Southern Pacific class GS-7

• Comment: Notable and well sourced, thank you Ozzie10aaaa (talk) 12:42, 28 October 2023 (UTC)

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Southern Pacific Class GS-7
Type and origin Power type Steam Builder Baldwin Locomotive Works Build date 1930 Total produced 7
Specifications Configuration: ​  • Whyte 4-8-4  • UIC 2′D2′ h2 Gauge 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) Driver dia. 70 in (1,778 mm) Length Total: 99 ft 8+1⁄2 in (30.39 m) Tender: 38 ft 9 in (11.81 m) Width 10 ft 5+5⁄8 in (3.191 m) Height 15 ft 10 in (4.826 m) Axle load 62,000 lb (28.1 tonnes) Adhesive weight 248,000 lb (112.5 tonnes) Loco weight 438,500 lb (198.9 tonnes) Tender weight 312,000 lb (141.5 tonnes) Total weight 750,500 lb (340.4 tonnes) Fuel type Oil Fuel capacity 5,000 US gal (19,000 L; 4,200 imp gal) Water cap. 15,000 US gal (57,000 L; 12,000 imp gal) Firebox: ​  • Grate area 88.3 sq ft (8.20 m2) Boiler pressure 250 lbf/in2 (1.72 MPa) Heating surface: ​  • Firebox 469 sq ft (43.6 m2) Superheater: ​  • Heating area 1,962 sq ft (182.3 m2) Cylinders Two Cylinder size 26 in × 30 in (660 mm × 762 mm) Valve gear Walschaerts Valve type Piston valves
Performance figures Tractive effort 61,564 lbf (273.85 kN) Factor of adh. 4.03
Career Operators St. Louis Southwestern "Cotton Belt" Southern Pacific Transportation Company Class Cotton Belt L1 Southern Pacific GS-7 Numbers SSW #801-802, #804-805, #807-809 SP #4479-4481 Delivered 1930 Retired 1957 Scrapped 1957 Disposition All scrapped

The Southern Pacific Class GS-7 is a class of seven 4-8-4 "Northern" type steam locomotives built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works for the St. Louis Southwestern Railway (also known as the "Cotton Belt Route"), as Cotton Belt Class L1 steam locomotives but would be later leased to the Southern Pacific Transportation Company where they would be classified as GS-7.

History

During the second World War, the Southern Pacific Transportation Company needed more motive power to tackle the issues throughout the second World War, the St. Louis Southwestern Railway (also known as the "Cotton Belt Route") decided to make an agreement with the Southern Pacific Transportation Company to lease seven of their own Class L1 4-8-4 locomotives to the Southern Pacific Transportation Company, this resulted in what would become the Southern Pacific Class GS-7.

The Southern Pacific class GS-7 actually was one of two classes of ex-Cotton Belt Route Class L1 that were leased to the Southern Pacific Transportation Company, with the other one being the GS-8.

The Southern Pacific class GS-7 and GS-8 locomotives were built at the exact same time that their GS-1 locomotives were built.

None were seven Southern Pacific Class GS-7 locomotives were preserved, all seven of them were retired from active service on the Southern Pacific Transportation Company and they were all scrapped.

Further reading

• Garratt, Colin; Wade-Matthews, Max (2003). Illustrated Book of Steam and Rail - The History and Development of the Train and an Evocative Guide to the World's Great Train Journeys. Barnes & Noble Books. ISBN 9780760749524.
• Church., Robert J. (1976). 4-8-4's Daylight The Complete Story of the Southern Pacific GS Class 4400 Series Locomotives. Kratville Publications.
• Dunscomb., Guy L. (1963). A Century of Southern Pacific Steam Locomotives, 1862-1962. Guy L. Dunscomb. pp. 301, 304, 317.
• Strapac, Joseph (1999). Cotton Belt Locomotives. Indiana University Press. ISBN 9780253336019.
• Church., Robert J. Mainline Modeler June 1995 - Southern Pacific GS-1 History and Plans.

External links

• Southern Pacific Class GS-7 Information Page