Southern Pacific GS-6 No. 4460
(Requires the Southern Pacific GS Pack by Stationmaster).
SP 4460 is the younger sister to the famous GS-4 No. 4449. These are the only two Golden State 4-8-4’s that have been preserved. 4460 is the only survivor of the GS-6 variant, of which 16 examples were built in 1943. Because the GS-6 class was built during World War 2, they got the nickname ‘war babies’, although I’ll stick to calling them GS-6’s myself.
4460 was built by the Lima Locomotive Works in July 1943, and was the first of her class. She remained in service with the Southern Pacific Railroad well past the end of the war, and is notable for hauling the last ever steam-hauled train on the SP, which ran in October 1958. This was an excursion from Sacramento, California to Sparks, Nevada, traversing the famous Donner Pass in the process. Incidentally Donner Pass was once the stomping ground of another preserved Southern Pacific engine; AC-12 ‘Cab Forward’ No. 4294.
In 1959 – following her final run – GS-6 No. 4460 was donated to the Museum of Transportation in St. Louis, Missouri, where she is still located today.
