SP class GS-4
| SP class GS-4 | |
|---|---|
 The SP 4449 is waiting for its departure on December 13, 2005 on a special Christmas trip.
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| Numbering: | 4430-4457 (manufacturer numbers: 7798-7817, 7848-7855) |
| Number: | 28 |
| Manufacturer: | LIMA Locomotive Works |
| Year of construction (s): | April – May 1941, March – April 1942 |
| Retirement: | 1958 |
| Type : | 2'D2 ' |
| Genre : | Northern |
| Gauge : | 1435 mm ( standard gauge ) |
| Length: | 19,006 mm (without tender) |
| Service mass: | 215.5 t |
| Service mass with tender: | 357.8 t |
| Friction mass: | 125.3 t |
| Driving wheel diameter: | 80 inches |
| Boiler overpressure: | 21.1 kg / cm² (300 psi ) |
| Grate area: | 8.4 m² (90.4 sq ft ) |
| Superheater area : | 194 m² (2086 sq ft ) |
| Evaporation heating surface: | 454 m² (4887 sq ft ) |
| Water supply: | 88.2 m³ |
| Fuel supply: | 23.75 m³ oil (5225 Imp gal ) |
| Train brake: | Electropneumatic brake |
The GS-4 class is a streamlined- clad steam locomotive series of the Northern type that was used by the Southern Pacific Railroad from 1941 to 1958. The locomotives in this series were built by LIMA Locomotive Works and classified under the road numbers 4430 to 4457. GS stands for "Golden State" or "General Service".
The GS-4 has a slightly modified design compared to the GS-3 . Most noticeable is the double light on the silver smoke chamber . Another change concerns the driver's cab , which has been completely closed to defy the weather - a feature that is rather unusual for steam locomotives. The angular cap on the kettle , the plinth on the sides and the steam pipes have been retained . The locomotives received the orange-red "Daylight" paintwork.
The GS-4 were intended for express train traffic and were harnessed to the most famous SP trains such as the Coast Daylight , the San Joaquin Daylight or the Sunset Limited . The vehicles were later repainted in black and the side panels were removed to make maintenance easier. Their new areas of application were the commuter trains in the San José - San Francisco area , freight traffic and occasionally the San Joaquin Daylight until new diesel locomotives came into operation and it was no longer necessary to remain in active operation.
The GS-4 4443 pulled one of the last steam-hauled trains of the SP in 1957.
Whereabouts
A GS-4, number 4449, was saved from scrapping. It is a well-known and often photographed locomotive. It was given to Oaks Pioneer Park in Portland, Oregon in 1958 . In December 1974 it was withdrawn there for restoration. Between August 1975 and December 1976, on the occasion of the bicentenary of the Declaration of Independence, it pulled the American Freedom Train through the USA, painted in the national colors of red, white and blue, together with other steam locomotives . The locomotive is still operational and is housed with other museum locomotives and cars at the Oregon Rail Heritage Center in Portland.
literature
- Diebert, Timothy S. and 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.
