Southern Pacific 4460

Infobox Locomotive
name=Southern Pacific 4460
powertype=Steam
gauge=4 ft 8½ in (1435 mm)
railroad=Southern Pacific
roadnumber=4460
railroadclass=GS-6
whytetype=4-8-4
builder=Lima Locomotive Works
builddate=July 1943
numinclass=10
nicknames="War Baby", "Baby Daylight", "The Forgotten Daylight"
retiredate=October 31 1958
currentowner=Museum of Transportation, St. Louis, Missouri
disposition=static display
cylindersize=27 in dia × 30 in stroke
weight=468,400 lb
weightondrivers=283,000 lb
serialnumber=8013
firstrundate=July 31 1943
driversize=73 in diameter
tractiveeffort=64,600 lbf, 76,050 lbf with booster
boilerpressure=260 psi
lastrundate=1958

Southern Pacific 4460 is the only surviving GS-6 Class steam locomotive. The GS-6 is a semi-streamlined 4-8-4 Northern type steam locomotive. GS stands for "Golden State" or "General Service." The locomotive was built by the Lima Locomotive Works for the Southern Pacific Railroad in 1943. The GS-6 lacked side skirting and red and orange "Daylight" paint found on previous locomotives of the GS class, and were painted black and silver instead. This was because the US government controlled locomotive manufacturers during World War II and had turned down Southern Pacific's order of fourteen new Daylight locomotives. Southern Pacific re-designed the engine for general service and it was finally approved, but the government took four of them and gave them to the smaller and power-starved Western Pacific Railroad. Their smaller size when compared to previous GS class locomotives and the fact that they were built during WWII earned them the nicknames of "War Babies" and "Baby Daylights".

Revenue service years

4460 was the first GS-6 locomotive built for the Southern Pacific railroad. Early in her career, 4460 pulled troop trains and fast freight. When the war ended it was primarily assigned to the "San Joaquin Daylight" between Oakland and Bakersfield, San Jose-San Francisco commutes, and freight service. In its final years of service, 4460 was one of the "excursion engines" that SP used for passenger specials and fan trips for the final runs of steam locomotives, despite the fact that it had been damaged in a derailment on November 16th,1956. 4460 is famous for pulling what supposed to be the final movement of steam on the Southern Pacific Railroad in 1958. It was a two-day excursion across the Sierras on the route of the "Overland Limited". 4460 had just a few days before her boiler expired.

Preservation

Following the final excursion, 4460 was donated to the Museum of Transportation in St. Louis, Missouri, on April 16 1959, where the engine has since sat along with many other historic steam and diesel locomotives from around the country. The 4460 is sometimes called the "Forgotten Daylight", referring to her only surviving sister, Southern Pacific 4449, a GS-4, which has been enjoying overwhelming popularity while 4460 sits in an un-restored state.

External links

* [http://www.museumoftransport.org Museum of Transportation]
* [http://www.sp4449.com Friends of SP 4449]

References

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