Shasta Daylight
Encyclopedia
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
. It was SP's third "Daylight" lightweight streamlined
train; it had a fast 15 hour 30 minute schedule in either direction for the 713 mile trip through some of the most beautiful and spectacular mountain scenery of any train in North America
. The Shasta Daylight replaced heavyweight trains on the same route that had required nearly a full day and night to complete the run. The Shasta Daylight was the first diesel powered
Daylight to enter service and the only Daylight to operate interstate-- all other Daylights ran within California
. The scenic route of the Shasta Daylight passed its namesake mountain in daylight hours; in fact, the Shasta Daylights ran on the very flanks of Mount Shasta
.
-B
-B sets of EMD E7
units, but within days of entering service this changed to A-B-A sets of ALCO postwar 2,000 hp
PA units. The ALCO units with the same horsepower rating were equipped with dynamic braking
, which the E7s lacked; with their larger traction motor
s the ALCO PA
s were supposed to be able to outpull the E7s without overheating.
panels seen on prewar Daylights. However, the pair of older Parlor Lounge Observation cars (built in 1941 and refurbished for service on the new Shasta Daylight) retained their stainless steel side fluting and their standard-sized windows. For visual unity throughout the train, the above-window paint stripe was continued at the high-window height across these cars.
, via Medford
, Grants Pass, and Roseburg, Oregon
. This line featured steep grades and sharp curves which proved a disadvantage to the Southern Pacific.
from the SP delayed initial construction. Not until 1927 was the new Cascade Line, via Willamette Pass
and Klamath Falls opened for use as the main route between the Bay Area and the Northwest
.
and Dunsmuir, California
, south of the junction of the Siskiyou and Cascade Lines at Black Butte
. South of Dunsmuir, the Shasta was consolidated with the Klamath
. One year later, the Shasta was combined with the Cascade between Eugene, Oregon
and Portland. Through service Oakland to Portland via the Siskiyou line would end on February 13, 1938.
but would return to service on August 4, 1946, as trains 327 and 328, a local train from Dunsmuir, California
to Grants Pass, Oregon
. The name Shasta
was retained but only until July 10, 1949, when the Shasta Daylight began service. The local train would continue as an unnamed service (although locals nicknamed it "The Scoot) until it was discontinued on February 26, 1952.
was discontinued four years later, all passenger service on the Siskiyou Line ceased to exist and connecting Greyhound bus service to cities on that line were noted in the Southern Pacific timetable.
and Seattle were served by colorful first-class transcontinental trains such as the Empire Builder
on the Great Northern Railway, the North Coast Limited
on the Northern Pacific Railway
and the City of Portland
on the Union Pacific, no other railroad could compete against the Southern Pacific who held almost a monopoly in the Portland - Bay Area market. The bright-colored streamliner seemed to blend right in with seemingly endless evergreen forests, sky blue lakes, and ruggedly handsome mountain peaks. Between terminals, the route featured few communities, the largest towns being Eugene
and Salem
with about 50,000 residents apiece. Less than 12,000 lived in Albany
and Klamath Falls, Oregon
, and Redding, California
. Dunsmuir
and Davis
only had about 5,000 people. Stops at Chemult, Oregon
and Gerber, California
had a handful of permanent residents; between were miles of barely developed landscape.
described the experience as "riding all morning in the shadowy presence of Mount Shasta
, a brooding, symmetrical cone of everlasting snow that dominates the right-of-way for hundreds of miles." But there were other highlights; Shasta Lake
, the Sacramento River
Canyon, the Klamath Basin
, and the Cascade Mountains. Beebe further noted, "At its terminals in Oakland
and Portland are the visible and tangible evidences of urban concentration and what passes for civilization, the neon lights, the meter cabs, and the hurrying traffic of commerce and manufacture. But what lies in-between them is largely wilderness where the solitary inhabitant is likely to carry a gun in the crook of his arm and have a wild-looking dog for company."
took over as President of the Southern Pacific in 1952. At first, he appeared excited with SP's fleet of modern streamliners. He had been on hand to dedicate the rebuilt dome cars when they began service. But Russell was a bottom-line man and he was well aware of the increased use and popularity of automobile
s and the growing efficiency of the airplane. More to the point was the decline of SP's passenger revenues. Russell wanted to expand his railroad, moving into pipelines
, communication
, and real estate
, but more important, offering faster, more efficient freight service. Seeing a trend, Russell told stockholders that the passenger train would one day cease to exist. "You can't make the people do what they don't want to do," he claimed.
and the San Francisco Overland saw downgrades in services. The Shasta Daylight would be an early of victim of Russell's philosophy.
, were now airbrushed to black and red.
Meanwhile, SP officials, claiming a decline in ridership during the winter months, asked the Interstate Commerce Commission
(ICC) to allow a change in operation, running the Shasta Daylight tri-weekly between September 15 and December 14 and again from January 15 to May 28. The train would continue to run daily during summer and the Christmas holiday season.
As the train rolled into the 1960s, Daylight cars were pulled from the consist and repainted in the aluminum stripe with red letterboard format used on the Sunset Limited
. During this time the train was a combination of the two color schemes plus the gray SP baggage car. The PA's were replaced with FP7 units
. What could have been an opportunity for the train, the 1962 Seattle World's Fair, saw little promotion. In 1964, SP went back to the ICC
and asked to discontinue the train during the winter off-season.
.
The U.S. Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) ruling, noting the train was to operate for 1966 was to prove to be a loophole when SP announced the Shasta Daylight would not operate in the summer of 1967. The Oregon PUC
protested but the remains of the Shasta Daylight now ceased operations. Russell's handpicked successor, Benjamin F. Biaggini claimed "...the cold fact looms that the long-distance passenger train is dead and no amount of prayer or wishful thinking can bring it back to life." Labor Day 1966 saw the final runs of SP's former "sweetheart."
Chair cars from the Shasta Daylight had already been transferred to the Cascade, which after this time became the sole passenger service on the Shasta Route. But it too had already been downgraded from an all-Pullman service with a triple-unit diner and would itself become a tri-weekly train in 1970. That it was able to survive up to the creation of Amtrak
proved a savior to west coast
rail passenger service although Mount Shasta
is passed in the dark of night.
for its 1949 inauguration, survives today. It is owned by the Northwest Rail Museum, a preservation group in the Portland, Oregon
area, and sees occasional excursion service behind the city of Portland's two operational steam locomotives, former Southern Pacific GS-4 "Daylight" 4-8-4
#4449, and former Spokane, Portland & Seattle 4-8-4
#700. The car is still painted in the colorful "Daylight" paint scheme.
Dome-Lounge cars #3605 and #3606, converted from existing single-level cars in 1955 for the train, also survive. #3605 is owned by the Royal Gorge Route Railway in Colorado, where it is in storage awaiting restoration. #3606 is privately owned as part of a collection of former railroad cars in Rocklin, Calif.
is a reminder of what the Shasta Daylight once offered.
Train
A train is a connected series of vehicles for rail transport that move along a track to transport cargo or passengers from one place to another place. The track usually consists of two rails, but might also be a monorail or maglev guideway.Propulsion for the train is provided by a separate...
operated by the Southern Pacific Railroad, inaugurated on July 10, 1949 between Oakland Pier
Oakland Long Wharf
The Oakland Long Wharf, later known as the Oakland Pier or the SP Mole was a massive railroad wharf and ferry pier in Oakland, California. It was located at the foot of Seventh Street....
in Oakland, California
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, Oregon
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...
. It was SP's third "Daylight" lightweight streamlined
Streamliner
A streamliner is a vehicle incorporating streamlining in a shape providing reduced air resistance. The term is applied to high-speed railway trainsets of the 1930s to 1950s, and to their successor "bullet trains". Less commonly, the term is applied to fully faired recumbent bicycles...
train; it had a fast 15 hour 30 minute schedule in either direction for the 713 mile trip through some of the most beautiful and spectacular mountain scenery of any train in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. The Shasta Daylight replaced heavyweight trains on the same route that had required nearly a full day and night to complete the run. The Shasta Daylight was the first diesel powered
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...
Daylight to enter service and the only Daylight to operate interstate-- all other Daylights ran within 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...
. The scenic route of the Shasta Daylight passed its namesake mountain in daylight hours; in fact, the Shasta Daylights ran on the very flanks of Mount Shasta
Mount Shasta
Mount Shasta is located at the southern end of the Cascade Range in Siskiyou County, California and at is the second highest peak in the Cascades and the fifth highest in California...
.
Locomotives
Initially, the Shasta Daylights were assigned AA unit
An A unit, in railroad terminology, is a locomotive equipped with a driving cab, or crew compartment, and the control system to control other locomotives in a multiple unit, and therefore able to be the lead unit in a consist of several locomotives controlled from a single position...
-B
B unit
A "B" unit, in railroad terminology, is a locomotive unit which does not have a driving cab, or crew compartment, and must therefore be controlled from another, coupled locomotive with a driving cab . The term booster unit is also used. The concept was largely confined to North America...
-B sets of 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...
units, but within days of entering service this changed to A-B-A sets of ALCO postwar 2,000 hp
Horsepower
Horsepower is the name of several units of measurement of power. The most common definitions equal between 735.5 and 750 watts.Horsepower was originally defined to compare the output of steam engines with the power of draft horses in continuous operation. The unit was widely adopted to measure the...
PA units. The ALCO units with the same horsepower rating were equipped with dynamic braking
Dynamic braking
Dynamic braking is the use of the electric traction motors of a railroad vehicle as generators when slowing the Locomotive. It is termed rheostatic if the generated electrical power is dissipated as heat in brake grid resistors, and regenerative if the power is returned to the supply line...
, which the E7s lacked; with their larger traction motor
Traction motor
Traction motor refers to an electric motor providing the primary rotational torque of a machine, usually for conversion into linear motion ....
s the ALCO 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...
s were supposed to be able to outpull the E7s without overheating.
Passenger cars
Compared to earlier Daylights, all coaches, diners and tavern cars had larger picture windows for viewing the spectacular scenery. The cars did not have the fluted stainless steelStainless steel
In metallurgy, stainless steel, also known as inox steel or inox from French "inoxydable", is defined as a steel alloy with a minimum of 10.5 or 11% chromium content by mass....
panels seen on prewar Daylights. However, the pair of older Parlor Lounge Observation cars (built in 1941 and refurbished for service on the new Shasta Daylight) retained their stainless steel side fluting and their standard-sized windows. For visual unity throughout the train, the above-window paint stripe was continued at the high-window height across these cars.
Equipment used
First consist
- 6003A EMD E7A 2,000 HP Diesel Passenger Cab UnitCab unitA cab unit and a carbody unit are body styles of locomotives in railroad terminology. While closely related, they are not exactly the same....
- 6003B EMD E7B 2,000 HP Diesel Passenger Booster UnitB unitA "B" unit, in railroad terminology, is a locomotive unit which does not have a driving cab, or crew compartment, and must therefore be controlled from another, coupled locomotive with a driving cab . The term booster unit is also used. The concept was largely confined to North America...
- 6003C EMD E7B 2,000 HP Diesel Passenger Booster Unit
- 5000 Baggage 30’ 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 - 2381 46 Revenue seat Coach with News Agents Stand
- 2382 48 Revenue seat Coach
- 2383 48 Revenue seat Coach
- 2384 48 Revenue seat Coach
- 2385 38 Revenue seat Coach with Crew Day Room
- 10262 Articulated 66 seat Coffee Shop Unit
- 10263 Articulated Kitchen Unit
- 10264 Articulated 66 seat Dining Room Unit
- 2386 48 Revenue seat Coach
- 2387 48 Revenue seat Coach
- 2388 48 Revenue seat Coach
- 10316 68 seat Tavern Lounge CarLounge carA lounge car is a type of passenger car on a train, where riders can purchase food and drinks. The car may feature large windows and comfortable seating to create a relaxing diversion from standard coach or dining options...
- 2389 48 Revenue seat Coach
- 2954 22 Revenue seat Parlor Lounge Observation
Second consist
- 6004A EMD E7A 2,000 HP Diesel Passenger Cab Unit
- 6004B EMD E7B 2,000 HP Diesel Passenger Booster Unit
- 6004C EMD E7B 2,000 HP Diesel Passenger Booster Unit
- 5001 Baggage 30’ Railway Post Office Car
- 2390 46 Revenue seat Coach with News Agents Stand
- 2391 48 Revenue seat Coach
- 2392 48 Revenue seat Coach
- 2393 48 Revenue seat Coach
- 2394 38 Revenue seat Coach with Crew Day Room
- 10265 Articulated 66 seat Coffee Shop Car
- 10266 Articulated Kitchen Unit
- 10267 Articulated 66 seat Dining Room Unit
- 2395 48 Revenue seat Coach
- 2396 48 Revenue seat Coach
- 2397 48 Revenue seat Coach
- 10317 68 seat Tavern Lounge Car
- 2398 48 Revenue seat Coach
- 2955 22 Revenue seat Parlor Lounge Observation
Shasta Limited
The Shasta Daylight was an upgraded replacement for the famed Shasta Limited that had traversed the Shasta Route in various forms since October 21, 1895. The first Shasta followed the original routing through 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...
, via Medford
Medford, Oregon
Medford is a city in Jackson County, Oregon, United States. As of the 2010 US Census, the city had a total population of 74,907 and a metropolitan area population of 207,010, making the Medford MSA the 4th largest metro area in Oregon...
, Grants Pass, and Roseburg, Oregon
Roseburg, Oregon
Roseburg is a city in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is the county seat of Douglas County. The population was 21,181 at the 2010 census.-History:...
. This line featured steep grades and sharp curves which proved a disadvantage to the Southern Pacific.
Shasta route upgrade
It was during the railroad's management by Edward H. Harriman that plans to upgrade the Shasta Route were unveiled. But his subsequent death and the government's attempt to break up Southern Pacific's merger with Harriman's Union Pacific, followed by an attempt to subtract the Central PacificCentral Pacific Railroad
The Central Pacific Railroad is the former name of the railroad network built between California and Utah, USA that formed part of the "First Transcontinental Railroad" in North America. It is now part of the Union Pacific Railroad. Many 19th century national proposals to build a transcontinental...
from the SP delayed initial construction. Not until 1927 was the new Cascade Line, via Willamette Pass
Willamette Pass
Willamette Pass is a mountain pass crossing the crest of the Cascade Range in the U.S. state of Oregon. The pass is traversed by Oregon Route 58. The Willamette Pass Resort ski area is located at the pass....
and Klamath Falls opened for use as the main route between the Bay Area and the Northwest
Northwestern United States
The Northwestern United States comprise the northwestern states up to the western Great Plains regions of the United States, and consistently include the states of Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, to which part of southeast Alaska is also sometimes included...
.
Shasta from 1931
The original Shasta never operated on the new line. Starting in 1931, the train ran as its own only between Portland, OregonPortland, 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 Dunsmuir, California
Dunsmuir, California
Dunsmuir is a city in Siskiyou County, California, United States. The population was 1,650 at the 2010 census, down from 1,923 at the 2000 census. It is currently a hub of tourism in Northern California as visitors enjoy fishing, skiing, climbing, or sight-seeing...
, south of the junction of the Siskiyou and Cascade Lines at Black Butte
Black Butte
Black Butte can refer to:*Black Butte, California, a community in Siskiyou County, California*Mountains:**Black Butte , a volcano in California, United States...
. South of Dunsmuir, the Shasta was consolidated with the Klamath
Klamath
]The Klamath are a Native American tribe of the Plateau culture area in Southern Oregon.-Pre-contact:Prior to the arrival of European explorers, the Klamath people lived in the area around the Upper Klamath Lake and the Klamath, Williamson, and Sprague rivers...
. One year later, the Shasta was combined with the Cascade between Eugene, Oregon
Eugene, Oregon
Eugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Lane County. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.As of the 2010 U.S...
and Portland. Through service Oakland to Portland via the Siskiyou line would end on February 13, 1938.
Shasta from 1946
The train would suspend operations during World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
but would return to service on August 4, 1946, as trains 327 and 328, a local train from Dunsmuir, California
Dunsmuir, California
Dunsmuir is a city in Siskiyou County, California, United States. The population was 1,650 at the 2010 census, down from 1,923 at the 2000 census. It is currently a hub of tourism in Northern California as visitors enjoy fishing, skiing, climbing, or sight-seeing...
to Grants Pass, Oregon
Grants Pass, Oregon
-Rogue River:The Rogue River runs through Grants Pass.-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 23,003 people, 9,376 households, and 5,925 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 9,885 housing units at an average density of 1,303.3 per square mile . By 2008,...
. The name Shasta
Shasta
Shasta can be a reference to a Native American tribe, and also various locations in Northern California. The term is applied to numerous natural features in the same general vicinity, and many other items associated with the area...
was retained but only until July 10, 1949, when the Shasta Daylight began service. The local train would continue as an unnamed service (although locals nicknamed it "The Scoot) until it was discontinued on February 26, 1952.
Greyhound bus service
After the Rogue RiverRogue River
Rogue River may refer to:* "Rogue River" , an episode of Jericho and the eponymous place* Rogue River , a river in Michigan, USA* Rogue River , a river in Oregon, USA* Rogue River, Oregon, a city in Oregon, USA...
was discontinued four years later, all passenger service on the Siskiyou Line ceased to exist and connecting Greyhound bus service to cities on that line were noted in the Southern Pacific timetable.
Advertising
In 1953, Southern Pacific advertised the Shasta Daylight as the "Sweetheart of the Northwest." While PortlandPortland, 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 were served by colorful first-class transcontinental trains such as the Empire Builder
Empire Builder
The Empire Builder is a passenger train route operated by Amtrak in the Midwestern and Northwestern United States. It is Amtrak's busiest long-distance route and busiest daily train, carrying more than 500,000 travelers annually since 2007. Overall, it is the railroad's 10th-busiest line. Before...
on the Great Northern Railway, the North Coast Limited
North Coast Limited
The North Coast Limited was a named passenger train operated by the Northern Pacific Railway between Chicago and Seattle via Bismarck, North Dakota...
on 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...
and the City of Portland
City of Portland
The City of Portland was a named passenger train operated by the Union Pacific Railroad and Chicago and North Western Railway between Chicago, Illinois, and Portland, Oregon. It started in June 1935, using the refurbished M-10001 streamliner trainset; with only one set of equipment the train left...
on the Union Pacific, no other railroad could compete against the Southern Pacific who held almost a monopoly in the Portland - Bay Area market. The bright-colored streamliner seemed to blend right in with seemingly endless evergreen forests, sky blue lakes, and ruggedly handsome mountain peaks. Between terminals, the route featured few communities, the largest towns being Eugene
Eugene, Oregon
Eugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Lane County. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.As of the 2010 U.S...
and Salem
Salem, Oregon
Salem is the capital of the U.S. state of Oregon, and the county seat of Marion County. It is located in the center of the Willamette Valley alongside the Willamette River, which runs north through the city. The river forms the boundary between Marion and Polk counties, and the city neighborhood...
with about 50,000 residents apiece. Less than 12,000 lived in Albany
Albany, Oregon
Albany is the eleventh largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon, and is the county seat of Linn County. It is located in the Willamette Valley at the confluence of the Calapooia River and the Willamette River in both Linn and Benton counties, just east of Corvallis and south of Salem. It is...
and Klamath Falls, Oregon
Klamath Falls, Oregon
Klamath Falls is a city in Klamath County, Oregon, United States. Originally called Linkville when George Nurse founded the town in 1867, after the Link River on whose falls this city sat, although no falls currently exist; the name was changed to Klamath Falls in 1892...
, and Redding, California
Redding, California
Redding is a city in far-Northern California. It is the county seat of Shasta County, California, USA. With a population of 89,861, according to the 2010 Census...
. Dunsmuir
Dunsmuir, California
Dunsmuir is a city in Siskiyou County, California, United States. The population was 1,650 at the 2010 census, down from 1,923 at the 2000 census. It is currently a hub of tourism in Northern California as visitors enjoy fishing, skiing, climbing, or sight-seeing...
and Davis
Davis, California
Davis is a city in Yolo County, California, United States. It is part of the Sacramento–Arden-Arcade–Roseville Metropolitan Statistical Area...
only had about 5,000 people. Stops at Chemult, Oregon
Chemult, Oregon
Chemult is an unincorporated community in Klamath County, Oregon, United States, on U.S. Route 97. Chemult has a population of about 300 people. Chemult's elevation is ....
and Gerber, California
Gerber, California
Gerber is a census-designated place in Tehama County, California. Gerber sits at an elevation of . The 2010 United States census reported Gerber's population was 1,060.-Geography:...
had a handful of permanent residents; between were miles of barely developed landscape.
Descriptive writing
Legendary writer and trainfan Lucius BeebeLucius Beebe
Lucius Morris Beebe was an American author, gourmand, photographer, railroad historian, journalist, and syndicated columnist.-Early life and education:...
described the experience as "riding all morning in the shadowy presence of Mount Shasta
Mount Shasta
Mount Shasta is located at the southern end of the Cascade Range in Siskiyou County, California and at is the second highest peak in the Cascades and the fifth highest in California...
, a brooding, symmetrical cone of everlasting snow that dominates the right-of-way for hundreds of miles." But there were other highlights; Shasta Lake
Shasta Lake
Shasta Lake, also called Lake Shasta, is an artificial lake created by the construction of Shasta Dam across the Sacramento River in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest of Shasta County, California...
, the Sacramento River
Sacramento River
The Sacramento River is an important watercourse of Northern and Central California in the United States. The largest river in California, it rises on the eastern slopes of the Klamath Mountains, and after a journey south of over , empties into Suisun Bay, an arm of the San Francisco Bay, and...
Canyon, the Klamath Basin
Klamath Basin
The Klamath Basin is the region in the U.S. states of Oregon and California drained by the Klamath River. It contains most of Klamath County and parts of Lake and Jackson counties in Oregon, and parts of Del Norte, Humboldt, Modoc, Siskiyou, and Trinity counties in California. The drainage basin...
, and the Cascade Mountains. Beebe further noted, "At its terminals in 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 are the visible and tangible evidences of urban concentration and what passes for civilization, the neon lights, the meter cabs, and the hurrying traffic of commerce and manufacture. But what lies in-between them is largely wilderness where the solitary inhabitant is likely to carry a gun in the crook of his arm and have a wild-looking dog for company."
Dome cars
Southern Pacific began rebuilding prewar cars into unique dome cars which featured both high-level seating and low-level lounge with high skylight, marketed with the romantic motto "Stairway to the Stars." Trains Magazine editor David P. Morgan believed these domes were the best in operation on any American railroad. The cars were painted in the Daylight color scheme.Decline
Donald J. RussellDonald J. Russell
Donald Joseph McKay Russell was an American railroad executive. He was president of Southern Pacific Railroad from 1952–1964 and then chairman from 1964–1972. Mr. Russell was featured on the cover of TIME Magazine 11 August 1961 and Forbes Magazine 1 November 1965.Mr...
took over as President of the Southern Pacific in 1952. At first, he appeared excited with SP's fleet of modern streamliners. He had been on hand to dedicate the rebuilt dome cars when they began service. But Russell was a bottom-line man and he was well aware of the increased use and popularity of automobile
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
s and the growing efficiency of the airplane. More to the point was the decline of SP's passenger revenues. Russell wanted to expand his railroad, moving into pipelines
Pipeline transport
Pipeline transport is the transportation of goods through a pipe. Most commonly, liquids and gases are sent, but pneumatic tubes that transport solid capsules using compressed air are also used....
, communication
Communication
Communication is the activity of conveying meaningful information. Communication requires a sender, a message, and an intended recipient, although the receiver need not be present or aware of the sender's intent to communicate at the time of communication; thus communication can occur across vast...
, and real estate
Real estate
In general use, esp. North American, 'real estate' is taken to mean "Property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals, or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this; an item of real property; buildings or...
, but more important, offering faster, more efficient freight service. Seeing a trend, Russell told stockholders that the passenger train would one day cease to exist. "You can't make the people do what they don't want to do," he claimed.
Controversy
Critics assailed his outgoing negativity and pessimism, claiming that Russell intentionally downgraded Southern Pacific passenger services to upgrade other services on his line. Trains such as the LarkLark (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 the San Francisco Overland saw downgrades in services. The Shasta Daylight would be an early of victim of Russell's philosophy.
New color scheme
In 1959, the Southern Pacific debuted a new color scheme for their diesel locomotives, a black color with a red nose. It became known to fans as the "bloody nose" scheme. Shasta Daylight promotions, previously showing a Daylight-colored set of PA unitsALCO 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...
, were now airbrushed to black and red.
Meanwhile, SP officials, claiming a decline in ridership during the winter months, asked the Interstate Commerce Commission
Interstate Commerce Commission
The Interstate Commerce Commission was a regulatory body in the United States created by the Interstate Commerce Act of 1887. The agency's original purpose was to regulate railroads to ensure fair rates, to eliminate rate discrimination, and to regulate other aspects of common carriers, including...
(ICC) to allow a change in operation, running the Shasta Daylight tri-weekly between September 15 and December 14 and again from January 15 to May 28. The train would continue to run daily during summer and the Christmas holiday season.
As the train rolled into the 1960s, Daylight cars were pulled from the consist and repainted in the aluminum stripe with red letterboard format used on the Sunset Limited
Sunset 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...
. During this time the train was a combination of the two color schemes plus the gray SP baggage car. The PA's were replaced with FP7 units
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...
. What could have been an opportunity for the train, the 1962 Seattle World's Fair, saw little promotion. In 1964, SP went back to the ICC
ICC
-Political:* International Control Commission, which oversaw the 1954 Geneva Accords ending the First Indochina War* International Communist Current, a communist organization* Interstate Commerce Commission, a now defunct US Government regulatory body...
and asked to discontinue the train during the winter off-season.
Service withdrawn
The summer of 1965 saw the Shasta Daylight operating as only a six-to-seven car train, but going out with as few as five. The Daylight color scheme was now history. A normal consist included two FP7 locomotives in red and dark gray, a dark gray baggage car, a streamlined coach, a dome lounge, a coffee shop car, one or two additional coaches (sometimes an articulated pair), and a coach-observation. Southern Pacific asked for permission to not operate the train in 1966 but, after hearings along the line, were ordered to provide service for that summer. The train would operate sans its coach-observation, which went to the San Joaquin DaylightSan 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...
.
The U.S. Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) ruling, noting the train was to operate for 1966 was to prove to be a loophole when SP announced the Shasta Daylight would not operate in the summer of 1967. The Oregon PUC
Oregon Public Utility Commission
The Oregon Public Utility Commission is the chief electric, gas and telephone utility regulatory agency of the government of the U.S. state of Oregon. It sets rates and establishes rules of operation for the state's investor-owned utility companies...
protested but the remains of the Shasta Daylight now ceased operations. Russell's handpicked successor, Benjamin F. Biaggini claimed "...the cold fact looms that the long-distance passenger train is dead and no amount of prayer or wishful thinking can bring it back to life." Labor Day 1966 saw the final runs of SP's former "sweetheart."
Chair cars from the Shasta Daylight had already been transferred to the Cascade, which after this time became the sole passenger service on the Shasta Route. But it too had already been downgraded from an all-Pullman service with a triple-unit diner and would itself become a tri-weekly train in 1970. That it was able to survive up to the creation of 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...
proved a savior to west coast
West Coast of the United States
West Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...
rail passenger service although Mount Shasta
Mount Shasta
Mount Shasta is located at the southern end of the Cascade Range in Siskiyou County, California and at is the second highest peak in the Cascades and the fifth highest in California...
is passed in the dark of night.
Surviving Equipment
Parlor-Lounge-Observation car #2955, one of the two 1941-built cars assigned to the Shasta DaylightShasta 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...
for its 1949 inauguration, survives today. It is owned by the Northwest Rail Museum, a preservation group in the Portland, Oregon
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...
area, and sees occasional excursion service behind the city of Portland's two operational steam locomotives, former Southern Pacific GS-4 "Daylight" 4-8-4
4-8-4
Under the Whyte notation classification of steam locomotives, 4-8-4 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles , eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles, and four trailing wheels on two axles .Other equivalent classifications are:UIC classification: 2D2...
#4449, and former Spokane, Portland & Seattle 4-8-4
4-8-4
Under the Whyte notation classification of steam locomotives, 4-8-4 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles , eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles, and four trailing wheels on two axles .Other equivalent classifications are:UIC classification: 2D2...
#700. The car is still painted in the colorful "Daylight" paint scheme.
Dome-Lounge cars #3605 and #3606, converted from existing single-level cars in 1955 for the train, also survive. #3605 is owned by the Royal Gorge Route Railway in Colorado, where it is in storage awaiting restoration. #3606 is privately owned as part of a collection of former railroad cars in Rocklin, Calif.
Coast Starlight
Today's Coast StarlightCoast 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...
is a reminder of what the Shasta Daylight once offered.