Adelyn “Addie” Hayes - The Girl on the Train

In the bitter winter of 1997 Stevens Pass recorded its deepest snowfall on record. Multiple avalanches shut rail and highway for days. And Emilia Hayes gave birth to Adelyn on Amtrak’s westbound Empire Builder. Stranded by an avalanche at 11:45 PM on February 18, the train lay buried in ten feet (3m) of snow near the Cascade Tunnel. Three hours later, in an empty roomette, warmed by an emergency heater, “Addie” entered the world at 2:45 AM on February 19, 1997. Her birth amid the storm’s peak of adversity would mark her destiny as a natural leader born of crisis.

Between late 1996 and early 1997, Stevens Pass saw more than 600 inches of snow—50 feet (15.2m)—in a single season, the highest total recorded there between 1995 and 2002. Daily snowfalls topped two feet (61cm) on several February days, creating a dangerously unstable snowpack and triggering repeated avalanche-control shutdowns of U.S. Hwy 2 and the adjacent BNSF rail line.

From February 10 to 25, 1997, Washington State DOT (Department of Transportation) enforced twelve full closures of U.S. 2 over Stevens Pass for avalanche mitigation—some lasting over 48 hours. BNSF logs note three major slides burying the tracks near the Cascade Tunnel, each requiring up to three days to clear before trains could move again.

Amtrak’s Empire Builder (Train 27) departed Spokane on the evening of February 18, 1997, bound for Seattle via the Cascade Tunnel (the nation’s longest tunnel at 7.8 miles) and Stevens Pass. At approximately 11:45 PM, a warm front’s 30-inch (915cm) snowfall and a rapid freeze–thaw triggered an uncontrolled avalanche that buried the westbound passenger train at milepost 57—just above the tunnel’s western portal—under ten feet (3m) of snow and debris.

Passengers and crew moved into the lounge car for warmth; emergency heaters kept the temperature just above freezing. Outside, winds howled and avalanche crews could not approach until slopes were made safe. Overland rescue was impossible while U.S. Hwy 2 remained closed for avalanche control.

Emilia Hayes, eight months pregnant, had been resting in coach when the train came to a abrupt stop. The violent jolt triggered strong contractions. Liam, her husband, had wrapped her in blankets and summoned the conductor, who—serving as impromptu medic—led them to the sleeper car and into an empty roomette to deliver the baby.

At approximately 2:45 AM on February 19, 1997—three hours after the avalanche strike—Emilia gave birth to her daughter, Adelyn “Addie” Hayes, her first cries echoing beneath ten feet of snow. The makeshift delivery room used seat cushions and emergency blankets; passengers passed hot tea and sandwiches through the door to keep mother and child warm.

At 5:17 AM, a BNSF snowcat finally breached the drift at the locomotive’s nose, carving a tunnel through the ten-foot berm. Emilia, Liam, and newborn Addie were sledded to the engine car, then transferred to a trackless armored rig for the descent to Steven’s Pass maintenance yard.
By late morning, the Hayeses arrived at King Street Station in Seattle. Waiting family and friend greeted them with cheers. Addie—named for her noble meaning and born at the apex of adversity—was carried into a warm hospital lobby, symbolizing hope amid the storm’s devastation.

You Can Go Home

In 2018, years after Addie’s dramatic birth aboard stranded Amtrak’s Empire Builder, her “birth car” - Superliner II sleeper AMTK 32119 - was retired and was donated to the Northwest Railway Museum in Snoqualmie, WA.

Shortly afterward, an elderly couple who were also passengers on the Empire Builder that night recognized the car and asked a museum guide, "What happened to the girl born on the train?” Several of the museum staff had heard the story but were not aware that this was 'the' sleeping car.

Intrigued, museum researchers delved into regional newspaper archives. They located contemporaneous accounts in the Snoqualmie Valley Record (Feb 22, 1997), the Seattle Times (Feb 20, 1997), and the Spokesman-Review (Feb 21, 1997) describing Train 27 immobilized by an avalanche and mentioning a birth on board. Cross-referencing the car number from Amtrak’s 1997 consist lists confirmed that the sleeper in question was indeed AMTK 32119.

The museum staff eventually located Addie. At 21, her life was a whirlwind of living life to the fullest, and though she agreed to visit, the trip slipped from her hectic schedule.

From wild partying...

... to exploring the mountains and waterfalls of Patagonia

Yet, the timeless longing to "go home" proved impossible to ignore. Addie finally answered the call to visit the very room where she first drew breath.

Standing in the doorway of Roomette 15R, she gazed around. The museum had faithfully recreated the scene from the night of her birth.

Unbeknownst to Addie, the museum had also found the conductor who had delivered her and invited him to be there. He was sitting on the seat by the window inside the roomette. As she entered, he looked up and said, “Hi Addie, I’m James, the conductor who delivered you.”

Tears of happiness rolled down her cheeks.

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I hope that you enjoyed Adelyn “Addie” Hayes - The Girl on the Train.

Addie

More amazing stories from the Adventures of Addie to come.

We love that , what a happy ending , now when I watch mr tracks N scale Amtrak on the move I’ll think of Addie 😍🥰😍

Carly xxx

Great story 👍🏻

Who knows, maybe Spielberg is lurking this site.

Hey Stevie! Could make a great movie! If your watching and interested, Hanna is my agent. Message her.

xoxo Addie

Last years Adelyn Hayes Day at the train museum.

Group picture with my friends.

Hiya Adelyn,

What a lovely family photo. I’d like to give them all a big hug 🤗.

Is one of the characters from Planet of the Apes? (top left)

I like the little Mr Spock.

Who’s the one with green skin?

I think you’ll have to do a left-to-right row by row introduction for each character.

Lots of love from Miss K,

XOXO

Thank you! Yes, I should intro them all. However, the problem is they are multiplying like rabbits and I have a hard time keeping up.

Top left is Dr. Zaius from Planet of the Apes. The one with the green skin is Gamora - Gamora - Wikipedia.

The 11 of us in the first two rows are all Phicen/TB League, Jiaou, or Ant female action figures.

For those of you not familiar with us, we are TPE with stainless steel skeletons. All of us are anatomically correct with detailed parts that could easily get us sent to one of Chilli threads . But that is only because we are NOS.

According to the forums, a woman ordered one of us for her kids without knowing what she was buying. Surprise! Apparently, she then got a big stink started in the media. Supposedly my sisters were also banned in some countries. So a little over a year ago, the manufactures responded by changing all of their molds to Barbiefy all of us going forward.

Yeah, it's tough being a doll action figure these days.

Addie

Well we looked on the museum site and found no mention of said Amtrak Superliner ☹️ , but they do list a cafe car , also the ‘real’ car would be in Amtraks phase 4 scheme for the 1990’s , the supposed museum exhibit above looks to be preserved as would have been in Amtraks mid to late 1970s days .
Rant over , we are still going to name one of our Superliners 😁

Carly xxx

My like button is missing so I will say it; Like!
That was a touching story.

It looks like you know your trains. Just keep in mind that Amtrak does not name it's passenger cars. That practice died when Amtrak took over all passenger service in the US.

However, if Addie was willing to pay, Amtrak's has been willing to utilize its equipment for promotional activities in the past. Amtrak has occasionally partnered with entertainment brands and special events to temporarily wrap its trains in promotional graphics, effectively turning them into moving billboards. These collaborations have included television shows, exhibitions, and sporting events. For example:

• X Games (2023): Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner trains were wrapped with dynamic images of X Games athletes to promote the summer competition in Ventura, California. This initiative aimed to encourage fans to travel sustainably by train to the event.
• "Cake Boss" (2010): An Acela Express train was fully wrapped with images of Buddy Valastro, star of TLC's "Cake Boss," as part of a promotion for National Train Day and the show's new season.
• "1968 with Tom Brokaw" (2007): Amtrak wrapped an entire Acela Express train to advertise The History Channel's special program, featuring iconic images from the year 1968.
• "Beyond King Tut" Exhibition (2022): A specially-wrapped Amtrak locomotive featured gold and black designs with images of King Tut to promote the immersive exhibition in Washington, D.C., and Boston.

These promotional wraps are typically temporary and are designed to attract attention and generate buzz for the associated events or shows. They are part of Amtrak's broader marketing and partnership strategies to engage with various audiences.

So let you imagination run wild with your Amtrak trains.

Since I was born on a train, how could I not love trains?

Amtrak's Siemens SC-44 Charger locomotives are a fleet of advanced diesel-electric engines introduced to enhance state-supported corridor services in Illinois and the broader Midwest region.

Manufactured at Siemens' facility in Sacramento, California, the SC-44 Chargers are powered by a 4,400-horsepower Cummins QSK95 diesel engine, enabling speeds up to 125 mph. They are designed to meet the latest Tier 4 emissions standards, offering a 90% reduction in nitrogen oxide emissions and a 95% decrease in particulate matter compared to older models, along with improved fuel efficiency and reduced noise levels.

These locomotives are part of the broader Amtrak Midwest branding initiative, which unifies the region's intercity rail services under a cohesive identity, complete with a dedicated logo and integrated reservation systems. The introduction of the SC-44 Chargers has significantly improved the reliability, efficiency, and environmental sustainability of passenger rail services throughout the Midwest.

“Kilt Me Softly with Moonlight and Mist”

I am going So here’s the thing: I don’t care about trains. I mean, sure, I was born on one—technically, on an Amtrak Superliner barreling through the Cascades—but that’s never been something I talked about much. I didn’t exactly ask to come into the world in a sleeper car, you know? People romanticize it like it’s some kind of magic ticket moment, but to me, it’s just... complicated.

That’s why I almost didn’t show up to the Addie Hayes Day at the Railroad Museum. The whole thing felt weird—like I was being put on display next to a brass bell and a stack of old timetables. But I came anyway, mostly out of politeness and because I didn’t want to let down the organizers.

So there I was, trying to fade into the wallpaper, when this group of Scottish train people stopped to talk to me. Railfans—full of wild stories about trains. They were on some grand tour of American railway museums—kinda like train pilgrims—and just happened to roll into “Addie Hayes Day” completely by accident.

They got all excited when they heard I’d been born on a train. “You’d love the Jacobite!” one of them said, practically bouncing. “It’s the Harry Potter train!”

I had to smile. “I’ve never even seen the movies.”

That didn’t slow them down. Another one started flipping through pictures on his phone—big stone viaducts, misty hills, old locomotives puffing past lochs like something out of a dream. It was charming, sure, but still... not really my scene.

Then one of them leaned in and said, “But the real reason ye’ve got tae come? There’s this lass—Fia MacFyre. You an’ her—cut frae the same cloth, so ye are. Fire, engines, grease under the fingernails. If ye met her, ye’d ken what I mean.”

I laughed. “You trying to set me up on a blind date? I don’t swing that way.”

Totally mortified but still grinning. “Ach, naw, nothin’ like that! Just sayin’—ye’d like her, that’s all.”

I shrugged. “OK. Sounds cool, but... I don’t even have a passport.”

That’s when it got weirdly serious.

One of them—Dougal, I think—said, “A run a wee B&B up on Rannoch Moor. If ye come, yer stay’s on me. An’ ye won’t need a motor—Alistair here, he’s retired an’ bored oot his heid—he’ll drive ye anywhere ye like. Wi’ a bit o’ luck, no right roon the bend. All ye’ve got tae do is buy the plane ticket.”

I just stared. “You’re offering to kidnap me to Scotland?”

“Aye,” they said. “Nicest kidnappin’ ye’ll ever get.”

I wasn’t sure. I’d never been outside the U.S. and Canada. Planes made me nervous. Trains bored me. But then something slipped into my head—pictures of misty cliffs, sheep-dotted hills, fairy-tale castles tucked in the folds of mountains.

And suddenly I remembered something—me, maybe thirteen years old, staying up late to watch The Fellowship of the Ring for the fourth time, sighing whenever Legolas walked onto the screen. I mean yeah, I knew he was fictional, but still—something about that long blond hair, the quiet strength, the way he moved like wind through trees... He was the reason I grew my hair the way it is. Part of me still hoped I would find someone like him out there. I'm thinking, "Where more likely than Scotland?"

Maybe not an elf. But someone who’d understand the way my mind works.

So I said yes.

Not because of the trains. But because somewhere out there, across the ocean, maybe there was something waiting. Something that had been quietly calling my name since the day I was born moving down the rails.

And as I stood there, heart pounding, trying not to grin too wide, I heard myself softly humming—

“May it be an evening star, shines down upon you...”

Yeah. Maybe it was time.



But... I can feel it coming. That girl—always ready with some smug little fact to try and knock me down a peg—Yeah, I know what she’s thinking. “You do know The Lord of the Rings was filmed in New Zealand, right? Not Scotland.”

Of course, I know it was filmed in New Zealand. I watched the special features on the DVD.

But at least in Scotland, I don’t have to worry about being stomped to death by an Oliphaunt, skewered by an Uruk-hai, eaten by a cave troll, or—more realistically—bitten by a katipo spider, stung by a stonefish, chased by a wild boar, or stepping on some godforsaken venomous sea slug just trying to enjoy a beach day. So yeah, I’ll take Scotland’s midges over all that any day. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Addie
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Love it 😍

Train watching with my friends

Kassie: "That's one big beast!"

Addie: "It sure is! That little baby is 1.2 million pounds (550,700 kg)."

Kassie: "Aren't there a few train fans on this forum?"

Addie: "Yeah, I think so."

Kassie: "Do you think they know what that locomotive is?"

Addie: "I don't know. Maybe."

Kassie: "Well, let's ask them"
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Not a clue. I know nothing about trains, sorry.

I can only guess, but since you were in Scotland, The Flying Scotsman LOL!

Miss Nicole tells me that its a Big-Boy.....and she should know!

Mr, Tracks has a model of one in N gauge which he has posted - I couldn't find the thread.

The best we can do is an A4 - now this is in Scotland. It was the only one that I ever had a run behind in proper service (not in preservation).

We think the answer to the trains in the picture is ,, 4014 Big Boy followed by Joe Jordan then Jim Adam’s and finally 4015 preserved SD70M

Here’s our N scale Union Pacific heritage fleet , also there is a Kato UP excursion car set .

Our latest is addition to the N scale fleet is 4015 the SD70M diesel that assists the steamers on
UP excursion trains .

Love N’ hugs Carly xxx

You have no idea of all the fun that you are missing out on...

Ohhhhhh, a zombie film! Looks good!

Big Boy Rolls into Town!

The Union Pacific Big Boy was born at the pinnacle of steam’s golden age—an engineering colossus unlike anything before or since. Conceived in 1937 under the direction of UP’s Chief Mechanical Engineer Otto Jabelmann and brought to life by ALCO’s Schenectady works between 1941 and 1944, the Big Boy stands alone as the only class of 4-8-8-4 articulated locomotive ever built. At 132 ft (40.2 m) end-to-end and weighing 1,214,000 lb (550,700 kg) with its tender, it generated up to 6,290 drawbar hp (4,693 kW) at 300 psi (20.7 bar) boiler pressure behind 68 in (1.73 m) drivers, and delivered a starting tractive effort of 135,375 lbf (602 kN).

But beyond raw size and power, the Big Boy incorporated unique features never matched in the entire steam era:

• Full-system roller bearings on every journal (drivers, rods, trucks, idlers)—reducing friction losses and maintenance, a first at this scale.
• Thermic siphons and cross-water tubes in its massive 108 sq ft (10 m²) firebox for unparalleled water circulation and heat transfer.
• An integral feedwater heater and mechanical stoker, allowing continuous high-rate coal-and-water delivery and sustained high-power output without throttling.
• An articulated joint engineered to distribute over 1.2 million pounds (545 metric tonnes) of weight evenly, so it could navigate mountain curves no other giant steam engine dared.

As the Big Boys thundered through the Wasatch Range, no other steam locomotive of the era—whether the German DRB Class 52 “Kriegslok” (1,600 hp / 49 kN), British LMS Class 8F (1,350 hp / 144 kN), or French SNCF 241 P (4,000 hp / 202 kN)—could approach its combined package of brute power, thermal efficiency, and mountain-railway agility. Even the electrified Milwaukee Road “Little Joe” (5,500 hp / 600 kN) matched its tractive effort but could not claim the Big Boy’s steam-era self-sufficiency or mechanical artistry.

Resurrection of No. 4014

After logging 1,031,205 miles (1,659,720 km) in revenue service from December 1941 to July 1959, Big Boy No. 4014 was retired to static display in Pomona, California. In 2013, Union Pacific reacquired the locomotive, and by August 2016, Cheyenne’s Steam Shop had fully disassembled 4014, replacing thousands of parts—new firebox sheets, boiler tubes, running gear bearings, piping and tanks. On May 1, 2019, the world’s largest steam locomotive eased from under cover under its own steam for the first time in 60 years.

Since then, No. 4014 has racked up over 15,000 miles (24,140 km) of excursion runs, visiting 15 states across three major heritage tours:

2019 “Great Race” Tour (May–November):
Cheyenne (WY) → Ogden (UT) → Salt Lake City (UT) → Denver (CO) → Milwaukee (WI) → Chicago (IL) → Albuquerque (NM)

• May 4 christening in Cheyenne, WY, then double-headed with Challenger 844 to Ogden, UT.
• July 8–Aug 8: Midwestern jaunt (Saint Paul, MN; Duluth/ Lake Superior RR Museum, MN).
• Sept 27–Nov 26: Southwest swing.

2021 Return & Southern Tour (June–September):
Fort Worth (TX) → Houston (TX) → New Orleans (LA) → North Little Rock (AR) → St. Louis (MO)

(first steam loco with Positive Train Control (PTC) in 2021).

· 2023 Home Run Express:
Cheyenne to Omaha, NE, for College World Series display (Charles Schwab Field).

2024 Heartland of America Tour (August–October):
Ten states including Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas, Wyoming—including over thirty communities .

Addie: "Hey there, I have a question for you."

Train Guy: "Yeah. Go ahead. I will see if I can answer it"

Addie: "How many classic Mini-Coopers would it take to pull the same load as a Big Boy can?"

Train Guy: "That's a dumb question."

Addie: "No it's not. I am working on a Mr.Bean movie script and it's for a scene that I am thinking of. ...

Ok, so let me ask it differently. How many classic Mini-Coopers would I need, chained together, to win a tug-of-war with a Big Boy?"

Train Guy: "I'm working. Don't you have something better to do?"
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A lot of mini coopers to match that thing.

Aren't you going to take a guess?

40?