The Southern Railway Ps-4 was a class of 4-6-2 "Pacific" type steam locomotives that were built for the Southern Railway, as well as its subsidiaries, the Alabama Great Southern Railroad and the Cincinnati, New Orleans and Texas Pacific Railway. These locomotives were based on the standard USRA Heavy Pacific design and were notable for their green with gold trim liveries.
They were ordered in three batches with the first 27 built between 1923 and 1924 by the American Locomotive Company's Schenectady Works in Schenectady, New York, with 27 of them delivered to the Southern, numbered 1366-1392; as well as five for the Cincinnati, New Orleans and Texas Pacific, numbered 6471-6475; and four for the Alabama Great Southern, numbered 6684-6687. In 1926, the second order was built by ALCO's Richmond Works consisting of eleven locomotives for the Southern, numbered 1393-1409; seven for the Cincinnati, New Orleans and Texas Pacific, numbered 6476-6482; and four for the Alabama Great Southern, numbered 6688-6691. The final Ps-4s were built in 1928 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works, consisting of only five locomotives for the Southern, numbered 1405-1409.
The Ps-4 locomotives were assigned to pull many of the Southern's most famous passenger trains, including the Crescent Limited, the Piedmont Limited, the Aiken-Augusta Special, and the Birmingham Special. The Cincinnati, New Orleans and Texas Pacific assigned the engines to their Royal Palm, Ponce de Leon, Queen & Crescent, and Florida Sunbeam trains, among others.
In 1941, the Southern system began to dieselize and after World War II all but one of the Ps-4s were retired and scrapped.
No. 1401 the sole surviving Ps-4 currently remains on static display at the National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C.
Stock list[]
| Image | No. | Build date(s) | Builder | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1366 | 1923 | |||
|
1367 | 1923 | ||
| 1368 | 1923 | |||
| 1369 | 1923 | |||
| 1370 | 1923 | |||
| 1371 | 1923 | |||
| 1372 | 1923 | |||
| 1373 | 1923 | |||
| 1374 | 1923 | |||
| 1375 | 1923 | |||
| 1376 | 1923 | |||
| 1377 | 1923 | |||
| 1378 | 1923 | |||
| 1379 | 1923 | |||
| 1380 | 1923 | |||
| 1381 | 1923 | |||
|
1382 | 1923 | ||
| 1383 | 1923 | |||
| 1384 | 1923 | |||
| 1385 | 1923 | |||
| 1386 | 1923 | |||
| 1387 | 1923 | |||
| 1388 | 1923 | |||
| 1389 | 1923 | |||
| 1390 | 1923 | |||
| 1391 | 1923 | |||
| 1392 | 1923 | |||
| 1393 | ||||
| 1394 | ||||
| 1395 | ||||
|
1396 | |||
| 1397 | ||||
| 1398 | ||||
|
1399 | |||
| 1400 | ||||
|
1401 | 1926 | American Locomotive Company | |
| 1402 | ||||
|
1403 | |||
| 1404 | ||||
| 1405 | 1928 | Baldwin Locomotive Works | ||
| 1406 | 1928 | Baldwin Locomotive Works | ||
|
1407 | 1928 | Baldwin Locomotive Works | |
| 1408 | 1928 | Baldwin Locomotive Works | ||
| 1409 | 1928 | Baldwin Locomotive Works |