Southern Pacific No. 4460

Southern Pacific 4460 sitting on static display at the St. Louis Museum of Transportation.

Southern Pacific No. 4460 is a semi-streamlined Class GS-6 4-8-4 "Northern" type steam locomotive built by the Lima Locomotive Works for the Southern Pacific Railroad in July 1943. The locomotive was used for dual service, but was occasionally assigned to haul troop trains during World War II.

History

Beginning

Following the success of the famous GS-4 and identical, roller-bearing equipped GS-5 engines, Southern Pacific originally wanted more the same type, but the War Production Board forbade the construction of express passenger engines, and rejected this order. The railroad's mechanical engineering department re-designed it with smaller driving wheels for dual service and was finally approved, but the government took four of them and gave them to the smaller and power-starved Western Pacific Railroad.

The locomotive made the final run from Reno, Nevada to Oakland, California, and a local Boy Scout bugler from the Bay Area Council played taps for the funeral of the 4460, staged by the Southern Pacific Railroad on October 1958.

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.

Today the 4460 still remains on static display at the Museum of Transportation in St. Louis, Missouri.

Possible restoration

A full restoration to the operational condition of No. 4460 is likely to happen in the near future according to an interview of the railroad museum back in 2023.

Trivia

• The Southern Pacific #4460 is the Sole surviving GS-6 Class steam locomotive.
• 4460 was the leader of the GS-6’s.
• It was built during World War II, but was never painted the famous Daylight paint scheme. Instead, it was painted black and silver, thus earning it the nicknames "War Baby" and "Black Daylight". Besides having these two nicknames, it is also known as the "Forgotten Daylight".
• The only reason that it was called the "Forgotten Daylight" is because everyone fawns over the SP 4449 which is the main superstar while everyone thinks it is the last of her class, but has not been restored and partnered with it.
• The tender once used to be lettered "Southern Pacific Lines" but as of today it's lettered "Southern Pacific".
• No. 4460 was the first of the class to be put into service and among the last to go.
• No. 4460 is the 4449's lesser-known "Cousin".
• Both 4460 and 4449 are the only existing GS Class locomotives today.

See also

• Gallery

References