GS-4

I first started travelling to California around 1990 and instantly liked the 'Espee' - the Southern Pacific Railroad that back then provided most of the state's freigh services. And when I read more about the SP I liked it even more and not least for its wonderful array of steam locomotives over the years.

All Espee fans have a particular 'soft spot' for the GS-4 class of 4-8-4's. Here is one of the class on the 'Argonaut' back in the late 1940's somewhere in the Arizona or southern Californian desert between El Paso and Los Angeles.

Strange to think that in fact these beautiful engines were only operating for about fifteen years. No 4449 for example - the preserved member of the class - was built in 1941 and retired in late 1954. In fact she spent longer rusting away in a park in Portand before being restored for the bicentennial in 1976 than she ever did in steam.

This last generation of American steam superpower all had short lives, which is a shame. But there's some amazing pictures of them in action.