daylight engine will be serviced at the shops of the Southern Railway before it heads East to rejoin the train in four months.

A brief ceremony marks the change of command.

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Chattanooga, TN

The local men's semipro baseball team challenges the women of the AFT to a softball game. A grand time is had by all, though no one seems to remember who won.

July 1, 1976

Mamie Eisenhower rides the AFT from Gettysburg to York (and perhaps Harrisburg).

The train makes a photo stop on famed Horseshoe Curve.

July 20, 1976

While the AFT displays in Scranton, NASA's Viking lands on Mars.

August 9, 1976

The AFT is moved to higher ground near Providence's Union Station to wait out hurricane Belle.

August 28-29, 1976

Locomotive #4449 (which last pulled the AFT into Birmingham, AL) makes a passenger excursion run from Atlanta to Alexandria, VA to rejoin the AFT.

The 18-car steam-powered train reaches 80+ mph between Culpeper and Manassas, VA.

A full-fare ticket behind #4449? -- $44.49

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Washington, DC

Back near where it all began, the staff gets a White House tour while the train displays on the grounds of the Pentagon. Having gotten through the Bicentennial summer, the staff and crew pose for formal photos next to the train.

The two primary AFT locomotives and their crews exchange duty on the train for the final time.

 

Norfolk, VA

Lady Bird Johnson visits the train.

November, 1976

Having peaked in July, Bicentennial fever has long since subsided. Crowds are getting smaller, and the AFT is in its twilight.

Many of the staff are given their leave and there is a sense the family is breaking up. An effort is made to construct a crew roster for reunions the crew vows to have. Marty Homiak is largely credited with seeing to it that they actually happen.

The departed staff are invited back for closing ceremonies in Miami at year's end.

 

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Miami December 31, 1976 The end has come.

Founder Ross Rowland, Jr. escorts the last of some 7,000,000 visitors through the train and the entire staff takes one last ride down the train's moving walkway.

Rowland announces the American Freedom Train officially closed.

A candlelight ceremony marks the end of the line and the beginning of a party that will run all night.

With morning comes the reality that the train is no more. The staff, no longer employed, begin their long journeys home to all corners of the country.

The locomotives are in storage now, facing uncertain futures. All will run again - the #610 for the Southern Railway, #2101 for the Chessie System and #4449 in excursion service.

The train itself will be sold to the National Museums of Canada for their Discovery Train. That train will tour Canada for two years beginning in 1978.

In early 1977, the artifacts from the AFT are all returned to their owners. The "Children's Bell" (a 2X reproduction of the Liberty Bell made to be carried on the AFT) is now on display outside Washington, DC's Union Station. Artifacts of the AFT, itself, (window displays, interior display materials, gifts, etc.) are given to the Baltimore and Ohio RR Museum. Later they became the cornerstone of the collection of the Museum of America's Freedom Trains in California.

Sadly, in 1995 the display cars of the American Freedom Train were all scrapped in the desert outside Las Vegas, a city the AFT never visited.

The staff and crew of the Americacn Freedom Train still get together for reunions every two years (usually Labor Day weekend on even-numbered years, but they are trying Memorial Day weekend for 2008).

Please email if you or anyone you know worked on the train or for the foundation in any capacity so that you (they) can be added to the reunion contact list!

We hope you have enjoyed this timeline for the American Freedom Train. Please feel free to email if you have any questions or comments!

April 18,1975 Friday May 16, 1975 Friday June 20, 1975 Monday June 30, 1975 - The catastrophe that wasn't. Chicago - Change of Command Return to Museum Home Page...
With the former Reading locomotive reliably pulling the AFT, restoration of #4449 proceeds at a more deliberate pace in Portland, OR. On this date, 4449's boiler is put to steam for the first time since she was retired in 1957. On April 21 she moves under her own power.

#4449 is christened in Portland, OR before making the short trip to Swan Island to be put on public display for a day.

On the other side of the country (during the Cleveland stop) time is finally found to paint the former Reading locomotive properly. Artist Bob Lorenz gives the former #2101 the second of three paint schemes she will wear during her Bicentennial journeys.

AFT Locomotive #4449 leaves Portland to begin its trip to Chicago to meet the Freedom Train. On June 22 #4449 is in Sacramento on display with the C. P. Huntington (the Southern Pacific Railroad's first steam locomotive) and modern SP diesel electric #9389, painted in a Bicentennial paint scheme designed by Chester Mack, the artist who designed the paint scheme of the 1947 Freedom Train.

On June 24, #4449 displays at Ogden Union Station with SP #9389 (again) and Union Pacific "Centennial" locomotive #6943 - an example of the world's largest diesel locomotive.

Near Dorchester, Nebraska, a dump truck at a construction site backs into the path of #4449. The dump truck driver tries to pull forward - but not in time. The giant steam locomotive nicks the tail of the truck and sends its driver to the floorboard. Fortunately, he isn't injured. #4449 will need a new piece of metal side-skirting on the fireman's side when it arrives at General Motor's LaGrange, IL Electro-Motive plant on July 2. (And the dump truck will need a new bed.)

The AFT arrives in Chicago on July 27 and is spotted at Navy Pier.

After three grueling months, the hastily-restored locomotive #1 will get a rest and a much needed overhaul - and a new namesake: George S. Cashman is painted under the cab window in tribute to the late brother of Gene Cashman who helped get the AFT project off the ground in 1973.

On August 4, steam locomotives #1 and #4449 meet nose-to-nose at Proviso yard. After a short ceremony, #4449 heads to Crystal Lake, IL, pulling the AFT for the first time. It will be nearly a year before the engines and their crews meet again to exchange duty.