Southern Pacific class GS-4

Infobox Locomotive
name=SP GS-4
powertype=Steam
gauge=4 ft 8½ in (1435 mm)
railroad=Southern Pacific Railroad

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caption=SP4449 standing idle under steam, waiting to start Christmas excursion, December 13 2005.
railroadclass=GS-4
whytetype=4-8-4
firstrundate=April 1941
retiredate=1958
builder=Lima Locomotive Works
roadnumber=4430 – 4457
numinclass=28
driversize=80 inch diameter
boilerpressure=300 psi
tractiveeffor=64,800 lbf, 78,000 lbf with booster
disposition=all but one scrapped, 4449 restored
cylindersize=25½ in dia × 32 in stroke
weight=475,000 lb
weightondrivers=275,700 lb
serialnumber=7798 – 7817, 7848 – 7855
builddate=April-May 1941, March-April 1942
The GS-4 was a streamlined 4-8-4 Northern type steam locomotive that served the Southern Pacific Railroad from 1941 to 1958. They were built by the Lima Locomotive Works and were numbered 4430 through 4457. GS stands for "Golden State" or "General Service."

The GS-4 had a slightly different appearance than that of the GS-3, most drasticaly the dual-headlight casing (top headlight was a mars light) on the silver smokebox. Another change in appearance was the cab, which was changed to a fully-enclosed, all-weather cab, a feature not commonly found on steam engines. It retaned the skyline casing on the top of the boiler, skirting on the sides, an air horn, teardrop classification lights, and whistles. They received the orange and red "Daylight" paint scheme.

The GS-4s were designed for high-speed passenger service and were used on Southern Pacific's premier passenger trains, the "Coast Daylight", "San Joaquin Daylight", "Lark", "Cascade", "Golden State" and "Sunset Limited", as well as many other Southern Pacific name trains. During wartime and also in the first years after the war some of the GS-4 locomotives were painted entirely black, and it wasn't until 1948 that all engines were painted into Daylight colors again. Starting in March 1950, they were gradually painted black again and also had their side skirtings removed for easier maintenance, and were re-assigned to the San Jose-San Francisco commute trains, freight service and the occasional "San Joaquin Daylight" (the GS-4 locomotives remained on that train as late as 1956 which made the "San Joaquin Daylight" the last streamliner train to be pulled by steam on the Southern Pacific) until new diesels arrived and they were retired. The last GS-4 engines were deskirted and painted into black in 1956, and after the last GS-4 pulled a passenger train in 1957, the GS-4s spent the last year of operation in front of freight trains along the coast and valley routes and finally were retired in 1958. GS-4 number 4443 pulled one of the final movements of steam on the Southern Pacific Railroad in 1957.

Preservation

One GS-4 survives today, Southern Pacific 4449, arguably the most popular and most photographed locomotive of all time. 4449 was donated to Oaks Park in Portland, Oregon, in 1958. In December 1974, 4449 was moved from Oaks Park to undergo restoration. From August 1975 to December 1976, 4449 shared duties with several other steam locomotives pulling the American Freedom Train throughout the U.S. 4449 is still operational and currently resides at the Brooklyn Roundhouse in Portland along with many other preserved locomotives and rolling stock. It is the only surviving GS-4 locomotive.

The tender of SP 4444 (the last GS-4 to be scrapped) was kept and rebuilt by SP and was used as a "hammer car" to test impacts on hydracushon boxcars, but was scrapped in the early 1970s.

References

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External links

* [http://www.sp4449.com Friends of SP 4449]
* [http://www.steamlocomotive.com/northern/sp.shtml The Southern Pacific (i.e. "Espee") Golden State Locomotives Classes GS-1 to GS-6]
* [http://www.sphts.org The Southern Pacific Technical and Historical Society]
* [http://www.freedomtrain.org/main.html The Museum of America's Freedom Trains]