Southern Pacific class GS-6
The GS-6 was the last 4-8-4 “Golden State” locomotive built for the Southern Pacific. Lima built ten in 1943 which got the numbers 4460 to 4469. Designed in World War II, they got the nickname “War Babies”. They were designed for dual service and had the same driver and cylinder dimensions as the GS-1 and GS-2.
Compared to their direct predecessors in the form of the GS-5, they had no streamlining, but a pointed smokebox door and skyline casing. Other features where the boxpok drivers and originally the wartime shield over the headlight as seen in the photo. The GS-6 could be seen on trains like the San Joaquin Daylight, but also on commuter trains. Their career ended in 1958 and today 4460 can be seen on static display at the Museum of Transportation in Kirkwood, Missouri.
Technical data
General
- Built
- 1943
- Manufacturers
- Lima
- Wheel arrangement
- 4-8-4 (Northern)
- Gauge
- 1,435 mm (Standard gauge)
Dimensions and weights
- Wheelbase
- 13.97 m
- Service mass
- 212.5 t
- Adhesion mass
- 122.5 t
- Total mass
- 356.6 t
- Axle load
- 30.8 t
- Water capacity
- 87,822 l
- Fuel capacity
- 23,015 l (oil)
Boiler
- Grate area
- 8.38 m²
- Firebox surface
- 32.516 m²
- Tube heating surface
- 418.25 m²
- Evaporative heating surface
- 450.766 m²
- Superheater surface
- 170.384 m²
- Total heating surface
- 621.2 m²
Power plant
- Driver diameter
- 1,867 mm
- Boiler pressure
- 17.9 bar
- Expansion type
- simple expansion
- Cylinders
- two, 686 x 762 mm
Power
- Power source
- steam
- Estimated power
- 3,505 kW (4,765 PS)
- Starting effort
- 292.5 kN
Calculated values
- Factor of adhesion
- 1 : 4.11
- Optimal speed
- 74 km/h
- Power-to-weight ratio
- 16.5 kW/t
- Heating Surface Equivalent
- 954.1 m²
- Cylinder volume/HSE
- 1 : 590.02
- Adhesive weight/Total
- 1 : 1.73
- Tractive force/Heating surface
- 1 : 9.84
- Grate area/Heating surface
- 1 : 74.12
- Firebox/Tube surface
- 1 : 12.86
- Total/Superheater
- 1 : 2.65
