Tylor,

Many people would love to see the SP 4449 return to California and I am sure it is one of the top questions asked in the line of questions the 49 crew receives. What I do know is that 4449 has been operating under Amtrak insurance coverage for public excursions and given permission to run by the BNSF Railway on their mainline to various points in the Pacific Northwest as of the last decade for public excursions such as the Bend trip. The last time 4449 ran down to Sacramento California was in 1999 to Railfair 99 at the California State Railroad Museum as a non-public dead head move supported by the BNSF Railway directly with assistance by Union Pacific Railroad on their owned lines operating on BNSF trackage rights.
If they were to run an excursion under Amtrak insurance coverage to California today verses 1999, the 4449 group would need to get permission from both the BNSF Railway on their owned tracks via the same route they operated to Bend southward a couple weeks ago and also the Union Pacific to operate on their mainline between Chemult, Oregon to Klamath Falls, Oregon. At Klamath Falls they would be back to BNSF Rails until they arrived at Keddie Wye in California in the Feather River Canyon. From Keddie to Sacramento, it is owned by Union Pacific and UP would approve the trip for this segment also. At this point in time the only way I can see the SP 4449 visiting California anytime soon is if BNSF Railway contracts the 4449 to run some Employee specials down there or for some other special event in California. Or, if possibly the Union Pacific invites the SP 4449 to be a part of the 150th Golden Spike Celebration coming up in 2019. I have heard many people throwing that idea out there operating 4449 from Sacramento, CA to Ogden, Utah representing the Central Pacific/Southern Pacific side of the trans con and meeting the UP Steam with a modern day Golden Spike Celebration and the depot.
At any rate, where ever she operates be sure and try to either ride or make a donation so future trips like the Bend trip can continue to happen as the next trip is never promised and the Railroads can decide no steam excursions on their lines at any given time.