The Southern Pacific 4449 is considered one of the best operable “streamlined” steam locomotive of the Art Deco era, It pulled Southern Pacific “Daylight” coaches from Los Angeles to San Francisco over the scenic Coast Route to Portland until 1955. Feb. 28, 2024
Kristian Foden-Vencil / OPB
In October 1923, three brothers held up a train headed south from Ashland. Instead of making off with the loot, however, they killed four people and led police on a worldwide manhunt.
Newspapers called it “the crime of the century.” It came to be known as “The Last Great American Train Robbery.”
But it was actually a total failure. So why do people still talk and write songs about it? What was so great about this heist?
Watch the Oregon Experience episode about this here.
Listen to all episodes of The Evergreen podcast here.
