In 1938, the Southern Pacific Railroad inaugurated what became its most famous and prestigious passenger train – The Coast Daylight.  Designed during the depths of the Great Depression, the Coast Daylight was an all-new streamliner that took only 9 ¾ hours to travel between San Francisco and Los Angeles. Leading this new lightweight passenger train was a class of brand new streamlined 4-8-4s built by Lima Locomotive Works – the ultimate evolution of which was delivered in 1941 – 28 GS-4 locomotives, equipped with 80-inch drivers, an all-weather cab and the addition of an oscillating signal light mounted above the headlight on the smokebox front.  With the advent of dieselization after World War II,  the GS-4s were reassigned to secondary passenger trains, freight duty, and commute service on the San Francisco Peninsula.  During this time, many GS-4s had their streamlined skirting removed above the drivers for ease of maintenance.

Now at your dealers from Broadway Limited Imports is its 2026 production of GS-4 locomotives, including all-new GS-4s with skirting removed.  Never before offered in HO scale other than in handcrafted brass, these all-new deskirted GS-4s from Broadway Limited come in two prototypically accurate schemes –  “Partial Daylight” or black with aluminum smokebox front.

Also included in this production is a reprise of GS-4s with full streamlined skirting for American Freedom Train #4449 (1975-77), Southern Pacific Daylight #4449 (no pilot trim), Black with pinstripes #4449 (2001 excursion scheme), and fantasy paint schemes for Southern Pacific Lark (two-tone gray), Southern Pacific Sunset Limited (red/silver) and Western Pacific (green/gray/orange).    Available now while supplies last.

—Harry K. Wong

Broadway Limited Imports; 9 East Tower Circle, Ormond Beach, FL 32174; Broadway-limited.com

SP GS-4 #4439 retains its original pilot trim and Daylight paint on the cab and tender as it appeared shortly after its skirts were removed around 1950. All Broadway Limited GS-4s feature heavy diecast construction with numerous separately applied details. 

Broadway Limited’s SP GS-4 #4432 presents an understated yet powerful all-business appearance in SP’s simple black with aluminum smokebox, skirting removed and no trim on pilot.  These GS-4s are available either with sound and smoke with factory-installed Paragon4 DC+DCC+Sound Decoders for $699.99 MSRP, or as DC/DCC-ready “Stealth” silent models for $599.99 MSRP.