LDD MOC: The Forgotten Daylight: Southern Pacific #4460

[Murdoch17]

(This model was made possible by the Daylight Cuusso project. They provided me with a LDD file for the other Daylight, (#4449) which I then reworked completely to make into Southern Pacific #4460. Thanks!)

Historical Background:

During World War II, the US Government controlled the railway locomotive builders, one of which was Lima. Southern Pacific submitted a order to Lima Locomotive Works for 16 new 4-8-4 steam engines, (known as Daylights) which was turned down. Southern Pacific reworked the blueprints to have little streamlining, and not feature the Daylight's color scheme of orange, red and black. These new engines were painted in silver and black, and were also smaller. Lima finally green-lighted the order in 1943, but with one condition: Six engines would be taken from the order and given to the power-starved Western Pacific Railroad. Because of their smaller size and the fact they were built during WWII gave these engine the names "Baby Daylights" and "War Babies". Officially, they were called GS-6 and numbered 4460 - 4469. (GS meaning General Service or Golden State, and 6 becuase they were the sixth batch of engines.)

What makes #4460 so unique is that it pulled the final movment of steam on the Southern Pacific in 1958. The engine was donated to the Museum of Transportation in St. Louis Missouri on April 16th 1959, where it sits today. The only surviving cousin of this engine is GS-4 #4449, which is better known and actually runs. That's where the 4460's nickname of The Forgotten Daylight, comes from.

Now onto the pictures!

The picture here is acutally out-of-date. The pistons have now been moved closer to the body, allowing for this 8-wide engine to sit in my train shed.

When I get this engine in real life (around October or early November) I will put printed tiles on it spelling out 'Southern Pacific' on the tender sides and '4460' on the tender end and cab sides.

Side view.

Here is what it looks like in real life. (Photo by WampaOne on Flickr)

LDD file: (now updated 9/17/2013)

http://www.mocpages....1379436220m.lxf

NOTE: The model in the LDD file differs slightly from the pictures in order to fix problems discovered after the pictures were taken. Also note, I have done my best to make this work with LEGO track geometry, but as of August 26th 2013 it is untested. I am 99.7% sure it will work based on the original builders pictures, but since I have not seen it in person, I will say this: BUILD AT YOUR OWN RISK!

EDIT #3:

Coaches are now here!

Built in 1947, this car was built as Milwaukee Road's "Firefly". It was used in the Frisco 1522 excursions, and is now used for Southern Pacific 4-8-4 Daylight #4460 starting in 2002, when the 1522 was retired was excrusion service.

This car is based off the real car "Firelfy", (which was a baggage / dormitory, not a baggage car) It really ran with the Frisco 1522 until being sold in 2012 to be used with Milwaukee Road 4-8-4 #261.

Built in 1947 & 48, coaches 1514 - 1518 are used by the Museum of Tranportation in Southern Pacific excrusions starting after the re-retirement of fromer St. Louis-San Fransisco engine #1522.

These four un-named cars are based off the ones pulled by the real 1522 from the early 1990's to 2002.

Built in 1948, this car was built as Milwaukee Road's "Milwaukee". It was renamed "Bluebonnet" for use in the Frisco 1522 excursions. It was then used for Southern Pacific 4-8-4 Daylight #4460 starting in 2002.

This car is based off the real car "Milwaukee", (which was a business car, not an observation car) It really ran with the Frisco 1522 as the "Bluebonnet" until being sold in 2012 to be used with Milwaukee Road 4-8-4 #261.

The train is (finally) complete!

(LXF for the coaches comming soon!)

Comments, Questions and / or Complaints welcome!

Edited September 19, 2013 by Murdoch17

[UrbanErwin]

Looks good, but perhaps a bit more whistles and valves and stuff like that?

[Hey Joe]

Hey! Looks great, will you build it? It would be great to see it in real bricks. I'd like the .lxf file if you'd care to post it, thanks. I guess you'd prefer NOT to share the Daylight one from Cuusoo as it's not yours, but if it's not too much trouble could you post the link to the model on Cuusoo? Cuusoo works soooo slowly here in China that I rarely venture there.

Looks good, but perhaps a bit more whistles and valves and stuff like that?

I've seen that engine pictured at the museum as well as #4449, and from what I remember it's very streamlined, not many opportunities for greebling. Actually, I've got a poster of #4449 in American Freedom Train (1976 Bi-centennial celebration) colors here on my wall in Beijing.

Have fun, Joe

Edited August 26, 2013 by Hey Joe

[Murdoch17]

The LDD file has been uploaded to MOCPages and attached to the first post.

@UrbanErwin: Hey Joe is correct, the engines valves and such are encased under streamlined metalwork, so I can't really attach hoses without it looking un-prototypical. Even if I could, I like it better this way as it gives a opposite effect to the 2-8-4 Bekshire I own: Sleek and streamlined on one engine, rough and workaday on the other.

@Hey Joe: Here is the Cuusso link: http://lego.cuusoo.c...deas/view/38327

Thanks for stopping by!

Edited August 26, 2013 by Murdoch17

[Hey Joe]

The LDD file has been uploaded to MOCPages and attached to the first post.

@Hey Joe: Here is the Cuusso link: http://lego.cuusoo.c...deas/view/38327

Hey, thanks a lot. I have to admit that I prefer the Daylight. Who doesn't admire those beautiful orange and red colors? Also, I saw it running at Portland, Oregon's Union Station once (and also stationary at the Arch in 1976 in the American Freedom Train colors).

I wonder what it would take to get 4460 running again? It sounds from your first post like it ran perfectly until it was given to the museum.

Joe

[zephyr1934]

I wonder what it would take to get 4460 running again? It sounds from your first post like it ran perfectly until it was given to the museum.

Now be nice to the museum, there is a good reason why railroads converted to diesel and even diesels take a lot of money to maintain. Back when I was active in train museums I think we figured that it took about 3 volunteer hours of maintenance for every mile a restored ten wheeler ran, and that did not include any of the restoration time. The fact that this loco is under roof is a very good start. It is also very difficult/expensive to get big locos like this out on mainline excursions where they belong.

[Murdoch17]

@Zephyr1934: The shed building it's under was made in the early 90's - late 80's, so it was out in the elelments a long time (at least 30 years!) before being put in that shed. Also, I don't think it has moved since being placed there.

On a related note, the only steam engine that has ever been restored to working order in the Museum of Transportation was Frisco 1522, which was restored starting in 1985 & re-retired in 2002 because of insurance costs. (The engine probably will never run again, as it's extra water tender and several work cars have been sold, but don't worry, it's under that same shed's roof.) That engine was retired in 1951, and was in bad condtion when restored in '85. SP #4460 was retired in '58 and never restored. Also, the 1522 has several sisters located through Missouri that could give parts transplants or at least show what they look like. Southern Pacfifc 4460 is all alone except for it's bigger & older cousin, Southern Pacific #4449 which is almost a completely diffirent class. Broken items on #4460 would have to be made using guesswork, luck, and ingenuity (plus the blueprints, if they still exist) They could work the train into a hybrid GS-6 / 4, using copies of parts from 4449.

Thus, I am 99.9% sure Southern Pacific 4460 will never run again, except for the off chance someone wins a multi-billion dollar Lottery ticket and donates it to 4460's restoration, or they find a stash of GS-6 parts in a wharehouse somewhere. That is why I making this model, so that SP #4460 (& eventually the General Motors Aerotrain) will run on my layout, so even if the engine will never turn a wheel in reality, in the LEGO Universe they will run once more.

Edited August 29, 2013 by Murdoch17

[Hey Joe]

The fact that this loco is under roof is a very good start.

Yeah, really.

the General Motors Aerotrain

Oooh, the Aerotrain and those bus-like coaches. That's a cool train.

Yeah, those retired steamers really start to go to rot pretty quickly once they're put out to pasture. That's a shame about 1522. I don't think I'm too far off the mark when I quip that lawyers and insurance men are ruining the country!

Have fun, Joe

[zephyr1934]

Oh, don't get me wrong, the 4460 is a beautiful engine. I'm just saying that these railway museums are doing an incredible job attempting an insane proposition. I was at the Illinois Railway museum this past summer and they have at lest 20 steamers out in the elements rusting away. Fortunately they have more than that under roof. It is hard work preserving all of that equipment.

[Murdoch17]

I have fixed some issues with the LXF, plus I updated the pictures. Does it look more realistc ( ) or less ( )?

Comments, questions & complaints still welcome!

(Sorry for the bump! )

Edited September 17, 2013 by Murdoch17

[Murdoch17]

Sorry for the double post, but I just put the finishing touches on the coaches to go with Southern Pacifc engine 4460. They are (mostly) based on real cars used fomrely with the Frisco 1522, but their paint scheme is inspired by the local 12 inch gauge, live-steam Wabash Frisco and Pacific Railroad. (Here is link to their site: http://wfprr.com/ )

More pictures are in the first post!

Enjoy!

[Hey Joe]

Hey, looks great! Will we see them in real bricks?

Joe

[Murdoch17]

@Hey Joe: The only way you will see it is at shows, or if I can find someone willing to take shots for me, as I don't have a camera, and have no intrest in getting one. (Why spend money on a camera when I could buy more LEGO trains stuff? )

The 4460 is to be built in late October / early November or sooner, if funds allow! The six train cars will be built in late December / early January... the Daylight isn't as expensive as you might think, around $95 USD according to my parts list. The $20 in printed tiles brings my total to around $115 for the Daylight, and I already have some parts (wheels, pre-2006 style couplers and such) for the coaches, so that takes a ton off the cost.

I'm trying to get the engine built for the October Gateway LUG show at the WF&P (link in my last post to the Wabash Frisco & Pacific!) but the problem is she may not work properly on switches and curves. I guess I'll just have to bite the bullet and buy it and work them out if the 4460 does turn out to have issues.

Edited September 19, 2013 by Murdoch17

[LEGO Train 12 Volts]

Beautiful CAD project!