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 overnightLark, 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.
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 FranciscoPeninsula 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]
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
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
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]
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]
Church, Robert J. (2004). Southern Pacific Daylight Locomotives (1st ed.). Signature Press. ISBN1-930013-11-6.
Diebert, Timothy S. & Strapac, Joseph A. (1987). Southern Pacific Company Steam Locomotive Compendium. Shade Tree Books. ISBN0-930742-12-5.
The American Freedom Train Foundation (1975). The American Freedom Train Official Commemorative Program 1975 / 1976. The American Freedom Train Foundation.
