In July, 2000, I was working in Seattle, WA, on a training assignment at now-defunct Airborne Express. My job was to train a class of eight technical new hires in the wonders of IBM mainframe programming. I had worked out a schedule where I drove up from California for the ten week assignment and then flew home every other weekend to take care of personal business. During the visit I learned that my favorite steam locomotive, the SP 4449, had been chartered by BNSF to pull an employee appreciation special. Part of the agreement was to paint the locomotive a glossy black much different form its normal orange and red color scheme.

During the last few days that 4449 was to be in Seattle, they ran one last excursion to Vancouver, BC, before heading east to Montana. I was fortunate enough to catch the Saturday return from Vancouver and the Sunday departure to Montana. Footage includes segments of the southbound journey from Vancouver to Seattle and the eastbound trip to the west portal of the 7.9 mile long Cascade Tunnel.