Southern Pacific 4444 in San Francisco with the Coast Daylight No. 98 train in the early 1950s
Southern Pacific No. 4444 is a class GS-4 4-8-4 "Northern" type steam locomotive built by the Lima Locomotive Works in 1941 for the Southern Pacific railroad.
History[]
It was used to pull the Southern Pacific's premier passenger trains such as the Coast Daylight, San Joaquin Daylight, Lark, Cascade, Golden State and Sunset Limited.
During wartime it was painted black; by 1948 it has been repainted into Daylight colors.
In 1958, it was retired from active service and subsequently scrapped.
Trivia[]
- The tender of the locomotive was rebuilt by the SP and used as a "hammer car" to test impacts on hydracushion boxcars; it was scrapped in the early 1970's.
- This locomotive was the last GS-4 to be cut up.
- In the 1950's it double-headed with a GS-4 locomotive.
- The locomotive also did freight service when its needed.
- This locomotive wore a distinctive paint scheme for a time. This paint scheme was the normal daylight, but with no skirts, a black pilot, and white pinstriping on the running boards.