Cascade (passenger train)
Encyclopedia
The Cascade was an American passenger train of the Southern Pacific on its route between Oakland
and Portland
with a connecting sleeping car
to Seattle. The Southern Pacific inaugurated the original train on April 17, 1927 in tandem with the opening of its Cascade Line between Black Butte, California
and Springfield, Oregon
. The new Cascade was part of the upgrade of SP's Shasta Route betwee the Bay Area and the Pacific Northwest. The first version of the tran offered first class service and a $3.00 extra fare. It became an all-Pullman
train in 1937. On August 13, 1950, the Cascade became a streamlined coach/Pullman train with a triple-unit diner
and cars painted in two shades of gray. But the next 21 years saw a decline. The connecting sleeper was discontinued in 1966, the triple-unit diner came off a year later. By 1970, the train was down to five or six cars, ran only three days per week, and was usually late. Amtrak
would take over the Cascade on May 1, 1971 and would combine its services with the San Francisco - Los Angeles
Coast Daylight routing the train through Oakland and eventually renaming it the Coast Starlight
.
of Southern Oregon was difficult, plagued with steep grades, sharp curves, and subject to landslides and washouts. During the reign of Edward H. Harriman, Southern Pacific began construction of an alternate, less difficult route. Government involvement in the affairs of Harriman and the SP would delay completion for 18 years.
Although trains began using the new Natron Cutoff or Cascade Line as early as 1926, official service did not begin until several months later when the old Weed Lumber Company line south of Grass Lake was replaced. The new Cascade would offer a better first class service than given by the Shasta Limited, which included a smoother ride. The first version of the train had a $3.00 extra fare and was given the numbers 17 and 18.
This new train would survive the depression through consolidations, schedule changes, and a different set of numbers (19 and 20). The extra fare was dropped. With the economy showing signs of improvement, Southern Pacific re-equipped the train and returned its original numbers. As matters continued to get better, the SP chose to upgrade the Cascade to the status of an all-Pullman train. It was reassigned numbers 23 and 24 with an 18-hour schedule.
For three years during World War II, the Cascade was combined with the Beaver. After the war the train was given new equipment and a faster schedule. But the best was yet to come for the Cascade. Starting on June 5, 1950, the first streamlined Pullman was placed in service on the route. Southern Pacific was also experimenting with diesel power. The result would be the greatest presentation of this train; a faster, dieselized, streamlined, all-Pullman, daily overnight service second-to-none.
The streamlined Cascade became the SP's overnight trains between Oakland
and Portland
with through sleeping cars to and from Seattle was only the second all room sleeping car train to operate in a north-south direction on the west coast. The new thirteen car Pullman Standard built consists were initially powered by A-B-B sets of EMD E7 diesels but were replaced in weeks by A-B-A sets of ALCO PA passenger diesels painted in daylight colors. The Cascade cars painted in the two tone Gray of the Lark
and San Francisco Overland trains. The Southern Pacific streamlined Cascade began service on August 13, 1950 and has the distinction of being an all Pullman train for the shortest length of time, for beginning October 11, 1950 the Cascade began operation with coaches assigned between Oakland and Portland. The through sleepers to Seattle numbered four and traveled north from Portland in the Union Pacific Railroad
(UP) pool train to Seattle Union Station
. Upon arrival in Seattle the four sleeping cars were switched out and transferred to the Northern Pacific Railway
(NP) on the other side of Fourth Avenue viaduct at the King Street Station
. The next morning these four through sleeping cars would depart Seattle in the NP pool train and transfer to the Cascade that afternoon in Portland for the trip to Oakland.
In the above consist sleeping cars 9118, 9031, 9032 and 9031 originated in Seattle and were forwarded by NP pool train from there to Portland to be forwarded to Oakland.
In the above consist sleeping cars 9119, 9034, 9035 and 9303 were through Oakland – Seattle cars forwarded in the UP pool train to Seattle. After arrival in Seattle at Union Station they were turned over to the NP under the 4th Ave. viaduct where they were forwarded to the NP-GN coach yard for cleaning and servicing for the next mornings departure in the NP pool train from King Street Station to Portland and the waiting Cascade.
The streamlined Cascade operated as an all – Pullman train only until October 10, 1950. Beginning October 11, 1950 Coaches were added to the train sets. Coaches 2425 and 2431 operated in one consist and 2433 and 2437 operated in the other consist of the Cascade. No coaches operated as through cars to and from Seattle. All Coach travelers crossed the platform in Portland to the waiting UP pool train northbound to Seattle. Southbound coach passengers from Seattle arrived in Portland on the NP pool train and again crossed the platform to the waiting Cascade.
-style aluminum mist with red letterboard. Yellow sleeping cars from the City of San Francisco
and San Francisco Overland trains were also seen in the nightly consist. By 1970, after trying for two years to discontinue the service, Southern Pacific was allowed to trim the Cascade to triweekly. By this time, the train had a later departure time allowing daylight viewing of the Willamette Valley
and part of the Cascade Mountains.
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
and Portland
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
with a connecting sleeping car
Sleeping car
The sleeping car or sleeper is a railway/railroad passenger car that can accommodate all its passengers in beds of one kind or another, primarily for the purpose of making nighttime travel more restful. The first such cars saw sporadic use on American railroads in the 1830s and could be configured...
to Seattle. The Southern Pacific inaugurated the original train on April 17, 1927 in tandem with the opening of its Cascade Line between Black Butte, California
Black Butte (Siskiyou County, California)
Black Butte is a cluster of overlapping dacite lava domes in a butte,a parasitic satellite cone of Mount Shasta. It is located directly adjacent to Interstate 5 at milepost 742 between the city of Mount Shasta and Weed, California. The highway crosses a pass, Black Butte Summit, at the western...
and Springfield, Oregon
Springfield, Oregon
Springfield is a city in Lane County, Oregon, United States. Located in the Southern Willamette Valley, it is within the Eugene-Springfield Metropolitan Statistical Area. Separated from Eugene to the west, mainly by Interstate 5, Springfield is the second-most populous city in the metropolitan area...
. The new Cascade was part of the upgrade of SP's Shasta Route betwee the Bay Area and the Pacific Northwest. The first version of the tran offered first class service and a $3.00 extra fare. It became an all-Pullman
Pullman Company
The Pullman Palace Car Company, founded by George Pullman, manufactured railroad cars in the mid-to-late 19th century through the early decades of the 20th century, during the boom of railroads in the United States. Pullman developed the sleeping car which carried his name into the 1980s...
train in 1937. On August 13, 1950, the Cascade became a streamlined coach/Pullman train with a triple-unit diner
Dining car
A dining car or restaurant carriage , also diner, is a railroad passenger car that serves meals in the manner of a full-service, sit-down restaurant....
and cars painted in two shades of gray. But the next 21 years saw a decline. The connecting sleeper was discontinued in 1966, the triple-unit diner came off a year later. By 1970, the train was down to five or six cars, ran only three days per week, and was usually late. Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
would take over the Cascade on May 1, 1971 and would combine its services with the San Francisco - Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
Coast Daylight routing the train through Oakland and eventually renaming it the Coast Starlight
Coast Starlight
The Coast Starlight is a passenger train operated by Amtrak on the West Coast of the United States. It runs from King Street Station in Seattle, Washington, to Union Station in Los Angeles, California. The train's name was formed as a merging of two of Southern Pacific's train names, the Coast...
.
History
The original Shasta Route line into Oregon was completed on December 17, 1887. This allowed the connection of California points to Portland, Seattle, and the growing Pacific Northwest. The Oregon and California Express was the first passenger service offered on this line. It later gained fame as the Shasta Limited, offering a first class service. But the original route over the Siskiyou MountainsSiskiyou Mountains
The Siskiyou Mountains are a coastal mountain range in the northern Klamath Mountains in northwestern California and southwestern Oregon in the United States. They extend in an arc for approximately from east of Crescent City, California northeast along the north side of the Klamath River into...
of Southern Oregon was difficult, plagued with steep grades, sharp curves, and subject to landslides and washouts. During the reign of Edward H. Harriman, Southern Pacific began construction of an alternate, less difficult route. Government involvement in the affairs of Harriman and the SP would delay completion for 18 years.
Although trains began using the new Natron Cutoff or Cascade Line as early as 1926, official service did not begin until several months later when the old Weed Lumber Company line south of Grass Lake was replaced. The new Cascade would offer a better first class service than given by the Shasta Limited, which included a smoother ride. The first version of the train had a $3.00 extra fare and was given the numbers 17 and 18.
This new train would survive the depression through consolidations, schedule changes, and a different set of numbers (19 and 20). The extra fare was dropped. With the economy showing signs of improvement, Southern Pacific re-equipped the train and returned its original numbers. As matters continued to get better, the SP chose to upgrade the Cascade to the status of an all-Pullman train. It was reassigned numbers 23 and 24 with an 18-hour schedule.
For three years during World War II, the Cascade was combined with the Beaver. After the war the train was given new equipment and a faster schedule. But the best was yet to come for the Cascade. Starting on June 5, 1950, the first streamlined Pullman was placed in service on the route. Southern Pacific was also experimenting with diesel power. The result would be the greatest presentation of this train; a faster, dieselized, streamlined, all-Pullman, daily overnight service second-to-none.
Southern Pacific Streamliner Cascade
- Trains 11-12
- Oakland – Portland - Seattle
- Service Start - August 13, 1950
- Oakland – Portland - Daily overnight All-Pullman - 713 miles - 16 hours 45 minutes
- 12 Depart Oakland - 4:35PM, Arrive Portland - 8:15AM
- 11 Depart Portland - 4:45PM, Arrive Oakland - 8:20AM
- Connecting service to San Francisco was provided by ferry until 1958 when switch was made to bus service over the Bay Bridge
The streamlined Cascade became the SP's overnight trains between Oakland
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
and Portland
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
with through sleeping cars to and from Seattle was only the second all room sleeping car train to operate in a north-south direction on the west coast. The new thirteen car Pullman Standard built consists were initially powered by A-B-B sets of EMD E7 diesels but were replaced in weeks by A-B-A sets of ALCO PA passenger diesels painted in daylight colors. The Cascade cars painted in the two tone Gray of the Lark
Lark (passenger train)
The Lark was an overnight passenger train of the Southern Pacific Company on the 470-mile run between San-Francisco and Los-Angeles. It became a streamliner on July 10, 1941 and was discontinued in April 1968...
and San Francisco Overland trains. The Southern Pacific streamlined Cascade began service on August 13, 1950 and has the distinction of being an all Pullman train for the shortest length of time, for beginning October 11, 1950 the Cascade began operation with coaches assigned between Oakland and Portland. The through sleepers to Seattle numbered four and traveled north from Portland in the Union Pacific Railroad
Union Pacific Railroad
The Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman....
(UP) pool train to Seattle Union Station
Union Station (Seattle)
Union Station is a former train station in Seattle, Washington, USA, constructed between 1910 and 1911 to serve the Union Pacific Railroad and the Milwaukee Road. It was originally named Oregon and Washington Station, after a subsidiary line of the Union Pacific. Located at the corner of S. Jackson...
. Upon arrival in Seattle the four sleeping cars were switched out and transferred to the Northern Pacific Railway
Northern Pacific Railway
The Northern Pacific Railway was a railway that operated in the west along the Canadian border of the United States. Construction began in 1870 and the main line opened all the way from the Great Lakes to the Pacific when former president Ulysses S. Grant drove in the final "golden spike" in...
(NP) on the other side of Fourth Avenue viaduct at the King Street Station
King Street Station (Seattle)
King Street Station is a train station in Seattle, Washington. Located between South King and South Jackson streets and Second and Fourth Avenue South in the Pioneer Square neighborhood of Seattle, the station is just south of downtown...
. The next morning these four through sleeping cars would depart Seattle in the NP pool train and transfer to the Cascade that afternoon in Portland for the trip to Oakland.
Inaugural Train #11
- 6005 ALCO PAALCO PAALCO PA refers to a family of A1A-A1A diesel locomotives built to haul passenger trains that were built in Schenectady, New York in the United States by a partnership of the American Locomotive Company and General Electric between June, 1946 and December, 1953...
-1 2,000 HP Diesel Passenger Cab Unit - 5911 ALCO PB-1 2,000 HP Diesel Passenger Booster Unit
- 6007 ALCO PA-1 2,000 HP Diesel Passenger Cab Unit
- 6600 Baggage Car
- 5000 Baggage Railway Post OfficeRailway post officeIn the United States a railway post office, commonly abbreviated as RPO, was a railroad car that was normally operated in passenger service as a means to sort mail en route, in order to speed delivery. The RPO was staffed by highly trained Railway Mail Service postal clerks, and was off-limits to...
Car - 9300 22-Roomette Sleeping Car
- 9400 12-Double Bedroom Sleeping Car
- 9030 10-Roomette 6-Double Bedroom Sleeping Car
- 10280 Articulated 21- Crew Dormitory Kitchen Car
- 10281 Articulated 44- Seat Dining Room Car
- 10282 Articulated 44- Seat Tavern Lounge Car
- 9118 4-Compartment 4-Double Bedroom 2-Drawing Room Sleeping Car
- 9031 10-Roomette 6-Double Bedroom Sleeping Car
- 9032 10-Roomette 6-Double Bedroom Sleeping Car
- 9301 22-Roomette Sleeping Car
- 9053 10-Roomette 6-Double Bedroom Sleeping Car (Blunt End)
In the above consist sleeping cars 9118, 9031, 9032 and 9031 originated in Seattle and were forwarded by NP pool train from there to Portland to be forwarded to Oakland.
Inaugural Train #12
- 6006 ALCO PA-1 2,000 HP Diesel Passenger Cab Unit
- 5912 ALCO PB-1 2,000 HP Diesel Passenger Booster Unit
- 6008 ALCO PA-1 2,000 HP Diesel Passenger Cab Unit
- 6601 Baggage Car
- 5001 Baggage 30’Railway Post Office Car
- 9302 22-Roomette Sleeping Car
- 9401 12-Double Bedroom sleeping Car
- 9033 10-Roomette 6-Double Bedroom Sleeping Car
- 10283 Articulated 21- Crew Dormitory Kitchen Car
- 10284 Articulated 44- Seat Dining Room Car
- 10285 Articulated 44- Seat Tavern Lounge Car
- 9119 4-Compartment 4-Double Bedroom 2-Drawing Room Sleeping Car
- 9034 10-Roomette 6-Double Bedroom Sleeping Car
- 9035 10-Roomette 6-Double Bedroom Sleeping Car
- 9303 22-Roomette Sleeping Car
- 9054 10-Roomette 6-Double Bedroom Sleeping Car (Blunt End)
In the above consist sleeping cars 9119, 9034, 9035 and 9303 were through Oakland – Seattle cars forwarded in the UP pool train to Seattle. After arrival in Seattle at Union Station they were turned over to the NP under the 4th Ave. viaduct where they were forwarded to the NP-GN coach yard for cleaning and servicing for the next mornings departure in the NP pool train from King Street Station to Portland and the waiting Cascade.
The streamlined Cascade operated as an all – Pullman train only until October 10, 1950. Beginning October 11, 1950 Coaches were added to the train sets. Coaches 2425 and 2431 operated in one consist and 2433 and 2437 operated in the other consist of the Cascade. No coaches operated as through cars to and from Seattle. All Coach travelers crossed the platform in Portland to the waiting UP pool train northbound to Seattle. Southbound coach passengers from Seattle arrived in Portland on the NP pool train and again crossed the platform to the waiting Cascade.
The final years
Through sleeping car service to and from Seattle ended January 9, 1966. The triple-unit diner came off a year later. Southern Pacific tried to replace it with an automat service but the Oregon PUC balked, forcing the railroad to place a regular diner on the train. The two-tone gray colors were already gone, replaced by SP's new passenger color scheme of SunsetSunset Limited
The Sunset Limited is a passenger train that for most of its history has run between New Orleans, Louisiana and Los Angeles, California, and that from early 1993 through late August 2005 also ran east of New Orleans to Jacksonville, Florida, making it during that time the only true transcontinental...
-style aluminum mist with red letterboard. Yellow sleeping cars from the City of San Francisco
City of San Francisco
The City of San Francisco was a streamlined passenger train operated jointly by the Chicago and North Western Railway, the Southern Pacific Railroad, and the Union Pacific Railroad...
and San Francisco Overland trains were also seen in the nightly consist. By 1970, after trying for two years to discontinue the service, Southern Pacific was allowed to trim the Cascade to triweekly. By this time, the train had a later departure time allowing daylight viewing of the Willamette Valley
Willamette Valley
The Willamette Valley is the most populated region in the state of Oregon of the United States. Located in the state's northwest, the region is surrounded by tall mountain ranges to the east, west and south and the valley's floor is broad, flat and fertile because of Ice Age conditions...
and part of the Cascade Mountains.