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The Southern Pacific Class GS-8 is a class of four 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 L-1 steam locomotives but would be later leased to the Southern Pacific Transportation Company where they would be classified as GS-8.[1][2]
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 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-8.[1][2]
The Southern Pacific class GS-8 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-7.[3]
The Southern Pacific class GS-7 and GS-8 locomotives were built at the exact same time that their GS-1 locomotives were built.[3]
None were four Southern Pacific Class GS-8 locomotives were preserved, all four of them were retired from active service on the Southern Pacific Transportation Company and they were scrapped.[1]