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Southern Pacific GS-4 class

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Southern Pacific GS-4 class
Southern Pacific GS-4 No. 4454 pulling the southbound Coast Daylight train No. 99 at San Jose, California, in 1954
Type and origin
Power typeSteam
BuilderLima Locomotive Works
Serial number7798–7817, 7848–7855
Build dateMarch–May 1941 (20), March–April 1942 (8)
Total produced28
Specifications
Configuration:
​
 • Whyte4-8-4
 • UIC2′D2′ h2
Gauge4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Leading dia.36 in (914 mm)
Driver dia.80 in (2,032 mm)
Trailing dia.45+1⁄2 in (1,156 mm)
Wheelbase88.23 ft (26.89 m)
Height16 ft 4 in (4.98 m)
Axle load69,000 lb (31,000 kg; 31 t)
Adhesive weight275,700 lb (125,100 kg; 125.1 t)
Loco weight475,000 lb (215,000 kg; 215 t)
Total weight870,600 lb (394,900 kg; 394.9 t)
Fuel typeOil
Fuel capacity5,880 US gal (22,300 L; 4,900 imp gal)
Water cap.23,500 US gal (89,000 L; 19,600 imp gal)
Firebox:​
 • Grate area90.4 sq ft (8.40 m2)
Boiler pressure300 psi (2.07 MPa)
Heating surface:​
 • Firebox385 sq ft (35.8 m2)
 • Total surface4,887 sq ft (454.0 m2)
Superheater:
​
 • Heating area2,086 sq ft (193.8 m2)
CylindersTwo, outside
Cylinder size25+1⁄2 in × 32 in (648 mm × 813 mm)
Valve gearWalschaerts
Valve typePiston
Performance figures
Maximum speed120 mph (190 km/h)
Tractive effortEngine: 64,800 lbf (288.24 kN)
Booster: 13,850 lbf (61.61 kN)
Total: 78,650 lbf (349.85 kN)
Career
OperatorsSouthern Pacific
ClassGS-4
Numbers4430–4457
First runApril 1941
Retired1956-1958
PreservedNo. 4449 operational in excursion service
Scrapped1956-1959
DispositionOne preserved, remainder scrapped
References:[1][2]

The Southern Pacific GS-4 is a class of semi-streamlined 4-8-4 "Northern" type steam locomotive operated by the Southern Pacific Railroad (SP) from 1941 to 1958. A total of 28 locomotives were built by Lima Locomotive Works (LLW) in Lima, Ohio, with the first batch of 20 built between March and May 1941, while the second batch of eight were built between March and April 1942. The initials GS stands for Golden State or General Service.

The GS-4s served as the primary motive power of SP's famous Coast Daylight passenger train between San Francisco and Los Angeles, California, via San Luis Obispo, California. They even haul the San Joaquin Daylight and the overnight Lark, both of which also ran between San Francisco and Los Angeles, although the former ran via the San Joaquin Valley and Tehachapi Pass. Some of the GS-4s were first assigned to haul troop trains during World War II.

In the mid-1950s, SP began to modernize their mainline passenger trains with diesel power, and the GS-4s were relegated to haul San Jose-San Francisco commuter trains and general freight trains. By 1956, SP began to retire their GS-4s and all but one were scrapped by 1959. No. 4449 was spared from the scrap yard and became the sole survivor of the GS-4 class, where it was donated to the city of Portland, Oregon as a static display during 1958 until being restored to operating condition in the 1970s. It was still operational and was now based at the Oregon Rail Heritage Center in Portland.

History

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Locomotives

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The Southern Pacific (SP) GS-4s were built to a similar design of the streamlined GS-3s, although the latters have a dual-headlight casing with the mars light mounted above the headlight in front of the smokebox door.[3] Additionally, the GS-4s were equipped with an all-weather cab.[3] They were built in two separate groups, the first batch of twenty locomotives (Nos. 4430-4449) in March-May 1941 and the second batch of eight locomotives (Nos. 4450-4457) in March-April 1942.[3] The GS-4s were capable of reaching 120 mph (190 km/h), although SP had a speed limit restriction of 79 mph (127 km/h).[4] They carried the signature SP orange and red Daylight paint scheme.[5]

The GS-4s pulled SP's premier passenger trains such as the Coast Daylight, the San Joaquin Daylight, the Imperial, the Lark, and the Sunset Limited.[6] During wartime and in the first years after the war, some of the GS-4 locomotives were painted black until 1948, when they were all repainted back to their Daylight colors. Between 1947 and 1956, most were painted black again with their side skirts removed for easier maintenance, and were reassigned to the San Jose-San Francisco Peninsula Commute service, freight service, and the occasional San Joaquin Daylight (steam locomotives remained on that train as late as 1956, which made it the last streamliner train to be pulled by steam on the Southern Pacific) until they were replaced by diesel locomotives. GS-4 No. 4443 pulled one of the final steam excursions on the Southern Pacific in 1957. A GS-4 pulled its last passenger train in October 1958, and they were all retired by the end of the year.[citation needed]

GS-4 locomotive details[2]
Road number Built date Serial number First run date Retirement date Disposal date Notes
4430 March 1941 7798 April 11, 1941 September 24, 1958 July 13, 1959 Sold for scrap at Luria Brothers in South San Francisco, California.
4431 March 1941 7799 April 15, 1941 September 24, 1958 March 25, 1959 Sold for scrap at California Metals.
4432 April 1941 7800 April 28, 1941 May 14, 1956 September 14, 1956 Scrapped in Los Angeles, California.
4433 April 1941 7801 April 19, 1941 October 5, 1956 November 15, 1956 Sold for scrap at Purdy Company in South San Francisco, California.
4434 April 1941 7802 April 19, 1941 May 14, 1956 October 12, 1956 Sold for scrap in Los Angeles, California.
4435 April 1941 7803 April 26, 1941 October 18, 1956 December 13, 1956 Sold for scrap at Luria Brothers in South San Francisco, California.
4436 April 1941 7804 April 28, 1941 May 2, 1957 July 1, 1957 Sold for scrap at California Metals.
4437 April 1941 7805 April 29, 1941 September 24, 1958 July 17, 1959 Sold for scrap to National Metals in Los Angeles. One of its driving wheels remained on No. 4449 today.[7]
4438 April 1941 7806 May 1, 1941 December 26, 1956 February 7, 1957 Scrapped in Sacramento, California
4439 April 1941 7807 May 3, 1941 May 21, 1958 March 23, 1959 Sold for scrap to National Metals in Los Angeles, California.
4440 April 1941 7808 May 6, 1941 September 27, 1956 October 31, 1956 Sold for scrap at Luria Brothers in Richmond, California.
4441 April 1941 7809 May 6, 1941 September 24, 1958 July 17, 1959 Sold for scrap to National Metals in Los Angeles, California.
4442 April 1941 7810 May 10, 1941 May 14, 1956 May 31, 1956 Sold for scrap to National Metals in Los Angeles, California.
4443 April 1941 7811 May 15, 1941 September 24, 1958 October 31, 1958 Sold for scrap at California Metals. Its pilot truck remained on No. 4449 today.[7]
4444 April 1941 7812 May 18, 1941 September 24, 1958 August 7, 1959 Sold for scrap at Purdy Company in South San Francisco, California. It was the last GS-4 to be scrapped.[8] Its tender was rebuilt in 1960-1961 by SP and used as a "hammer car" to test impacts on freight cars with hydra-cushion frames; it was scrapped in 1972.[8]
4445 May 1941 7813 May 21, 1941 September 24, 1958 March 23, 1959 Sold for scrap to National Metals in Los Angeles, California.
4446 May 1941 7814 May 21, 1941 September 24, 1958 November 3, 1958 Sold for scrap at Purdy Company in South San Francisco, California.
4447 May 1941 7815 May 27, 1941 May 14, 1956 June 6, 1956 Sold for scrap to National Metals in Los Angeles.
4448 May 1941 7816 May 27, 1941 December 26, 1956 January 24, 1957 Sold for scrap at Luria Brothers in South San Francisco, California.
4449 May 1941 7817 May 30, 1941 October 2, 1957 April 24, 1958 Donated to the City of Portland, Oregon for static display. Re-equipped with roller bearings in 1984.[9] Operational at the Oregon Rail Heritage Center.[10]
4450 March 1942 7848 March 27, 1942 September 24, 1958 October 29, 1958 Sold for scrap at Purdy Company in Los Angeles, California. Its trailing truck remained on No. 4449 today.[7]
4451 March 1942 7849 March 31, 1942 September 24, 1958 March 25, 1959 Sold for scrap at Purdy Company in Los Angeles, California.
4452 March 1942 7850 April 4, 1942 October 18, 1956 March 25, 1959 Sold for scrap at Luria Brothers in Richmond, California.
4453 March 1942 7851 April 4, 1942 February 7, 1957 March 14, 1957 Sold for scrap at Luria Brothers in South San Francisco, California.
4454 March 1942 7852 April 14, 1942 May 2, 1957 August 7, 1957 Sold for scrap at Luria Brothers in South San Francisco, California.
4455 April 1942 7853 May 4, 1942 September 24, 1958 March 23, 1959 Sold for scrap to National Metals in Los Angeles.
4456 April 1942 7854 May 6, 1942 December 26, 1956 February 8, 1957 Sold for scrap at Luria Brothers in South San Francisco, California.
4457 April 1942 7855 May 9, 1942 June 12, 1956 July 18, 1956 Sold for scrap at Luria Brothers in Richmond, California.

Accidents and incidents

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  • On September 19, 1941, at about 1:50 A.M., No. 4441 made an unscheduled stop at Wellsona, California, near Paso Robles, California, with the southbound Lark train No. 76 due to a stalled automobile.[8][11] However, No. 4446 was approaching Wellsona with the Fast Merchandise freight train No. 374 and crashed into the back of the Lark train, injuring 48 people.[8][11] It was reported that the accident was caused by a failure to provide flag protection for the first train and the second train's freight cars lacked high-speed brakes, as well as too short a stopping distance between block signals.[8][11] No. 4441 was undamaged, while No. 4446 was repaired, and both locomotives continued service until 1958.[2][8]
  • On February 11, 1945, in Redlands, California at 9:45 A.M., No. 4443 was pulling the Californian passenger train No. 43, but its engineer failed to acknowledge the yellow signal, and crashed head-on at 40 mph (64 km/h) with a 4-10-2 locomotive No. 5015, who was preparing to be moved into a siding to allow No. 4443 to pass.[8][12] The accident injured 177 people.[12] Both locomotives were repaired and continued service.[8]
  • In 1952, No. 4430, the first of the GS-4 class, was involved in a rollover accident in Arizona, but was repaired and continued service until 1958.[2][13]

Preservation

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No. 4449 is the sole surviving GS-4 locomotive and is one of the most recognizable locomotives of all time. It was donated to the City of Portland, Oregon in 1958 and moved to Oaks Amusement Park for static display.[14] During its time at Oaks Park, the locomotive was vandalized and had many of its external parts stolen such as its builder's plate and whistle.[4][14] On December 14, 1974, No. 4449 was removed from the park to undergo an operational restoration, performed by Doyle McCormack.[15] From August 1975 to December 1976, No. 4449 shared duties with several other steam locomotives pulling the American Freedom Train (that train was pulled by Reading T-1 2101) throughout the U.S. No. 4449 is still operational and since mid-2012 resides at the Oregon Rail Heritage Center in Portland along with other preserved locomotives and rolling stock. Additionally, No. 4449 contained most of its sister locomotives' parts; one of the driving wheels from No. 4437, the pilot truck from No. 4443, and the trailing truck from No. 4450, as evidenced by the numbers stamped on each of the parts.[7]

In film

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  • No. 4443 appeared in the opening credits of the 1957 Frank Sinatra film Pal Joey.[16]
  • No. 4449 was featured in the 1986 Burt Lancaster-Kirk Douglas action comedy Tough Guys as the Gold Coast Flyer.[17] In the film, No. 4449 is hijacked and run off the end of the track across the Mexican border. A full-size wooden replica of the locomotive was used to shoot the crash scene.[17]
  • No. 4449 appeared in the 1990 drama film Come See the Paradise.[17]
  • No. 4449 was featured in the 2022 IMAX film Train Time.[18]
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See also

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References

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  1. ^ Johnsen (2006), p. 37.
  2. ^ a b c d Johnsen (2006), pp. 102–103.
  3. ^ a b c Johnsen (2006), p. 34.
  4. ^ a b Johnsen (2006), p. 49.
  5. ^ Johnsen (2006), p. 19.
  6. ^ Johnsen (2006), pp. 22–29.
  7. ^ a b c d Johnsen (2006), p. 54.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h Johnsen (2006), pp. 98–99.
  9. ^ Johnsen (2006), p. 84.
  10. ^ "Our Locomotives". Oregon Rail Heritage Foundation. Retrieved September 29, 2024.
  11. ^ a b c Interstate Commerce Commission Report No. 2526 – September 19, 1941. Interstate Commerce Commission (Report). November 26, 1941. Archived from the original on September 14, 2024. Retrieved September 20, 2024.
  12. ^ a b Interstate Commerce Commission Report No. 2869 – February 11, 1945. Interstate Commerce Commission (Report). April 5, 1945. Archived from the original on July 9, 2024. Retrieved September 20, 2024.
  13. ^ Johnsen (2006), pp. 100–101.
  14. ^ a b Johnsen (2006), pp. 86–87.
  15. ^ Johnsen (2006), pp. 88–89.
  16. ^ Johnsen (2006), p. 82.
  17. ^ a b c Johnsen (2006), p. 96.
  18. ^ Putz, Nastassia (April 13, 2023). "Behind the scenes with Stephen Low". Trains. Kalmbach Media. Archived from the original on September 27, 2023. Retrieved September 21, 2024.

Bibliography

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Further reading

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  • Church, Robert J. (2004). Southern Pacific Daylight Locomotives (1st ed.). Signature Press. ISBN 1-930013-11-6.
  • Diebert, Timothy S. & Strapac, Joseph A. (1987). Southern Pacific Company Steam Locomotive Compendium. Shade Tree Books. ISBN 0-930742-12-5.
  • The American Freedom Train Foundation (1975). The American Freedom Train Official Commemorative Program 1975 / 1976. The American Freedom Train Foundation.
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