Southern Pacific 'Daylight' 4460 (version 2)

[Murdoch17]

I downloaded this magnificent model MOCpages' JD Davis. He designs HUGE engines over there. (Check him out here: http://www.mocpages.com/home.php/31000 ) Anyway, JD Davis based this one off Anthony Sava's Daylight, and then I modified it to better represent the Southern Pacific #4460. Eventually, the original model merged with my previous version of the 4460.

Long story short: The tender is from the other 4460, while the loco is new. It will be bigger than the Berkshire that I made from Sava's instructions a while back by about 8 or so studs.

The engine will have "SOUTHERN PACIFIC" in printed tiles on the tender sides, with "4460" on the cab sides and tender rear.

Here is a comparison picture of the real deal (from Wampa-One's Flickr page)

Locomotive history / 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 because they were the sixth batch of engines.)

What makes #4460 so unique is that it pulled the final movement 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 still runs. That's where the 4460's nickname of the 'Forgotten Daylight', comes from.

Also, I got this reply to my first version of the 4460 on MOCpages (seen here: http://www.mocpages.com/moc.php/368617 )

Quoting Jan Snyder: "I remember, very well, the 'funeral' held for the 4460--the last run of the SP steam engines. At the time, I was an 12 year old Boy Scout bugler who was asked to play taps. They had me stand on the engine, at the left front side, and the crowd of people seemed massive for a kid my age. A photo, published in the next morning's Oakland Tribune, recently turned up on a collection. That photo hangs on my office wall with fond memories."

NOTE: The driving wheels used on this model are supposed to be Big Ben Bricks XL wheel, both flanged and un-flanged. They are not included in the model, (as they are not in LDD) but some stock official wheels are there instead. They must be removed before building, unless you want some extra drivers that don't touch the track.

EDIT: I have updated the model's LXF to be more stable when built it real life. I also updated the pictures!

EDIT #2: I have fixed an error with the smoke box where the single 1x1 headlight worked in it's spot in LDD, but not in real life as far as I could tell. This meant taking the smoke box apart, and gave me a chance to strengthen it. I have attached the fixed LXF for the locomotive for any who wish to build it as I am going to sometime around Christmas 2014.

EDIT#3: I added the newly updated pictures for the loco & coaches.

EDIT #4: I redid the photos and ldd file, plus adding four more studs of length to the model. It is now 102 studs long with the tender attached.

I am also attaching the passenger cars that #4460 will pull:

The train consists is one baggage car, three coaches, and one observation car.

A side view of the cars.

The LDD file for the 4460 (without cars) is here: http://www.mocpages.com/user_images/80135/1419022605m.lxf

The LDD file for the cars (without 4460) is here: http://www.mocpages....1406567506m.lxf

Comments, Questions & complaints welcome!

Edited December 19, 2014 by Murdoch17

[Dayton]

Very nice work there. I love the front! Although it seem there is way to much black.

[DaveBey]

Interesting (to me anyway) you should post about the Southern Pacific...

Just yesterday I was reading about the City of San Francisco, a named Southern Pacific train stranded in a blizzard in 1952. And today, after I got back from lunch, I was watching a BNSF autorack train go by the parking lot at work (having just left Cherokee Yard here in Tulsa, OK), looking at the logos on the autoracks, and there was a Souther Pacific autorack!

Anyway, that's a BIG locomotive!

Cheers from Claremore, OK USA!

Dave

[zephyr1934]

A great looking build! And you know, you should talk one of the fine ldraw experts around here to create instructions for you from the LDD file (either to sell or to post to railbricks).

[Daedalus304]

A great looking build! And you know, you should talk one of the fine ldraw experts around here to create instructions for you from the LDD file (either to sell or to post to railbricks).

While normally I would back up a suggestion of this sort, JD Davis heavily copied Tony Sava's Daylight for the LDD file Murdoch downloaded and altered. I think there is a line here somewhere that should be observed before people go selling instructions for a modification of someone else's model - especially one that the original builder themselves is likely to sell.

Edited January 29, 2014 by Daedalus304

[Barduck]

looking at the LDD file I'm pretty sure to say it'll never work. More to the point: the front truck will never be able to take turns nor switches the way it's build now (I suspect it'll break apart on the bar connecting the 2 axles). Could be wrong though. Anyway, I'd suggest taking a look at Jayhurts Bigboy and use his solution for the 4 wheel front truck as it is much more stable and takes turns and switches with no problems at all.

Otherwise great model, love the sidewalks on it

Edited January 29, 2014 by Barduck

[Murdoch17]

I'm not planning on selling the model, but I will take down the LDD file if Anthony Sava wants me to.

Sorry for any trouble I've caused by posting this...

[Murdoch17]

Thank you Barduck for bringing that to my attention. I have updated the LXF to be more stable when built in real life, and I tinkered with some other details as well. (such as better driving rods!) I have also updated the pictures.

Enjoy!

[zephyr1934]

While normally I would back up a suggestion of this sort, JD Davis heavily copied Tony Sava's Daylight for the LDD file Murdoch downloaded and altered. I think there is a line here somewhere that should be observed before people go selling instructions for a modification of someone else's model - especially one that the original builder themselves is likely to sell.

Ah good point, I was not familiar with the history of this design. Yes, scratch "sell" from my earlier post.

[Murdoch17]

I have fixed some issues with the 4460's smokebox and added some coaches (plus their LDD file) to go along with it.

Comments, Questions & complaints welcome!

Edited April 16, 2014 by Murdoch17

[Murdoch17]

UPDATE:

(sorry for the bump!)

The coaches seen above were too expensive, so I reconstructed them into this:

These coaches are based on a real world prototypes used by a 12-inch gauge steam railway called the Wabash Frisco & Pacific, also known as the WF&P. (see here http://www.wfprr.com/ ) The baggage car and observation car were my own idea though.

Eventually I would like to purchase these models plus the Forgotten Daylight #4460 and show them to the WF&P through the local Lego User Group, (Gateway LUG) and it's show at the WF&P on Sundays in October. (I don't know if they are doing it this year though, so that gives me some time.)

The base of these cars feature this part ( http://www.bricklink...tem.asp?P=92339 ) in blue.

LDD file for the above cars: http://www.mocpages....1406567506m.lxf

I am also fixing the 4460 because it seems some parts were poorly connected / floating.

What do you think?

Edited July 28, 2014 by Murdoch17

[Murdoch17]

I have redone the photos and LDD file, plus adding four more studs of length to the model. It is now 102 studs long with the tender attached.

Here is a visual treat of 4460 alive and well sometime in it's working life. (Picture from the facebook page of the National Railway Historical Society , St. Louis Chapter.) Also, the picture could not be resized and is a 970x720 pixels... sorry!

Edited December 19, 2014 by Murdoch17

[pirzyk]

Slightly off topic, but the 4449 is at the Oregon Heritage Rail Museum, currently tore down for it's 15 year FRA rebuild. I got to look inside the firebox as they are welding in new pieces currently. Very impressive.

Back to the topic, nice job!

[v6TransAM]

Slightly off topic, but the 4449 is at the Oregon Heritage Rail Museum, currently tore down for it's 15 year FRA rebuild. I got to look inside the firebox as they are welding in new pieces currently. Very impressive.

Back to the topic, nice job!

It's great we have folks like Doyle McCormack who make keeping stuff like this steam possible