I’ve chased a lot of steam, 2472, 4449, 844,N&W 611 and the Challenger who’s number escapes me at the moment. This is fun stuff.
Both the Challenger and the 4449 came over the Cajon Summit in the early 1990s. We chased the Challenger up to Newberry Springs, got ahead of it and waited for it to go by. It was an incredible experience.
I grew up with the N&W 611, which as you know is a J Class, 4-8-4 engine. One of, if not the most distinctive train whistles I’ve ever heard. I greatly missed hearing the 611 and other steam engines when my family moved away from the coal town we lived in.