Southern Pacific GS-4 4449 Daylight Run – Train Simulator 2022

The Southern Pacific GS-4 is a streamlined 4-8-4 "Golden State" type steam locomotive used by the Southern Pacific Company from 1941 to 1958. They were built by Lima Locomotive Works and were numbered 4430 to 4457. "GS" stands for "Golden State" or "General Service."

Unlike the GS-3, the GS-4 featured a dual headlight casing (the upper headlight being a Mars light) on a silver smokebox. Another change was the all-weather cab. It retained the skyline casing on top of the boiler, skirting on the sides, an air horn to complement the whistle, and teardrop-shaped classification lights. They carried the orange and red "Daylight" paint scheme.

The GS-4s were passenger locomotives capable of 110 mph (180 km/h), although the scheduled speed limit never exceeded 75 mph (121 km/h) (a maximum speed of 75 mph was allowed in the Salinas Valley). Southern Pacific's main passenger trains were pulled by GS-4s: the Coast Daylight, San Joaquin Daylight, Lark, Cascade, Golden State, and Sunset Limited. During the war and in the early postwar years, some GS-4 locomotives were painted black; by 1948, all had been repainted in Daylight colors. Starting in 1947, most were again painted black and had their side skirts removed to facilitate maintenance. They were reassigned to San Jose–San Francisco commuter trains, freight service, and the occasional San Joaquin Daylight (steam locomotives remained on that train until 1956, making the San Joaquin Daylight the last streamlined train pulled by steam on the Southern Pacific) until new diesel engines arrived and they were retired. The last GS-4 engines were decorated and painted black in 1956; one GS-4 pulled its final passenger train in October 1958. All were retired in 1958. GS-4 No. 4443 ran one of the last Southern Pacific steam excursions in 1957 and appeared in the opening credits of the Frank Sinatra movie Pal Joey. SP 4449 (Southern Pacific 4449) appeared in the 1986 film Tough Guys as the Gold Coast Flyer. In the script, the 4449 was hijacked and later crashed into the Mexican border in the movie; however, a full-scale wooden and fabric model was used to portray the crash. The real SP 4449 was returned unharmed to the private group that maintains it. An unknown GS-4 appeared in the movie Dear Heart as the 20th Century Limited, and another GS-4 appeared as a main set piece in Strangers on a Train.

Southern Pacific 4449 is the only surviving GS-4 locomotive and is one of the most recognizable steam locomotives of all time. It was donated to the city of Portland in 1958 and moved to Oaks Amusement Park for static display until December 1974, when the locomotive was removed from the park for restoration. From August 1975 to December 1976, 4449 shared duties with several other steam locomotives pulling the American Freedom Train across the U.S. 4449 remains operational and, since mid-2012, has resided at the Oregon Rail Heritage Center in Portland alongside other preserved locomotives and rolling stock.

The tender from sister engine SP 4444 (the last GS-4 to be scrapped) was rebuilt by SP and used as a "hammer car" to test impacts on boxcars with hydraulic cushioning; it was scrapped in the early 1970s.