Southern Pacific class GS-2
Encyclopedia
The GS-2 was a streamlined 4-8-4
Northern type steam locomotive
that served the Southern Pacific Company from 1937 to 1956. They were built by Lima Locomotive Works
and were numbered 4410 through 4415. GS stands for "Golden State" or "General Service."
The GS-2 had a very different appearance than that of the GS-1
. The GS-2s were streamlined and designed for high-speed passenger service. They featured a silver smokebox
with a cone-shaped single headlight casing, skyline casing on the top of the boiler, skirting on the sides, and an air horn. They retained the teardrop classification lights and whistles.
They were the first to receive the red and orange "Daylight" paint scheme and were used for the streamlined debut of Southern Pacific's premier passenger train, the Coast Daylight in 1937. The following year they were replaced by the improved GS-3
engines. During World War II
, they were painted black and silver and were used to transport troops. In the 1950s their side skirting was removed for easier maintenance, and the locomotives were assigned to general service, pulling such trains as San Jose
-San Francisco
commutes, the "Coast Mail" trains, and freight service.
No GS-2 locomotives survive.
4-8-4
Under the Whyte notation classification of steam locomotives, 4-8-4 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles , eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles, and four trailing wheels on two axles .Other equivalent classifications are:UIC classification: 2D2...
Northern type steam locomotive
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
that served the Southern Pacific Company from 1937 to 1956. They were built by Lima Locomotive Works
Lima Locomotive Works
Lima Locomotive Works was an American firm that manufactured railroad locomotives from the 1870s through the 1950s. The company took the most distinctive part of its name from its main shops location in Lima, Ohio. The shops were located between the Baltimore & Ohio's Cincinnati-Toledo main line...
and were numbered 4410 through 4415. GS stands for "Golden State" or "General Service."
The GS-2 had a very different appearance than that of the GS-1
Southern Pacific class GS-1
The GS-1 was a 4-8-4 Northern type steam locomotive that served the Southern Pacific Railroad and its Texas subsidiary the Texas and New Orleans Railroad from 1930 to 1956. They were built by Baldwin Locomotive Works and were numbered 4400 through 4409...
. The GS-2s were streamlined and designed for high-speed passenger service. They featured a silver smokebox
Smokebox
A smokebox is one of the major basic parts of a Steam locomotive exhaust system. Smoke and hot gases pass from the firebox through tubes where they pass heat to the surrounding water in the boiler. The smoke then enters the smokebox, and is exhausted to the atmosphere through the chimney .To assist...
with a cone-shaped single headlight casing, skyline casing on the top of the boiler, skirting on the sides, and an air horn. They retained the teardrop classification lights and whistles.
They were the first to receive the red and orange "Daylight" paint scheme and were used for the streamlined debut of Southern Pacific's premier passenger train, the Coast Daylight in 1937. The following year they were replaced by the improved GS-3
Southern Pacific class GS-3
The GS-3 was a streamlined 4-8-4 Northern type steam locomotive that served the Southern Pacific Company from 1938 to 1957. They were built by Lima Locomotive Works and were numbered 4416 through 4429. GS stands for "Golden State" or "General Service."...
engines. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, they were painted black and silver and were used to transport troops. In the 1950s their side skirting was removed for easier maintenance, and the locomotives were assigned to general service, pulling such trains as San Jose
San Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
-San Francisco
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
commutes, the "Coast Mail" trains, and freight service.
No GS-2 locomotives survive.