WAF Wrote:
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> Thought it sat in a park in Portland and Jack
> Hoslt kept it oiled.

Over on the ORHF - Doyle McCormack thread one of our long time crew members could not recall the spelling of famed NW railfan Jack Holst's name even though Jack is honored with a brass plaque in the cab of SP 4449.

Since Jack Holst passed away 40 years ago this Fall, I think it would be good to properly remember this man.

Jack was credited with helping save the Daylight by his years of keeping her axles and rods greased while the engine was rusting on display in Oaks Park in Portland, OR. More than that, Jack was involved in many other railroad projects in his brief 38 year life.

One of those projects that I benefited from was Jack's work to lease the Mount Emily Shay #1 to Cass Scenic RR in 1970. The big Shay had no real home in Portland in the 1960's and she was about to be moved Oaks Park to be displayed along with the 3 big steamers when Jack worked out a lease with Cass that saw the Shay shipped East for restoration back to operation.

Attached are a couple of photos I have of Jack. The first shows him on the front footboards of Hammond Lumber #17 at the Klamath & Hoppow Valley RR in Klamath, CA. Jack was down there for a steam up of the ALCO 2-8-2T and ex: Pickering Lumber Heisler #10. At the time, Jack was recognized as the pre-eminant Heisler authority in the coutry.

The second photo shows Jack with his beloved red Alfa Romero sports car. Jack took this car on many of his railfan photo trips.

An auto-biography of Jack is posted on the PNW Chapter of the NRHS website in Portland, OR where most of Jack's collection ended up. Here is the link:

[www.pnwc-nrhs.org]

Jack passed away suddenly after a short illness. Many of the railfan magazines of the 1960's and early 1970's contain articles and photos by Jack.

Unfortunately Jack never saw SP 4449 restored back to operation. He passed way just 2 and 1/2 years before she was pulled out of the park and refurbished as the American Freedom Train. That may never have occurred had Jack not selflessly donated his time greasing the Daylight in Oaks Park for all those years.

We all should take a moment to remember and thank Jack for his heroic efforts at keeping 4449 in a condition that would allow it to be moved from Oaks Park in Portland many years later..

Jack
Sparks, NV