Coast Daylight (SP)
Encyclopedia
Southern Pacific Railroad
The Southern Pacific Transportation Company , earlier Southern Pacific Railroad and Southern Pacific Company, and usually simply called the Southern Pacific or Espee, was an American railroad....
(SP) between the cities of Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
and San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
, via SP's Coast Line. In the eyes of many the "most beautiful passenger train in the world," it featured a stunning red, orange, and black color scheme.
Background
The streamlined Daylight began running in March, 1937, hauled by GS-2Southern Pacific class GS-2
The GS-2 was a streamlined 4-8-4 Northern type steam locomotive that served the Southern Pacific Company from 1937 to 1956. They were built by Lima Locomotive Works and were numbered 4410 through 4415. GS stands for "Golden State" or "General Service."...
steam locomotive
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
s. It was the first of the Daylight series that also included the San Joaquin Daylight
San Joaquin Daylight
The San Joaquin Daylight was a Southern Pacific passenger train inaugurated between Los Angeles and Oakland Pier by way of the San Joaquin Valley and Tehachapi Pass on July 4, 1941. It operated until the advent of Amtrak in 1971.-Passenger cars:Pullman-Standard built coaches were assigned to the...
, Shasta Daylight
Shasta Daylight
The Shasta Daylight was a train operated by the Southern Pacific Railroad, inaugurated on July 10, 1949 between Oakland Pier in Oakland, California and Portland, Oregon...
, Sacramento Daylight
Sacramento Daylight
The Sacramento Daylight was a named passenger train operated by the Southern Pacific Railroad, part of the family of "Daylights" which included the San Joaquin Daylight, Shasta Daylight, Coast Daylight, and Sunbeam...
, and Sunbeam
Sunbeam (passenger train)
The Sunbeam was a named passenger train operated from 1925 to 1955 between Houston and Dallas by the Texas and New Orleans Railroad , a subsidiary of the Southern Pacific Railroad...
. The Coast Daylight continued to run behind steam until January 7, 1955, long after most streamliners
Streamliner cars (rail)
The streamliners are a class of streamlined railway cars built in the forties and fifties of the twentieth century for long distance passenger railservices in North America.-Predecessors:...
had been powered by diesel. On May 1, 1971 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...
took over and rerouted their Coast Daylight to 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...
so it could continue north to Portland.
A second train known as the Noon Daylight ran on the same route between 1940 and 1949, with a suspension during World War II. The original Coast Daylight was informally known as the Morning Daylight during this time.
In 1949, the Noon Daylight was replaced by an overnight train known as the Starlight using the same equipment. In 1956, coaches from the Starlight were added to the all-Pullman Lark and the Starlight was discontinued in 1957. Amtrak later revived the train name for its Los Angeles to Seattle service known as 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...
.
On August 26, 1999: The United States Postal Service
United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
issued 33-cent All Aboard! 20th Century American Trains
All Aboard! 20th Century American Trains
In August 1999, the United States Postal Service issued a set of 33¢ postage stamps entitled All Aboard! 20th Century American Trains to "pay tribute to American industry and design, and specifically to the heritage of our railroads." Artist Ted Rose created five watercolor images depicting the...
commemorative stamp
Postage stamp
A postage stamp is a small piece of paper that is purchased and displayed on an item of mail as evidence of payment of postage. Typically, stamps are made from special paper, with a national designation and denomination on the face, and a gum adhesive on the reverse side...
s featuring five celebrated American passenger trains from the 1930s and 1940s. One of the five stamps featured an image of a GS-4 steam locomotive pulling the red-and-orange train along the California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
Pacific Coast
Pacific Coast
A country's Pacific coast is the part of its coast bordering the Pacific Ocean.-The Americas:Countries on the western side of the Americas have a Pacific coast as their western border.* Geography of Canada* Geography of Chile* Geography of Colombia...
.
The train is also the subject of the railroad documentary, "Daylight: The Most Beautiful Train in the World." hosted by Michael Gross
Michael Gross (actor)
Michael Gross is an American television, movie, and stage actor who plays both comedic and dramatic roles. His most notable roles are as the father Steven Keaton from Family Ties and the Graboid hunter Burt Gummer from the Tremors franchise.-Early life:Gross was born in Chicago, Illinois, the son...
. The documentary features early color images and color films from within the train and as it travels along its route. Passengers fondly reminisce about their travels aboard the train, about the striking coastal scenery, and about the fine amenities available at the height of rail passenger era. The narrative is accompanied by large collection of contemporaneous photographs and films, including personal black-and-white films
Home movies
A home movie is part of the motion picture filmmaking process made by amateurs, often for viewing by family and friends. When the hobby began, home movies were produced on photographic film, but accessibility of video production with video cameras and low cost data storage devices has made the...
showing life aboard the train.
The documentary covers the time period from 1937 to 1971. This is the time period when the route and equipment were owned and operated as a business venture of the Southern Pacific Railroad. It begins with the train being ordered in 1935 in spite of the ongoing depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, entering service in 1937, operating through World War II, replacing steam locomotives with diesel power in the 1950s, and finally the demise of the train due to the declining rail passenger traffic. After World War II, declining revenues forced SP to cut costs through a series of austerity measures.
One significant change was that the train's layout was reconfigured to eliminate the dining cars. These were replaced in favor of Automat
Automat
An automat is a fast food restaurant where simple foods and drink are served by coin-operated and bill-operated vending machines.-Concept:Originally, the machines took only nickels...
cars. The Automat cars offered prepared food from vending machine
Vending machine
A vending machine is a machine which dispenses items such as snacks, beverages, alcohol, cigarettes, lottery tickets, consumer products and even gold and gems to customers automatically, after the customer inserts currency or credit into the machine....
s instead of fresh, made-to-order meals in the dining cars. These cars saved money by eliminating all of the train's culinary personnel. This was a utilitarian configuration which allowed for seating, for baggage, and for the Automat car. This configuration was used until the train was discontinued.
In 1971, Amtrak took over operation of the route along the Pacific coast, expanding the route northward to 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...
and Seattle.
In 2008 it was announced that the "Coast Daylight" will resume service, allowing a flexible passenger itinerary, in 2011.
Passenger cars
A typical 1946 passenger car consist:- Baggage Chair Car Combine
- Articulated Chair Car (Pair)
- Articulated Chair Car (Pair)
- Articulated Chair Car (Pair)
- Articulated Dining Car (Triple Unit, consisting of a Coffee Shop car, Kitchen car, and Dining Room car)
- Chair Car
- Articulated Chair Car (Pair)
- Articulated Chair Car (Pair)
- Chair Car
- Tavern Car
- Parlor Car
- Parlor Observation Car
A typical 1970 passenger car consist:
- Baggage Car
- Chair Car
- Chair Car
- Chair Car
- Automat Car
- Chair Car
- Observation Chair Car
Locomotives
There are only two surviving locomotives that were used on the Coast Daylight. They are Southern Pacific 4449Southern Pacific 4449
Southern Pacific 4449 is the only surviving example of Southern Pacific Railroad's GS-4 class of steam locomotives. The GS-4 is a streamlined 4-8-4 type steam locomotive...
, a GS-4
Southern Pacific class GS-4
The GS-4 was a streamlined 4-8-4 Northern type steam locomotive that served the Southern Pacific Company from 1941 to 1958. They were built by the Lima Locomotive Works and were numbered 4430 through 4457...
steam locomotive which also served as the Bicentennial American Freedom Train
American Freedom Train
The United States has seen two national 'Freedom Trains'. The 1947–1949 Freedom Train was a special exhibit train that toured the United States in the later half of the 1940s. A similar train called the American Freedom Train toured the country for the United States Bicentennial celebration in...
engine from 1975 to 1976, and Southern Pacific 6051
Southern Pacific 6051
Southern Pacific Railroad's number 6051 is an EMD E9 diesel locomotive. It was one of nine E9s built for SP by EMD in December 1954 as Construction Number 20100 on SP Order Number P-1041 and EMD Order Number 2068. It entered service on January 4, 1955 at Los Angeles. These nine locomotives allowed...
, an EMD E9
EMD E9
The EMD E9 was a , A1A-A1A passenger train-hauling diesel locomotive built by General Motors' Electro-Motive Division of La Grange, Illinois between April 1954 and January 1964. 100 cab-equipped lead A units were produced, along with 44 cabless booster B units. All were for service within the...
diesel locomotive
Diesel locomotive
A diesel locomotive is a type of railroad locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine, a reciprocating engine operating on the Diesel cycle as invented by Dr. Rudolf Diesel...
.
Steam Locomotives
| Class | Wheel arrangement (Whyte notation Whyte notation The Whyte notation for classifying steam locomotives by wheel arrangement was devised by Frederick Methvan Whyte and came into use in the early twentieth century encouraged by an editorial in American Engineer and Railroad Journal... ) | Locomotive Numbers | Years of Daylight Service | Retired | Current Disposition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GS-2 Southern Pacific class GS-2 The GS-2 was a streamlined 4-8-4 Northern type steam locomotive that served the Southern Pacific Company from 1937 to 1956. They were built by Lima Locomotive Works and were numbered 4410 through 4415. GS stands for "Golden State" or "General Service."... |
4-8-4 | 4410–4415 | 1937–1941 | 1956 | No survivors |
| GS-3 Southern Pacific class GS-3 The GS-3 was a streamlined 4-8-4 Northern type steam locomotive that served the Southern Pacific Company from 1938 to 1957. They were built by Lima Locomotive Works and were numbered 4416 through 4429. GS stands for "Golden State" or "General Service."... |
4-8-4 | 4416–4429 | 1938–1942 | 1957 | No survivors |
| GS-4 Southern Pacific class GS-4 The GS-4 was a streamlined 4-8-4 Northern type steam locomotive that served the Southern Pacific Company from 1941 to 1958. They were built by the Lima Locomotive Works and were numbered 4430 through 4457... |
4-8-4 | 4430–4457 | 1941–1955 | 1958 | One survives; 4449 Southern Pacific 4449 Southern Pacific 4449 is the only surviving example of Southern Pacific Railroad's GS-4 class of steam locomotives. The GS-4 is a streamlined 4-8-4 type steam locomotive... |
| GS-5 Southern Pacific class GS-5 The GS-5 was a streamlined 4-8-4 Northern type steam locomotive that served the Southern Pacific Company from 1942 to 1958. Only two locomotives were built by the Lima Locomotive Works and were numbered 4458 and 4459. GS stands for "Golden State" or "General Service."The GS-5s are exactly identical... |
4-8-4 | 4458 & 4459 | 1942–1955 | 1958 | No survivors |
Diesel Locomotives
| Builder | Model | Locomotive Numbers | Years of Daylight Service | Retired | Current Disposition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ALCO American Locomotive Company The American Locomotive Company, often shortened to ALCO or Alco , was a builder of railroad locomotives in the United States.-Early history:... |
PA ALCO PA ALCO 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... |
6005–6016, 6019–6045, 6055–6068 (A units); 5910–5915, 5918–5924 (B units) |
1953–1968 | 1968 | No survivors |
| EMD | E7 EMD E7 The EMD E7 was a , A1A-A1A passenger train locomotive manufactured by General Motors' Electro-Motive Division of La Grange, Illinois. The cab version, or E7A, was manufactured from February, 1945 to April, 1949, and 428 were produced. The booster version, or E7B, was manufactured from March, 1945... |
6000–6004, 6017 (A units); 5900–5909, 5916 & 5917 (B units) |
1953–1968 | 1968 | No survivors |
| EMD | E8 EMD E8 The EMD E8 was a , A1A-A1A passenger train locomotive manufactured by General Motors' Electro-Motive Division of La Grange, Illinois. The cab version, or E8A, was manufactured from August, 1949 to December, 1953, and 449 were produced – 446 for U.S., and 3 for Canada... |
6018 | 1954–1968 | 1968 | No survivors |
| EMD | E9 EMD E9 The EMD E9 was a , A1A-A1A passenger train-hauling diesel locomotive built by General Motors' Electro-Motive Division of La Grange, Illinois between April 1954 and January 1964. 100 cab-equipped lead A units were produced, along with 44 cabless booster B units. All were for service within the... |
6046–6054 | 1954–1971 | 1971 | One survives; 6051 Southern Pacific 6051 Southern Pacific Railroad's number 6051 is an EMD E9 diesel locomotive. It was one of nine E9s built for SP by EMD in December 1954 as Construction Number 20100 on SP Order Number P-1041 and EMD Order Number 2068. It entered service on January 4, 1955 at Los Angeles. These nine locomotives allowed... |
| EMD | FP7 EMD FP7 The EMD FP7 was a , B-B dual-service passenger and freight-hauling diesel locomotive produced between June 1949 and December 1953 by General Motors' Electro-Motive Division and General Motors Diesel. Final assembly was at GM-EMD's La Grange, Illinois plant, excepting locomotives destined for... |
6446–6462 | 1953–1971; All but 6462 sold to Amtrak in 1971. | Early 1980s (with Amtrak) | No survivors |
| EMD | SDP45 EMD SDP45 The EMD SDP45 was a six-axle, C-C, diesel locomotive built by General Motors' Electro-Motive Division of La Grange, Illinois. It was fundamentally a passenger-hauling version of the SD45 on a stretched locomotive frame and with an extended, squared-off long hood at the rear, aft of the radiators,... |
3200–3209 | 1967–1971; leased by Amtrak until 1976. | Early 1990s | No survivors |
See also
- Passenger train service on the Southern Pacific Railroad