Southern Pacific Railroad
Encyclopedia
The Southern Pacific Transportation Company , earlier Southern Pacific Railroad and Southern Pacific Company, and usually simply called the Southern Pacific or (from the railroad's initials) Espee, was an American
railroad.
The railroad was founded as a land holding company in 1865, later acquiring the Central Pacific Railroad
by lease. By 1900, the Southern Pacific Company had grown into a major railroad system which incorporated many smaller companies, such as the Texas and New Orleans Railroad
and Morgan's Louisiana and Texas Railroad, and which extended from New Orleans through Texas to El Paso, across New Mexico and through Tucson
, to Los Angeles
, throughout most of California including San Francisco and Sacramento
; it also included the Central Pacific Railroad extending eastward across Nevada
to Ogden, Utah
and had lines reaching north throughout and across Oregon
to Portland
.
The Southern Pacific had noticeable social impact along its route: some towns prospered because of it and it founded a number of important hospitals in, among other places, San Francisco and Tucson. Southern Pacific's total route mileage has varied significantly over the years. In 1929, the system showed 13848 miles (22,286.1 km) (on its own); before the D&RGW merger Southern Pacific's mileage had dropped to 10423 miles (16,774.2 km), mainly due to the pruning of branches. But by combining the mileage of subsidiary, St. Louis Southwestern Railway
(Cotton Belt), SP system mileage totaled around 13508 miles (21,739 km). This was because the Cotton Belt had almost doubled in size to 3085 miles (4,964.8 km) with the purchase of the Golden State Route.
The takeover of Southern Pacific by Rio Grande Industries
, along with the addition of the SPCSL Corporation route from Chicago to St. Louis, swelled the combined D&RGW/SP/SSW system to 15959 miles (25,683.5 km). By the time of the merger with the Union Pacific Railroad
, SP's mileage had once again dropped, with the entire SP system comprising 13715 miles (22,072.1 km). While the Cotton Belt is the most famous of Southern Pacific's subsidiaries, SP owned many others like the Northwestern Pacific Railroad
at 328 miles (527.9 km), the 1331 miles (2,142 km) Southern Pacific Railroad of Mexico, and a variety of narrow gauge
routes.
On August 9, 1988, the Interstate Commerce Commission
approved the purchase of the Southern Pacific by Rio Grande Industries
, the company that controlled the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad
. The Rio Grande officially took control of the Southern Pacific on October 13, 1988. After the purchase, the combined railroad kept the Southern Pacific name due to its brand recognition in the railroad industry and with customers of both constituent railroads. The Southern Pacific subsequently was taken over by the Union Pacific Railroad
in 1996 following years of financial problems. The railroad is also noteworthy for being the defendant in the landmark 1886 United States Supreme Court case Santa Clara County v. Southern Pacific Railroad
which is often interpreted as having established certain corporate rights
under the Constitution of the United States
.
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fleet black during the 20th century, but after the 1930s the SP had a policy of painting the front of the locomotive's smokebox
light silver (almost white in appearance), with graphite colored sides, for visibility.
As locomotives are being restored, some Pacific type 4-6-2 locomotive boilers are showing signs of having been painted dark green. The soft cover book "Steam Glory 2" by Kalmbach Publications (2007) has an article "Southern Pacific's Painted Ladies" which shows color photos from the 1940s and 1950s revealing that a number of SP 0-6-0 yard engines, usually assigned to passenger terminals were painted in various combinations with red cab roof and cab doors, pale silver smokeboxes and smokebox fronts, dark green boilers, multi colored SP heralds on black cab, green cylinder covers and other details pointed out in color. It is possible that some of the other SP steam passenger locomotives were also painted in these colors or at least had dark green boilers. The article indicates that these paint jobs lasted quite a while and were not special paint for a single event.
Some express passenger steam locomotives bore the Daylight scheme, named after the trains they hauled, most of which had the word Daylight in the train name. This scheme, carried in full on the tender, consisted of a bright, almost vermilion red on the top and bottom thirds, with the center third being a bright orange. The parts were separated with thin white bands. Some of the color continued along the locomotive. The most famous "Daylight" locomotives were the GS-4
steam locomotives. The most famous Daylight-hauled trains were the Coast Daylight and the Sunset Limited.
Well known were the Southern Pacific's unique "cab-forward
" steam locomotives. These were essentially 2-8-8-4
locomotives set up to run in reverse, with the tender
attached to the smokebox end of the locomotive. Southern Pacific used a number of snow shed
s in mountain terrain, and locomotive crews nearly asphyxiated from smoke blowing back to the cab. After a number of engineers began running their engines in reverse (pushing the tender), Southern Pacific asked Baldwin Locomotive Works
to produce cab-forward designs. No other North American railroad ordered cab-forward locomotives, which became a distinctive symbol of the Southern Pacific.
During the early days of diesel locomotive
use, they were also painted black. Yard switcher
s had diagonal orange stripes painted on the ends for visibility, earning this scheme the nickname of Tiger Stripe
. Road freight units were generally painted in a black scheme with a red band at the bottom of the carbody and a silver and orange "winged" nose. The words "SOUTHERN PACIFIC" were borne in a large serif font in white. This paint scheme is called the Black Widow scheme by railfans. A transitory scheme, of all-over black with orange "winged" nose, was called the Halloween scheme. Few locomotives were painted in this scheme and few photos of it exist.
Most passenger units were painted originally in the Daylight scheme as described above, though some were painted red on top, silver below for use on the Golden State (operated in cooperation with the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad
) between Chicago and Los Angeles. Also, silver cars with a narrow red band at the top were used for the Sunset Limited
and other trains into Texas. In 1959 SP standardized on a paint scheme of black with a red "winged" nose; this scheme was dubbed Bloody Nose by railfans. Lettering was again in white. During the failed Southern Pacific Santa Fe Railroad
merger in the mid 1980s, the "Kodachrome" paint scheme (named for the colors of the Kodak
boxes that the film
came in) was applied to many Southern Pacific locomotives. When the Southern Pacific Santa Fe merger was denied by the Interstate Commerce Commission
, the Kodachrome units were not immediately repainted, some even lasting up to the Southern Pacific's end as an independent company. The Interstate Commerce Commission
's decision left Southern Pacific in a decrepit state, the locomotives were not repainted immediately, although some were repainted into the Bloody Nose scheme as they were overhauled after months to years of deferred maintenance. After the 1988 purchase of Southern Pacific by Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad
owner Philip Anschutz, the side lettering on repainted locomotives was changed from SP's serif font to the Rio Grande's "speed lettering" style. The Rio Grande did not retain its identity, as Anschutz felt the Southern Pacific name was the more dominant and recognizable.
Southern Pacific road switcher diesels were well-known by railfan
s for several distinct features beyond their paint schemes. The units often featured elaborate lighting clusters, both front and rear, which featured a large red Mars Light
for emergency signaling, and often two sets of twin sealed-beam headlamps, one on top of the cab between the number boards, and the other below the Mars Light on the locomotive's nose. The Southern Pacific, starting in the 1970s, employed cab air conditioning on all new locomotives, and the air conditioning unit on top of the locomotive cab is quite visible. Southern Pacific also placed very large snowplows on the pilots of their road switchers, primarily for the heavy winter snowfall encountered on the Donner Pass
route. Many Southern Pacific road switchers used a Nathan-AirChime model M3 or M5 air horn
, which formed chords which were distinct to Southern Pacific locomotives in the western states
.
The Southern Pacific, and its subsidiary Cotton Belt
, were the only operators of the EMD SD45T-2
"Tunnel Motor" locomotive. This locomotive was necessary because the standard configuration EMD SD45
could not get a sufficient amount of cool air into the diesel locomotive's radiator while working Southern Pacific's extensive snow shed and tunnel system in the Cascades and Donner Pass
. These "Tunnel Motors" were essentially EMD SD45-2's with radiator air intakes located at the locomotive carbody's walkway level, rather than EMD's typical radiator setup with fans on the locomotive's long hood roof pulling air through radiators mounted at the top/side of the locomotive's body. Inside tunnels and snow sheds, the hot exhaust gases from lead units would accumulate near the top of the tunnel or snow shed, and be drawn into the radiators of trailing EMD (non-tunnel motor) locomotives, leading these locomotives to shut down as their diesel prime mover overheated. The Southern Pacific also operated EMD SD40T-2
s, as did the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad
.
Unlike many other railroads, whose locomotive numberboards bore the locomotive's number, SP used them for the train number until 1967, when they adopted the other railroads' "standard," except for the SP's San Francisco-San Jose commute trains, which maintained the display of train numbers for the convenience of passengers awaiting their trains. The other major railroad which used locomotive numberboards for train numbers into the late 1960s was SP's transcontinental partner, Union Pacific.
Toward the end of the railroad's corporate life, Southern Pacific locomotives were known for being very dirty. Some railfan
s jokingly observed that the railroad's heavily used locomotives were only washed when it rained.
Union Pacific recently unveiled UP 1996
, the sixth and final of its Heritage Series EMD SD70ACe locomotives. Its paint scheme appears to be based on the Daylight and Black Widow schemes.
took over long-distance passenger operations in the United States
), the Southern Pacific at various times operated the following named passenger trains
. Trains with names in italicized bold text still operate under the Amtrak name:
Locomotives Used for Passenger Service
Steam Locomotives
Diesel Locomotives
, and many older and special locomotives have been donated to parks and museums, or continue operating on scenic or tourist railroads. Most of the engines now in use with Union Pacific have been "patched," where the SP logo on the front is replaced by a Union Pacific shield, and new numbers are applied over the old numbers with a Union Pacific sticker, however some engines remain in Southern Pacific "bloody nose" paint. Among the more notable equipment is:
For a complete list, see: List of preserved Southern Pacific Railroad rolling stock.
The Central Pacific Railroad (and later the Southern Pacific) maintained and operated a fleet of ferry boats
that connected Oakland with San Francisco by water. For this purpose, a massive pier, the Oakland Long Wharf
, was built out into San Francisco Bay in the 1870s which served both local and mainline passengers. Early on, the Central Pacific gained control of the existing ferry lines for the purpose of linking the northern rail lines with those from the south and east; during the late 1860s the company purchased nearly every bayside plot in Oakland, creating what author and historian Oscar Lewis
described as a "wall around the waterfront" that put the town’s fate squarely in the hands of the corporation. Competitors for ferry passengers or dock space were ruthlessly run out of business, and not even stage coach lines could escape the group's notice, or wrath.
By 1930, the Southern Pacific owned the world's largest ferry fleet (which was subsidized by other railroad activities), carrying 40 million passengers and 60 million vehicles annually aboard 43 vessels. However, the opening of the San Francisco – Oakland Bay Bridge in 1936 initiated the slow decline in demand for ferry service, and by 1951 only 6 ships remained active. SP ferry service was discontinued altogether in 1958.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
railroad.
The railroad was founded as a land holding company in 1865, later acquiring the Central Pacific Railroad
Central 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...
by lease. By 1900, the Southern Pacific Company had grown into a major railroad system which incorporated many smaller companies, such as the Texas and New Orleans Railroad
Texas and New Orleans Railroad
The Texas and New Orleans Railroad is a former railroad in Texas and Louisiana. At one point the company was the largest railroad in Texas, with of trackage in 1934, but by 1961 there were only remaining when it was merged with parent company Southern Pacific....
and Morgan's Louisiana and Texas Railroad, and which extended from New Orleans through Texas to El Paso, across New Mexico and through Tucson
Tucson, Arizona
Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200...
, to 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...
, throughout most of California including San Francisco and Sacramento
Sacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
; it also included the Central Pacific Railroad extending eastward across Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
to Ogden, Utah
Ogden, Utah
Ogden is a city in Weber County, Utah, United States. Ogden serves as the county seat of Weber County. The population was 82,825 according to the 2010 Census. The city served as a major railway hub through much of its history, and still handles a great deal of freight rail traffic which makes it a...
and had lines reaching north throughout and across Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
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...
.
The Southern Pacific had noticeable social impact along its route: some towns prospered because of it and it founded a number of important hospitals in, among other places, San Francisco and Tucson. Southern Pacific's total route mileage has varied significantly over the years. In 1929, the system showed 13848 miles (22,286.1 km) (on its own); before the D&RGW merger Southern Pacific's mileage had dropped to 10423 miles (16,774.2 km), mainly due to the pruning of branches. But by combining the mileage of subsidiary, St. Louis Southwestern Railway
St. Louis Southwestern Railway
The St. Louis Southwestern Railway , known by its nickname of "The Cotton Belt Route" or simply Cotton Belt, was organized on January 15, 1891, although it had its origins in a series of short lines founded in Tyler, Texas, in 1870 that connected northeastern Texas to Arkansas and southeastern...
(Cotton Belt), SP system mileage totaled around 13508 miles (21,739 km). This was because the Cotton Belt had almost doubled in size to 3085 miles (4,964.8 km) with the purchase of the Golden State Route.
The takeover of Southern Pacific by Rio Grande Industries
Rio Grande Industries
Rio Grande Industries was the diversified parent company, headquartered in Denver, of the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad. Formed in 1968, its non-railroad operations included construction, real estate, and energy units...
, along with the addition of the SPCSL Corporation route from Chicago to St. Louis, swelled the combined D&RGW/SP/SSW system to 15959 miles (25,683.5 km). By the time of the merger with 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....
, SP's mileage had once again dropped, with the entire SP system comprising 13715 miles (22,072.1 km). While the Cotton Belt is the most famous of Southern Pacific's subsidiaries, SP owned many others like the Northwestern Pacific Railroad
Northwestern Pacific Railroad
The Northwestern Pacific Railroad is a regional railroad serving California's North Coast. The railroad currently runs on 62 miles of the 462 mile main line, stretching from Schellville, California to Eureka, California...
at 328 miles (527.9 km), the 1331 miles (2,142 km) Southern Pacific Railroad of Mexico, and a variety of narrow gauge
Narrow gauge
A narrow gauge railway is a railway that has a track gauge narrower than the of standard gauge railways. Most existing narrow gauge railways have gauges of between and .- Overview :...
routes.
On August 9, 1988, 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...
approved the purchase of the Southern Pacific by Rio Grande Industries
Rio Grande Industries
Rio Grande Industries was the diversified parent company, headquartered in Denver, of the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad. Formed in 1968, its non-railroad operations included construction, real estate, and energy units...
, the company that controlled the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad
Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad
The Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad , often shortened to Rio Grande or D&RGW, formerly the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad, is a defunct U.S. railroad company. The railroad started as a narrow gauge line running south from Denver, Colorado in 1870; however, served mainly as a transcontinental...
. The Rio Grande officially took control of the Southern Pacific on October 13, 1988. After the purchase, the combined railroad kept the Southern Pacific name due to its brand recognition in the railroad industry and with customers of both constituent railroads. The Southern Pacific subsequently was taken over by 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....
in 1996 following years of financial problems. The railroad is also noteworthy for being the defendant in the landmark 1886 United States Supreme Court case Santa Clara County v. Southern Pacific Railroad
Santa Clara County v. Southern Pacific Railroad
Santa Clara County v. Southern Pacific Railroad Company, was a United States Supreme Court case dealing with taxation of railroad properties...
which is often interpreted as having established certain corporate rights
Corporation
A corporation is created under the laws of a state as a separate legal entity that has privileges and liabilities that are distinct from those of its members. There are many different forms of corporations, most of which are used to conduct business. Early corporations were established by charter...
under the Constitution of the United States
United States Constitution
The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It is the framework for the organization of the United States government and for the relationship of the federal government with the states, citizens, and all people within the United States.The first three...
.
Timeline
- 1851: The oldest line to become a part of the Southern Pacific system, the Buffalo Bayou, Brazos, and Colorado RailwayBuffalo Bayou, Brazos, and Colorado RailwayThe Buffalo Bayou, Brazos, and Colorado Railway was the first operating railroad in Texas.-Name:The Colorado in its name is the Colorado River of Texas, not Colorado state. In the line's early days, it was often called the Harrisburg Railroad. In 1868, it changed owners and became the Galveston,...
begins construction between Houston, TexasHouston, TexasHouston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
and Alleyton, TexasAlleyton, TexasAlleyton is an unincorporated area in central Colorado County, in the U.S. state of Texas, on the Colorado River. It is three miles east of Columbus.In 2000 Alleyton had 165 residents.-External links:...
. - 1865: A group of businessmen in San Francisco, CaliforniaSan Francisco, CaliforniaSan 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...
, led by Timothy PhelpsTimothy Guy PhelpsTimothy Guy Phelps was an American business executive and politician. He was the first president of the Southern Pacific Railroad from 1865 until 1868 when the railroad was purchased by members of The Big Four, and saw the railroad build its first tracks south of San Francisco, California.-Early...
, found the Southern Pacific Railroad to build a rail connection between San Francisco and San Diego, CaliforniaSan Diego, CaliforniaSan Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
. - September 25, 1868: A group of men known as the Big Four purchase the Southern Pacific. The Big Four are Charles Crocker, Leland StanfordLeland StanfordAmasa Leland Stanford was an American tycoon, industrialist, robber baron, politician and founder of Stanford University.-Early years:...
, Mark Hopkins and Collis Huntington. - 1870: Southern Pacific and Central Pacific operations are merged.
- June 1873: The Southern Pacific builds its first locomotive at the railroad's Sacramento shops as CP's 2nd number 55, a 4-4-04-4-0Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 4-4-0 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles , four powered and coupled driving wheels on two axles, and no trailing wheels...
. - November 8, 1874: Southern Pacific tracks reach Bakersfield, CaliforniaBakersfield, CaliforniaBakersfield is a city near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley in Kern County, California. It is roughly equidistant between Fresno and Los Angeles, to the north and south respectively....
and work begins on the Tehachapi LoopTehachapi LoopThe Tehachapi Loop is a long 'spiral', or helix, on The Union Pacific Railroad through Tehachapi Pass, in south central California. The railroad line connects Bakersfield in the San Joaquin Valley to Mojave in the Antelope Valley. The loop takes its name from the circuitous route it takes, in...
. - September 5, 1876: The first through train from San Francisco arrives in Los Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles, CaliforniaLos 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...
after traveling over the newly completed Tehachapi LoopTehachapi LoopThe Tehachapi Loop is a long 'spiral', or helix, on The Union Pacific Railroad through Tehachapi Pass, in south central California. The railroad line connects Bakersfield in the San Joaquin Valley to Mojave in the Antelope Valley. The loop takes its name from the circuitous route it takes, in...
. - 1877: Southern Pacific tracks from Los Angeles cross the Colorado RiverColorado RiverThe Colorado River , is a river in the Southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, approximately long, draining a part of the arid regions on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains. The watershed of the Colorado River covers in parts of seven U.S. states and two Mexican states...
at Yuma, ArizonaYuma, ArizonaYuma is a city in and the county seat of Yuma County, Arizona, United States. It is located in the southwestern corner of the state, and the population of the city was 77,515 at the 2000 census, with a 2008 Census Bureau estimated population of 90,041....
. Southern Pacific purchases the Houston and Texas Central Railway. - 1879: Southern Pacific engineers experiment with the first oil-fired locomotives.
- March 20, 1880: The first Southern Pacific train reaches Tucson, ArizonaTucson, ArizonaTucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200...
. - May 11, 1880: The Mussel Slough TragedyMussel Slough TragedyThe Mussel Slough Tragedy was a dispute over land titles between settlers and the Southern Pacific Railroad that took place on May 11, 1880, on a farm located northwest of Hanford, California, in the central San Joaquin Valley, leaving seven people dead. Frank Norris' 1901 novel, The Octopus: A...
(a dispute over property rights with SP) takes place in Hanford, CaliforniaHanford, CaliforniaHanford is an important commercial and cultural center in the south central San Joaquin Valley and is the county seat of Kings County, California. It is the principal city of the Hanford-Corcoran, California Metropolitan Statistical Area , which encompasses all of Kings County, including the cities...
. - May 19, 1881: Southern Pacific tracks reach El Paso, TexasEl Paso, TexasEl Paso, is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States, and lies in far West Texas. In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 649,121. It is the sixth largest city in Texas and the 19th largest city in the United States...
.
- December 15, 1881: Southern Pacific (under the GH&SA RR) meets the Texas and Pacific at Sierra Blanca, TexasSierra BlancaSierra Blanca is a range of volcanic mountains in Lincoln and Otero counties of south-central New Mexico. The range is about from north to south and wide, and is dominated by Sierra Blanca Peak, whose highest point is at...
in Hudspeth County, TexasHudspeth County, TexasHudspeth County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. It is one of the nine counties that comprise the Trans-Pecos region of West Texas. As of 2000, the population was 3,344. By 2010, the population had increased to 3,476. Its county seat is Sierra Blanca. The largest city is Fort Hancock...
to complete the nation's second transcontinental railroad. - January 12, 1883: The Southern section of the second transcontinental railroad line is completed as the Southern Pacific tracks from Los Angeles meet the Galveston, Harrisburg and San Antonio Railway at the Pecos RiverPecos RiverThe headwaters of the Pecos River are located north of Pecos, New Mexico, United States, at an elevation of over 12,000 feet on the western slope of the Sangre de Cristo mountain range in Mora County. The river flows for through the eastern portion of that state and neighboring Texas before it...
. The golden spike is driven by Col. Tom Pierce, the GH&SA president, atop the Pecos River High BridgePecos River High BridgeThe Pecos River High Bridge carries the Southern Pacific Railroad across the Pecos River gorge and is the second high-level crossing on this site. The first, designed by SP chief engineer Julius Kruttschnitt, was built by the Phoenix Bridge Company and completed in 1892...
. The line now extends to San Antonio and Houston along the Sunset Route. - March 17, 1884: The Southern Pacific is incorporated in KentuckyKentuckyThe Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
. - February 17, 1885: The Southern Pacific and Central Pacific are combined under a holding company named the Southern Pacific Company.
- April 1, 1885: The Southern Pacific takes over all operation of the Central Pacific. Effectively, the CP no longer exists as a separate company.
- 1886: The first refrigerator carRefrigerator carA refrigerator car is a refrigerated boxcar , a piece of railroad rolling stock designed to carry perishable freight at specific temperatures. Refrigerator cars differ from simple insulated boxcars and ventilated boxcars , neither of which are fitted with cooling apparatus...
s on the Southern Pacific enter operation; the loading of refrigerator cars with oranges, first performed at Los Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles, CaliforniaLos 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...
on February 14, contributed to an economic boom in the famous citrus industry of Southern California, by making deliveries of perishable fruits and vegetables to the eastern United States possible.
- 1886: Southern Pacific wins the landmark Supreme CourtSupreme Court of the United StatesThe Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
case Santa Clara County v. Southern Pacific RailroadSanta Clara County v. Southern Pacific RailroadSanta Clara County v. Southern Pacific Railroad Company, was a United States Supreme Court case dealing with taxation of railroad properties...
which establishes equal rightsCivil rightsCivil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
under the lawLawLaw is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
to corporationCorporationA corporation is created under the laws of a state as a separate legal entity that has privileges and liabilities that are distinct from those of its members. There are many different forms of corporations, most of which are used to conduct business. Early corporations were established by charter...
s. - 1898: Sunset magazine is founded as a promotional tool of the Southern Pacific.
- 1901: Frank NorrisFrank NorrisBenjamin Franklin Norris, Jr. was an American novelist, during the Progressive Era, writing predominantly in the naturalist genre. His notable works include McTeague , The Octopus: A Story of California , and The Pit .-Life:Frank Norris was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1870...
' novel, The Octopus: A California Story, a fictional retelling of the Mussel Slough Tragedy and the events leading up to it, is published. - 1901: Union Pacific RailroadUnion Pacific RailroadThe Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman....
acquires control of Southern Pacific. In the following years, many SP operating procedures and equipment purchases follow patterns established by Union Pacific. - 1903: Southern Pacific gains 50% control of the Pacific Electric system in Los Angeles.
- March 8, 1904: SP opens the Lucin CutoffLucin CutoffThe Lucin Cutoff is a railroad line which included a railroad trestle which crossed the Great Salt Lake in Utah. Built by the Southern Pacific Company between February 1902 and March 1904 across Promontory Point, it bypassed the original Central Pacific Railroad route through Promontory Summit...
across the Great Salt LakeGreat Salt LakeThe Great Salt Lake, located in the northern part of the U.S. state of Utah, is the largest salt water lake in the western hemisphere, the fourth-largest terminal lake in the world. In an average year the lake covers an area of around , but the lake's size fluctuates substantially due to its...
, bypassing Promontory, UT for the railroad's mainline. - March 20, 1904: SP's Coast Line is completed between Los Angeles and Santa Barbara, CA.
- April 18, 1906: The great 1906 San Francisco earthquake1906 San Francisco earthquakeThe San Francisco earthquake of 1906 was a major earthquake that struck San Francisco, California, and the coast of Northern California at 5:12 a.m. on Wednesday, April 18, 1906. The most widely accepted estimate for the magnitude of the earthquake is a moment magnitude of 7.9; however, other...
strikes, damaging the railroad's headquarters building and destroying the mansions of the now-deceased Big Four. - 1906: SP and UP jointly form the Pacific Fruit ExpressPacific Fruit ExpressPacific Fruit Express was a railroad refrigerator car leasing company that at one point was the largest refrigerator car operator in the world. The company was founded on December 7, 1906 as a joint venture between the Union Pacific and Southern Pacific railroads...
(PFE) refrigerator car line. - May 22, 1907: The Coast Line Limited of the Southern Pacific Railroad is derailed west of Glendale, California. The accident causes several deaths and injuries, and its cause linked to anarchists.
- 1907: With Santa FeAtchison, Topeka and Santa Fe RailwayThe Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , often abbreviated as Santa Fe, was one of the larger railroads in the United States. The company was first chartered in February 1859...
, Southern Pacific forms Northwestern PacificNorthwestern Pacific RailroadThe Northwestern Pacific Railroad is a regional railroad serving California's North Coast. The railroad currently runs on 62 miles of the 462 mile main line, stretching from Schellville, California to Eureka, California...
, unifying several SP- and Santa Fe-owned subsidiaries into one jointly owned railroad serving northwestern California. - 1909: The Southern Pacific of MexicoSouthern Pacific of MexicoThe Southern Pacific Railroad of Mexico was a railroad subsidiary of the Southern Pacific Company in Mexico, operating from Nogales, Sonora, to Mazatlán, Sinaloa. The Sonora Railway Company began construction in 1880 and opened a link to Nogales in 1882; it was a subsidiary of the American "Sante...
, the railroad's subsidiary south of the U.S. border, is incorporated. - 1913: The Supreme Court of the United StatesSupreme Court of the United StatesThe Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
orders the Union Pacific to sell all of its stock in the Southern Pacific. - December 28, 1917: The federal government takes control of American railroads in preparation for World War IWorld War IWorld War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
- 1923: The Interstate Commerce CommissionInterstate Commerce CommissionThe 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...
allows the SP's control of the Central Pacific to continue, ruling that the control is in the public's interest. - 1929: Santa Fe sells its interest in Northwestern PacificNorthwestern Pacific RailroadThe Northwestern Pacific Railroad is a regional railroad serving California's North Coast. The railroad currently runs on 62 miles of the 462 mile main line, stretching from Schellville, California to Eureka, California...
to SP. NWP becomes a wholly owned subsidiary of SP. - 1932: The SP gains 87% control of the Cotton BeltSt. Louis Southwestern RailwayThe St. Louis Southwestern Railway , known by its nickname of "The Cotton Belt Route" or simply Cotton Belt, was organized on January 15, 1891, although it had its origins in a series of short lines founded in Tyler, Texas, in 1870 that connected northeastern Texas to Arkansas and southeastern...
Railroad. - May 1939: UP, SP and Santa FeAtchison, Topeka and Santa Fe RailwayThe Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , often abbreviated as Santa Fe, was one of the larger railroads in the United States. The company was first chartered in February 1859...
passenger trains in Los Angeles are united into a single terminal as Los Angeles Union Passenger TerminalUnion Station (Los Angeles)Los Angeles Union Station is the main railway station in Los Angeles, California. The station has rail services by Amtrak and Amtrak California and Metrolink; light rail/subways are the Metro Rail Red Line, Purple Line, Gold Line. Bus rapid transport runs on the Silver Line...
is opened. - 1947: The first road diesel locomotiveDiesel locomotiveA 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...
s owned solely by SP (i.e. aside from yard switchers) enter main line operation on the SP. - 1947: Southern Pacific is reincorporated in DelawareDelawareDelaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...
(formerly Kentucky). - 1951: Southern Pacific subsidiary Southern Pacific of MexicoSouthern Pacific of MexicoThe Southern Pacific Railroad of Mexico was a railroad subsidiary of the Southern Pacific Company in Mexico, operating from Nogales, Sonora, to Mazatlán, Sinaloa. The Sonora Railway Company began construction in 1880 and opened a link to Nogales in 1882; it was a subsidiary of the American "Sante...
is sold to the MexicanMexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
government. - 1952: A difficult year for the SP in California opens with the City of San FranciscoCity of San FranciscoThe 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...
train marooned for three days in heavy snow on Donner PassDonner PassDonner Pass is a mountain pass in the northern Sierra Nevada, located above Donner Lake about nine miles west of Truckee, California. It has a steep approach from the east and a gradual approach from the west....
; in July an earthquake hits the Tehachapi pass, closing the route over the Tehachapi LoopTehachapi LoopThe Tehachapi Loop is a long 'spiral', or helix, on The Union Pacific Railroad through Tehachapi Pass, in south central California. The railroad line connects Bakersfield in the San Joaquin Valley to Mojave in the Antelope Valley. The loop takes its name from the circuitous route it takes, in...
until repairs can be made. - 1953: The first Trailer-On-Flat-Car (TOFC, or "piggyback") equipment enters service on the SP.
- 1955: The last steam locomotiveSteam locomotiveA 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 in regular operation on the SP are retired; the railroad is now fully dieselized. - 1956: The SP railroad is now fully dieselized.
- 1959: The last revenue steam powered freight is operated on the system by narrow gauge #9.
- 1959: Southern Pacific moved more ton-miles of freight than any other US railroad (the Pennsylvania Railroad had been number one for decades).
- 1965: Southern Pacific's bid for control of the Western PacificWestern Pacific RailroadThe Western Pacific Railroad was a Class I railroad in the United States. It was formed in 1903 as an attempt to break the near-monopoly the Southern Pacific Railroad had on rail service into northern California...
is rejected by the ICC. - 1967: SP opens the longest stretch of new railroad construction in a quarter century as the first trains roll over the Palmdale Cutoff through Cajon PassCajon PassCajon Pass is a moderate-elevation mountain pass between the San Bernardino Mountains and the San Gabriel Mountains in Southern California in the United States. It was created by the movements of the San Andreas Fault...
. - May 1, 1971: AmtrakAmtrakThe 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...
takes over long-distance passenger operations in the United States; the only SP revenue passenger trains thereafter were the commutes between San Francisco and San Jose. - 1976: SP is awarded Dow Chemical's first annual Rail Safety Achievement Award in recognition of the railroad's handling of Dow products in 1975.
- 1980: Now owning a 98.34% control of the Cotton Belt, the Southern Pacific extends the Cotton Belt from St. Louis to Santa Rosa, New Mexico through acquisition of part of the former Rock Island Railroad.
- 1984: Northern portion of subsidiary Northwestern PacificNorthwestern Pacific RailroadThe Northwestern Pacific Railroad is a regional railroad serving California's North Coast. The railroad currently runs on 62 miles of the 462 mile main line, stretching from Schellville, California to Eureka, California...
sold to independent shortline Eureka Southern RailroadEureka Southern RailroadThe Eureka Southern Railroad was a shortline formed from the northern end of the Northwestern Pacific from Willits, California to Eureka, California.-Origin:...
which begins operation on November 1. - 1984: The Southern Pacific Company merges into Santa Fe IndustriesSanta Fe IndustriesSanta Fe Industries was the diversified parent company, headquartered in Chicago, of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. Formed in 1968, its non-railroad operations included construction, real estate, and energy units. In the early 1980s, after longtime head John Shedd Reed had been...
, parent of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe RailwayAtchison, Topeka and Santa Fe RailwayThe Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , often abbreviated as Santa Fe, was one of the larger railroads in the United States. The company was first chartered in February 1859...
, to form Santa Fe Southern Pacific Corporation. When the Interstate Commerce CommissionInterstate Commerce CommissionThe 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...
refuses permission for the planned merger of the railroad subsidiaries as the Southern Pacific Santa Fe RailroadSouthern Pacific Santa Fe RailroadIn the 1980s, the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway and Southern Pacific Transportation Company attempted a merger. It began with the merger of holding companies Santa Fe Industries and Southern Pacific Company on December 23, 1983 to form the Santa Fe Southern Pacific Corporation , which...
SPSF shortens its name to Santa Fe Pacific CorporationSanta Fe Pacific CorporationThe Santa Fe Pacific Corporation was formed as the Santa Fe Southern Pacific Corporation in 1984 by the merger of Santa Fe Industries, which owned the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, with the Southern Pacific Company, which owned the Southern Pacific Railroad...
and puts the SP railroad up for sale while retaining the non-rail assets of the Southern Pacific Company. - 1985: New CaltrainCaltrainCaltrain is a California commuter rail line on the San Francisco Peninsula and in the Santa Clara Valley in the United States. The northern terminus of the rail line is in San Francisco, at 4th and King streets; its southern terminus is in Gilroy...
locomotives and rolling stock replace SP equipment on the Peninsula Commute, marking the end of Southern Pacific passenger service with SP equipment. - October 13, 1988: Rio Grande Industries, parent of the Rio Grande Railroad, takes control of the Southern Pacific Railroad. The merged company retains the name "Southern Pacific" for all railroad operations.
- 1989: Southern Pacific acquires 223 miles of former AltonAlton RailroadThe Alton Railroad was the final name of a railroad linking Chicago to Alton, Illinois, St. Louis, Missouri, and Kansas City, Missouri. Its predecessor, the Chicago and Alton Railroad , was purchased by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad in 1931 and was controlled until 1942 when the Alton was...
trackage between St. LouisSt. Louis, MissouriSt. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
and JolietJoliet, IllinoisJoliet is a city in Will and Kendall Counties in the U.S. state of Illinois, located southwest of Chicago. It is the county seat of Will County. As of the 2010 census, the city was the fourth-most populated in Illinois, with a population of 147,433. It continues to be Illinois' fastest growing...
from the Chicago, Missouri & WesternChicago, Missouri and Western RailwayThe Chicago, Missouri and Western Railway , was a Class II railroad that operated in the midwest of the United States between 1987 and 1990...
. This marks the first time that the Southern Pacific has served the Chicago area on its own rails. - March 17, 1991: The Southern Pacific changes its corporate image, replacing the century-old Roman Lettering with the Rio Grande-inspired Speed Lettering.
- 1992: Northwestern PacificNorthwestern Pacific RailroadThe Northwestern Pacific Railroad is a regional railroad serving California's North Coast. The railroad currently runs on 62 miles of the 462 mile main line, stretching from Schellville, California to Eureka, California...
is merged into SP, ending NWP's existence as a corporate subsidiary of SP and leaving the Cotton BeltSt. Louis Southwestern RailwayThe St. Louis Southwestern Railway , known by its nickname of "The Cotton Belt Route" or simply Cotton Belt, was organized on January 15, 1891, although it had its origins in a series of short lines founded in Tyler, Texas, in 1870 that connected northeastern Texas to Arkansas and southeastern...
as SP's only remaining major railroad subsidiary. Of interesting note, the Northwestern Pacific's south end would be sold off by UP, and turned into a "new" Northwestern Pacific. - 1996: The Union Pacific RailroadUnion Pacific RailroadThe Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman....
finishes the acquisition that was effectively begun almost a century before with the purchase of the Southern Pacific by UP in 1901, until divestiture was ordered in 1913. Ironically, although Union Pacific was the dominant company, taking complete control of SP, its corporate structure was merged into Southern Pacific, which on paper became the "surviving company"; which then changed its name to Union Pacific. The merged company retains the name "Union Pacific" for all railroad operations.
Locomotive paint and appearance
Like most railroads, the SP painted the majority of its steam locomotiveSteam 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...
fleet black during the 20th century, but after the 1930s the SP had a policy of painting the front of the locomotive's smokebox
Smokebox
A smokebox is one of the major basic parts of a Steam locomotive exhaust system. Smoke and hot gases pass from the firebox through tubes where they pass heat to the surrounding water in the boiler. The smoke then enters the smokebox, and is exhausted to the atmosphere through the chimney .To assist...
light silver (almost white in appearance), with graphite colored sides, for visibility.
As locomotives are being restored, some Pacific type 4-6-2 locomotive boilers are showing signs of having been painted dark green. The soft cover book "Steam Glory 2" by Kalmbach Publications (2007) has an article "Southern Pacific's Painted Ladies" which shows color photos from the 1940s and 1950s revealing that a number of SP 0-6-0 yard engines, usually assigned to passenger terminals were painted in various combinations with red cab roof and cab doors, pale silver smokeboxes and smokebox fronts, dark green boilers, multi colored SP heralds on black cab, green cylinder covers and other details pointed out in color. It is possible that some of the other SP steam passenger locomotives were also painted in these colors or at least had dark green boilers. The article indicates that these paint jobs lasted quite a while and were not special paint for a single event.
Some express passenger steam locomotives bore the Daylight scheme, named after the trains they hauled, most of which had the word Daylight in the train name. This scheme, carried in full on the tender, consisted of a bright, almost vermilion red on the top and bottom thirds, with the center third being a bright orange. The parts were separated with thin white bands. Some of the color continued along the locomotive. The most famous "Daylight" locomotives were the 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 locomotives. The most famous Daylight-hauled trains were the Coast Daylight and the Sunset Limited.
Well known were the Southern Pacific's unique "cab-forward
Cab forward
The term cab forward refers to various rail and road vehicle designs which place the driver's compartment substantially farther towards the front than is common practice.- Rail locomotives :...
" steam locomotives. These were essentially 2-8-8-4
2-8-8-4
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, a 2-8-8-4 is a steam locomotive with two leading wheels, two sets of eight driving wheels, and a four-wheel trailing truck.Other equivalent classifications are:...
locomotives set up to run in reverse, with the tender
Tender locomotive
A tender or coal-car is a special rail vehicle hauled by a steam locomotive containing the locomotive's fuel and water. Steam locomotives consume large quantities of water compared to the quantity of fuel, so tenders are necessary to keep the locomotive running over long distances. A locomotive...
attached to the smokebox end of the locomotive. Southern Pacific used a number of snow shed
Snow shed
An avalanche snow bridge or simply snow bridge is a type of rigid snow-supporting structure for avalanche control . Avalanche bridges can be made of steel, prestressed concrete frames, or timber....
s in mountain terrain, and locomotive crews nearly asphyxiated from smoke blowing back to the cab. After a number of engineers began running their engines in reverse (pushing the tender), Southern Pacific asked Baldwin Locomotive Works
Baldwin Locomotive Works
The Baldwin Locomotive Works was an American builder of railroad locomotives. It was located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, originally, and later in nearby Eddystone, Pennsylvania. Although the company was very successful as a producer of steam locomotives, its transition to the production of...
to produce cab-forward designs. No other North American railroad ordered cab-forward locomotives, which became a distinctive symbol of the Southern Pacific.
During the early days of 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...
use, they were also painted black. Yard switcher
Switcher
A switcher or shunter is a small railroad locomotive intended not for moving trains over long distances but rather for assembling trains ready for a road locomotive to take over, disassembling a train that has been...
s had diagonal orange stripes painted on the ends for visibility, earning this scheme the nickname of Tiger Stripe
Tiger Stripes colour scheme
The Tiger Stripes colour scheme is a pattern of painting applied to locomotives to improve visibility. It entails painting the whole locomotive bright yellow, and adding diagonal black stripes to the front and back. It is called 'Tiger Stripes' because of its resemblance to the stripes of a tiger....
. Road freight units were generally painted in a black scheme with a red band at the bottom of the carbody and a silver and orange "winged" nose. The words "SOUTHERN PACIFIC" were borne in a large serif font in white. This paint scheme is called the Black Widow scheme by railfans. A transitory scheme, of all-over black with orange "winged" nose, was called the Halloween scheme. Few locomotives were painted in this scheme and few photos of it exist.
Most passenger units were painted originally in the Daylight scheme as described above, though some were painted red on top, silver below for use on the Golden State (operated in cooperation with the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad
Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad
The Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad was a Class I railroad in the United States. It was also known as the Rock Island Line, or, in its final years, The Rock.-Incorporation:...
) between Chicago and Los Angeles. Also, silver cars with a narrow red band at the top were used for 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...
and other trains into Texas. In 1959 SP standardized on a paint scheme of black with a red "winged" nose; this scheme was dubbed Bloody Nose by railfans. Lettering was again in white. During the failed Southern Pacific Santa Fe Railroad
Southern Pacific Santa Fe Railroad
In the 1980s, the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway and Southern Pacific Transportation Company attempted a merger. It began with the merger of holding companies Santa Fe Industries and Southern Pacific Company on December 23, 1983 to form the Santa Fe Southern Pacific Corporation , which...
merger in the mid 1980s, the "Kodachrome" paint scheme (named for the colors of the Kodak
Eastman Kodak
Eastman Kodak Company is a multinational imaging and photographic equipment, materials and services company headquarted in Rochester, New York, United States. It was founded by George Eastman in 1892....
boxes that the film
Kodachrome
Kodachrome is the trademarked brand name of a type of color reversal film that was manufactured by Eastman Kodak from 1935 to 2009.-Background:...
came in) was applied to many Southern Pacific locomotives. When the Southern Pacific Santa Fe merger was denied by 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...
, the Kodachrome units were not immediately repainted, some even lasting up to the Southern Pacific's end as an independent company. 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...
's decision left Southern Pacific in a decrepit state, the locomotives were not repainted immediately, although some were repainted into the Bloody Nose scheme as they were overhauled after months to years of deferred maintenance. After the 1988 purchase of Southern Pacific by Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad
Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad
The Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad , often shortened to Rio Grande or D&RGW, formerly the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad, is a defunct U.S. railroad company. The railroad started as a narrow gauge line running south from Denver, Colorado in 1870; however, served mainly as a transcontinental...
owner Philip Anschutz, the side lettering on repainted locomotives was changed from SP's serif font to the Rio Grande's "speed lettering" style. The Rio Grande did not retain its identity, as Anschutz felt the Southern Pacific name was the more dominant and recognizable.
Southern Pacific road switcher diesels were well-known by railfan
Railfan
A railfan or rail buff , railway enthusiast or railway buff , or trainspotter , is a person interested in a recreational capacity in rail transport...
s for several distinct features beyond their paint schemes. The units often featured elaborate lighting clusters, both front and rear, which featured a large red Mars Light
Mars Light
Mars Lights are signal-safety lights used in the United States and built by Mars Signal Light Company for railroad locomotives and fire apparatus...
for emergency signaling, and often two sets of twin sealed-beam headlamps, one on top of the cab between the number boards, and the other below the Mars Light on the locomotive's nose. The Southern Pacific, starting in the 1970s, employed cab air conditioning on all new locomotives, and the air conditioning unit on top of the locomotive cab is quite visible. Southern Pacific also placed very large snowplows on the pilots of their road switchers, primarily for the heavy winter snowfall encountered on the Donner Pass
Donner Pass
Donner Pass is a mountain pass in the northern Sierra Nevada, located above Donner Lake about nine miles west of Truckee, California. It has a steep approach from the east and a gradual approach from the west....
route. Many Southern Pacific road switchers used a Nathan-AirChime model M3 or M5 air horn
Train horn
Train horns are audible warning devices found on most diesel and electric locomotives. Their primary purpose is to alert persons and animals to the presence of a train, especially when approaching a grade crossing. They are also used for acknowledging signals given by railroad employees Train horns...
, which formed chords which were distinct to Southern Pacific locomotives in the western states
Western United States
.The Western United States, commonly referred to as the American West or simply "the West," traditionally refers to the region comprising the westernmost states of the United States. Because the U.S. expanded westward after its founding, the meaning of the West has evolved over time...
.
The Southern Pacific, and its subsidiary Cotton Belt
St. Louis Southwestern Railway
The St. Louis Southwestern Railway , known by its nickname of "The Cotton Belt Route" or simply Cotton Belt, was organized on January 15, 1891, although it had its origins in a series of short lines founded in Tyler, Texas, in 1870 that connected northeastern Texas to Arkansas and southeastern...
, were the only operators of the EMD SD45T-2
EMD SD45T-2
The EMD SD45T-2 is a 6-axle diesel locomotive conceived in early 1972 by EMD at the request of the Southern Pacific Railroad. Like the similar SD40T-2, this locomotive model is nicknamed a "tunnel motor". 247 of this model were built from February 1972 to June 1975. Out of the total, 84 units were...
"Tunnel Motor" locomotive. This locomotive was necessary because the standard configuration EMD SD45
EMD SD45
The EMD SD45 is a six-axle diesel locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division between December, 1965, and December, 1971. Power was provided by an EMD 645E3 twenty-cylinder engine which generated 3,600 HP. This locomotive shared the same common frame with the EMD SD38, EMD SD39, EMD...
could not get a sufficient amount of cool air into the diesel locomotive's radiator while working Southern Pacific's extensive snow shed and tunnel system in the Cascades and Donner Pass
Donner Pass
Donner Pass is a mountain pass in the northern Sierra Nevada, located above Donner Lake about nine miles west of Truckee, California. It has a steep approach from the east and a gradual approach from the west....
. These "Tunnel Motors" were essentially EMD SD45-2's with radiator air intakes located at the locomotive carbody's walkway level, rather than EMD's typical radiator setup with fans on the locomotive's long hood roof pulling air through radiators mounted at the top/side of the locomotive's body. Inside tunnels and snow sheds, the hot exhaust gases from lead units would accumulate near the top of the tunnel or snow shed, and be drawn into the radiators of trailing EMD (non-tunnel motor) locomotives, leading these locomotives to shut down as their diesel prime mover overheated. The Southern Pacific also operated EMD SD40T-2
EMD SD40T-2
An EMD SD40T-2 is a 6-axle diesel locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division. Power is provided by a 16-cylinder EMD 645E3 diesel engine capable of producing . The Southern Pacific's locomotive features a fuel tank and is long. The Rio Grande's locomotive features a smaller fuel...
s, as did the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad
Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad
The Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad , often shortened to Rio Grande or D&RGW, formerly the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad, is a defunct U.S. railroad company. The railroad started as a narrow gauge line running south from Denver, Colorado in 1870; however, served mainly as a transcontinental...
.
Unlike many other railroads, whose locomotive numberboards bore the locomotive's number, SP used them for the train number until 1967, when they adopted the other railroads' "standard," except for the SP's San Francisco-San Jose commute trains, which maintained the display of train numbers for the convenience of passengers awaiting their trains. The other major railroad which used locomotive numberboards for train numbers into the late 1960s was SP's transcontinental partner, Union Pacific.
Toward the end of the railroad's corporate life, Southern Pacific locomotives were known for being very dirty. Some railfan
Railfan
A railfan or rail buff , railway enthusiast or railway buff , or trainspotter , is a person interested in a recreational capacity in rail transport...
s jokingly observed that the railroad's heavily used locomotives were only washed when it rained.
Union Pacific recently unveiled UP 1996
Union Pacific 1996
Union Pacific 1996 is a SD70ACe locomotive owned by Union Pacific Railroad . It is the sixth locomotive to receive a commemorative paint scheme in honor of UP's predecessor railroads as part of UP's "Heritage Series". It was unveiled on August 19, 2006, and is currently operating in regular...
, the sixth and final of its Heritage Series EMD SD70ACe locomotives. Its paint scheme appears to be based on the Daylight and Black Widow schemes.
Passenger train service
Until May 1, 1971 (when AmtrakAmtrak
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 long-distance passenger operations in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
), the Southern Pacific at various times operated the following named passenger trains
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...
. Trains with names in italicized bold text still operate under the Amtrak name:
- 49er
- Argonaut
- Arizona LimitedArizona LimitedThe Arizona Limited was an extra-fare streamliner train operated by the Southern Pacific and Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad from 1940 until 1942 on the Golden State route from Chicago, Illinois, to Phoenix, Arizona, via Tucumcari, New Mexico. It was aimed at travelers wanting to get...
(operated jointly with the Rock Island Railroad) - Beaver
- Californian
- Cascade (operates today as part of the Coast StarlightCoast StarlightThe 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...
train) - City of San FranciscoCity of San FranciscoThe 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...
(operated jointly with the Chicago and North Western Railway and the Union Pacific Railroad; SP portion operates today as part of Amtrak's California ZephyrCalifornia ZephyrThe California Zephyr is a long passenger train route operated by Amtrak in the midwestern and western United States.It runs from Chicago, Illinois, in the east to Emeryville, California, in the west, passing through the states of Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, and California...
) - Coast Daylight (operates today as part of the Coast StarlightCoast StarlightThe 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...
train) - Coast Mail
- Coaster
- Del Monte
- Fast Mail (Overland Mail)
- Golden Rocket (proposed, was to have been operated jointly with the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific RailroadChicago, Rock Island and Pacific RailroadThe Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad was a Class I railroad in the United States. It was also known as the Rock Island Line, or, in its final years, The Rock.-Incorporation:...
) - Golden State (operated jointly with the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific RailroadChicago, Rock Island and Pacific RailroadThe Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad was a Class I railroad in the United States. It was also known as the Rock Island Line, or, in its final years, The Rock.-Incorporation:...
) - Grand Canyon
- Hustler
- Imperial
- Klamath
- 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...
- Oregonian
- Overland
- Owl
- Pacific Limited
- Peninsula CommutePeninsula CommuteThe Peninsula Commute, also known as the Southern Pacific Peninsula or just Peninsula, was the common name for historical commuter rail service between San Jose, California and San Francisco, California on the San Francisco Peninsula. This service ran as a private, for-profit enterprise beginning...
(operated until 1985, now CaltrainCaltrainCaltrain is a California commuter rail line on the San Francisco Peninsula and in the Santa Clara Valley in the United States. The northern terminus of the rail line is in San Francisco, at 4th and King streets; its southern terminus is in Gilroy...
) - Rogue River
- Sacramento DaylightSacramento DaylightThe 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...
- San Francisco Challenger (operated jointly with the Chicago and North Western RailwayChicago and North Western RailwayThe Chicago and North Western Transportation Company was a Class I railroad in the Midwest United States. It was also known as the North Western. The railroad operated more than of track as of the turn of the 20th century, and over of track in seven states before retrenchment in the late 1970s...
and the Union Pacific RailroadUnion Pacific RailroadThe Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman....
) - San Joaquin DaylightSan Joaquin DaylightThe 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...
- Senator
- Shasta DaylightShasta DaylightThe 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...
- Shasta Express
- Shasta Limited
- Shasta Limited De Luxe
- Starlight
- SunbeamSunbeam (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...
- Sunset LimitedSunset LimitedThe 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...
- Suntan Special
- Tehachapi
- West CoastWest Coast (passenger train)The West Coast was a named train of the Southern Pacific Railroad from Los Angeles to Portland via the San Joaquin Valley. It had through car service to Seattle via the Great Northern Railway...
Locomotives Used for Passenger Service
Steam Locomotives
- 2-8-02-8-0Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-8-0 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle , eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles, and no trailing wheels...
Consolidation - 2-8-22-8-2Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-8-2 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle , eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle...
Mikado - 4-4-24-4-2 (locomotive)Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 4-4-2 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles , four powered and coupled driving wheels on two axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle...
Atlantic - 4-6-24-6-24-6-2, in the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles , six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle .These locomotives are also known as Pacifics...
Pacific - see SP 2472Southern Pacific 2472Southern Pacific 2472 is a 4-6-2 Pacific type steam locomotive built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works for Southern Pacific Railroad in 1921. SP 2472 is one of three surviving Southern Pacific 4-6-2 Pacific locomotives. It has 4 leading wheels, 6 drivers, and 2 trailing wheels.2472 and sister... - 4-8-24-8-2Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 4-8-2 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles , eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle...
Mountain - 4-8-44-8-4Under 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...
Golden State/General Service - see SP 4449Southern Pacific 4449Southern 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... - 4-8-8-24-8-8-2Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, a 4-8-8-2 is a locomotive with four leading wheels, two sets of eight driving wheels, and a two-wheel trailing truck.Other equivalent classifications are:...
Cab Forward Articulated Mallet
Diesel Locomotives
- 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...
- EMC E2
- EMD E7EMD E7The 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...
- EMD E8EMD E8The 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...
- EMD E9EMD E9The 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...
- see SP 6051Southern Pacific 6051Southern 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 FP7EMD FP7The 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...
- FM H-24-66 "Train Master"FM H-24-66-External links:* * * *...
- EMD GP7EMD GP7The EMD GP7 is a four-axle diesel-electric locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division and General Motors Diesel between October, 1949 and May, 1954. Power was provided by an EMD 567B 16-cylinder engine which generated . The GP7 was offered both with and without control cabs, and...
- SSWSt. Louis Southwestern RailwayThe St. Louis Southwestern Railway , known by its nickname of "The Cotton Belt Route" or simply Cotton Belt, was organized on January 15, 1891, although it had its origins in a series of short lines founded in Tyler, Texas, in 1870 that connected northeastern Texas to Arkansas and southeastern...
only - EMD GP9EMD GP9An EMD GP9 is a four-axle diesel locomotive built by General Motors' Electro-Motive Division in the United States, and General Motors Diesel in Canada between January, 1954, and August, 1963. US production ended in December, 1959, while an additional thirteen units were built in Canada, including...
- see SP 5623Southern Pacific 5623Southern Pacific Railroad locomotive number 5623 is a passenger service-equipped "torpedo boat" version of an EMD GP9 diesel locomotive, built in 1955... - EMD SD7EMD SD7An EMD SD7 is a 6-axle diesel locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division between February 1952 and November 1953. Power was provided by an EMD 567B 16-cylinder engine which generated ....
- EMD SD9EMD SD9An EMD SD9 is a 6-axle diesel locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division between January 1954 and June 1959. Power was provided by an EMD 567C 16-cylinder engine which generated . This model is, externally, similar to its predecessor, the SD7. The principal spotting feature are the...
- see SP 4450Southern Pacific 4450Southern Pacific Railroad's locomotive number 4450, nicknamed "Huff", is an EMD SD9 diesel locomotive. 4450 was part of SP's first order of 32 SD9s, and delivered in 1954, with its original number, 5363. This order was assigned SP class DF-120 and numbered 5340-5371... - GE P30CHGE P30CHThe GE P30CH was one of the first brand-new Diesel-electric locomotives built for Amtrak in the company's early years. The design was based on the GE U30C, but had a cowl carbody like its EMD competitors.25 P30CHs were ordered by Amtrak in 1974, just after Amtrak ordered 40 EMD SDP40Fs in 1973...
- leased from AmtrakAmtrakThe 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... - EMD SDP45EMD SDP45The 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,...
- EMD GP40P-2
Notable accidents
- On March 28, 1907, the Southern Pacific Sunset Express, descending the grade out of the San Timoteo CanyonSan Timoteo CanyonSan Timoteo Canyon is an ancient river valley that runs from south of Banning, California in Riverside County to a point just south of San Bernardino, California in San Bernardino County...
, entered the ColtonColton, CaliforniaColton is a city in San Bernardino County, California, United States. The city is located in the Inland Empire region of the state and is approximately 57 miles east of Los Angeles. The population of Colton is 52,154 according to the 2010 census, up from 47,662 at the 2000 census.Colton is the...
rail yard traveling about 60 mph, hit an open switch and careened off the track, resulting in twenty-four fatalities. Accounts said all but five of the train's fourteen cars disintegrated as they piled on top of one another, leaving the dead and injured in "a heap of kindling and crumpled metal." Of the dead, eighteen were Italian immigrants traveling to jobs in San FranciscoSan Francisco, CaliforniaSan 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...
from Genoa, Italy. - The Coast Line Limited was heading for Los Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles, CaliforniaLos 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...
, on May 22, 1907, when it was derailed just west of Glendale, CaliforniaGlendale, CaliforniaGlendale is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2010 Census, the city population is 191,719, down from 194,973 at the 2000 census. making it the third largest city in Los Angeles County and the 22nd largest city in the state of California...
. Passenger cars reportedly tumbled down the embankment. At least two were killed and others injured. "The horrible deed was planned with devilish accurateness," the Pasadena Star News reported at the time. It said spikes were removed from the track and hook placed under the end of the rail. The Star's coverage was extensive and its editorial blasted the criminal elements behind the wreck. "Diabolism Incarnate" is how they headlined the editorial. It read: "The man or men who committed this horrible deed near Glendale may not be anarchists, technically speaking. But if they are sane men, moved by motive, they are such stuff as anarchists are made of. If the typical anarchist conceived that a railroad corporation should be terrorized, he would not scruple to wreck a passenger train and send scores and hundreds to instant death." - In the early hours of June 1, 1907, an attempt to derail a Southern Pacific train near Santa Clara, CaliforniaSanta Clara, CaliforniaSanta Clara , founded in 1777 and incorporated in 1852, is a city in Santa Clara County, in the U.S. state of California. The city is the site of the eighth of 21 California missions, Mission Santa Clara de Asís, and was named after the mission. The Mission and Mission Gardens are located on the...
, was foiled when a pile of railway ties was discovered on the tracks. A work train crew found that someone had driven a steel plate into a switch near Burbank, CaliforniaBurbank, CaliforniaBurbank is a city in Los Angeles County in Southern California, United States, north of downtown Los Angeles. The estimated population in 2010 was 103,340....
, intending to derail the Santa BarbaraSanta Barbara, CaliforniaSanta Barbara is the county seat of Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Situated on an east-west trending section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States, the city lies between the steeply-rising Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean...
local. - On August 12, 1939, the westbound City of San FranciscoCity of San FranciscoThe 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...
derailed from a bridge in Palisade CanyonPalisade CanyonPalisade Canyon is a Nevada landform along the Humboldt River between Battle Mountain and Carlin....
, between Battle MountainBattle Mountain, NevadaBattle Mountain is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Lander County, Nevada, United States. The population was 2,871 at the 2000 census. Though it has no legal status as a municipality, it still functions as the county seat of Lander County...
and CarlinCarlin, NevadaCarlin is a city located near the western border of Elko County in northeast Nevada, west of the city of Elko. It is part of the Elko Micropolitan Statistical Area. Carlin sits along Interstate 80 at an elevation of approximately . As of the 2000 census, its population was 2,161...
in the Nevada desert. Twenty-four passengers and crew members were killed and many more were injured, and five cars were destroyed. An act of sabotage was determined to be the most likely cause; however, no suspect(s) was ever identified. - On New Year's Eve 1944 a rear end collision west of OgdenBagley train wreckThe Bagley train wreck occurred in Utah on the morning of Sunday December 31, 1944. The crash killed 48 including over 35 military personnel and injured 79 and involved Southern Pacific's Pacific Limited as it crossed The Great Salt Lake on the Lucin Cutoff. It had left Chicago at 10 a.m...
in thick fog killed 48 people. - On May 12, 1989, a Southern Pacific train carrying fertilizer material derailedSan Bernardino train disasterThe San Bernardino Train Disaster, sometimes known as the Duffy Street Incident, is a combination of two separate but related incidents which occurred in San Bernardino, California: A runaway train derailment on May 12, 1989, and the subsequent failure on May 25, 1989, of a petroleum pipeline...
in San Bernardino, CaliforniaSan Bernardino, CaliforniaSan Bernardino is a city located in the Riverside-San Bernardino metropolitan area , and serves as the county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States...
, destroying seven homes along Duffy Street and killing two train workers and two residents. Thirteen days later on May 25, 1989, an underground pipeline running along the right-of-way ruptured and caught fire due to damage done to the pipeline during cleanup from the derailment. Eleven more homes were destroyed and two more people were killed.
Preserved locomotives
There are many Southern Pacific locomotives still in revenue service with railroads such as the Union Pacific RailroadUnion 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....
, and many older and special locomotives have been donated to parks and museums, or continue operating on scenic or tourist railroads. Most of the engines now in use with Union Pacific have been "patched," where the SP logo on the front is replaced by a Union Pacific shield, and new numbers are applied over the old numbers with a Union Pacific sticker, however some engines remain in Southern Pacific "bloody nose" paint. Among the more notable equipment is:
- Southern Pacific 3100Southern Pacific 3100Southern Pacific 3100 is a GE U25B diesel-electric locomotive now on permanent exhibit at the Orange Empire Railway Museum in Perris, California USA...
, SP 3100 (former SP6800 Bicentennial) U25B owned and operated by the Orange Empire Railway Museum, Perris, CA
- 4294Southern Pacific 4294Southern Pacific 4294 was the last steam locomotive ordered new by Southern Pacific Railroad . It was built by Baldwin Locomotive Works in March 1944, and was used hauling SP's trains over the Sierra Nevada Mountains, often working on Donner Pass in California.- Construction and use :4294 was the...
(AC-12Southern Pacific class AC-12Southern Pacific Railroad's AC-12 class of cab forward steam locomotives was the last class of steam locomotives ordered by Southern Pacific. They were built by Baldwin Locomotive Works during World War II, with the first, number 4275, entering service on October 27, 1943, and the last, 4294, on...
, 4-8-8-24-8-8-2Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, a 4-8-8-2 is a locomotive with four leading wheels, two sets of eight driving wheels, and a two-wheel trailing truck.Other equivalent classifications are:...
), located at the California State Railroad MuseumCalifornia State Railroad MuseumThe California State Railroad Museum is a museum in the state park system of California, USA, interpreting the role of the "iron horse" in connecting California to the rest of the nation. It is located in Old Sacramento at 111 I Street....
, Sacramento, CaliforniaSacramento, CaliforniaSacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,... - 4449Southern Pacific 4449Southern 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-4Southern Pacific class GS-4The 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...
, 4-8-44-8-4Under 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...
), located at the Brooklyn Roundhouse, Portland, OregonPortland, OregonPortland 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... - 2479Southern Pacific 2479Southern Pacific Railroad 2479 is one of six heavy 4-6-2 Pacific type steam locomotives built by Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1923, designated the P-10 class. 2479 was retired from service in 1956...
(P-10, 4-6-24-6-24-6-2, in the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles , six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle .These locomotives are also known as Pacifics...
), owned and being restored by the California Trolley and Railroad CorporationCalifornia Trolley and Railroad CorporationEstablished in 1982, the California Trolley and Railroad Corporation is a 501 non-profit organization with a mission to preserve and reflect the rich legacy of rail transportation in the Santa Clara Valley for the educational and recreational benefit of current and future generations.Among the...
, San Jose, CaliforniaSan Jose, CaliforniaSan Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay... - 2472Southern Pacific 2472Southern Pacific 2472 is a 4-6-2 Pacific type steam locomotive built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works for Southern Pacific Railroad in 1921. SP 2472 is one of three surviving Southern Pacific 4-6-2 Pacific locomotives. It has 4 leading wheels, 6 drivers, and 2 trailing wheels.2472 and sister...
(P-8, 4-6-24-6-24-6-2, in the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles , six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle .These locomotives are also known as Pacifics...
), owned and operated by the Golden Gate Railroad MuseumGolden Gate Railroad MuseumThe Golden Gate Railroad Museum is a non-profit railroad museum in California that is dedicated to the preservation of steam and passenger railroad equipment, as well as the interpretation of local railroad history....
, Redwood City, CaliforniaRedwood City, CaliforniaRedwood City is a California charter city located on the San Francisco Peninsula in Northern California, approximately 27 miles south of San Francisco, and 24 miles north of San Jose. Redwood City's history spans from its earliest inhabitation by the Ohlone people, to its tradition as a port for... - 2467Southern Pacific 2467Southern Pacific Railroad 2467 is one of 15 heavy 4-6-2 Pacific type steam locomotives built by Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1921, designated the P-8 class. 2467 was retired from service in 1956. On July 25th, 1960 the locomotive was donated to Oakland, California. In July 1990 it was acquired by...
(P-8, 4-6-24-6-24-6-2, in the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles , six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle .These locomotives are also known as Pacifics...
), on loan by the Pacific Locomotive AssociationPacific Locomotive AssociationThe Pacific Locomotive Association is an organization dedicated to the preservation of the physical aspects and atmosphere of Pacific Coast railroading during the period from 1910 to 1960....
, Fremont, CaliforniaFremont, CaliforniaFremont is a city in Alameda County, California. It was incorporated on January 23, 1956, from the merger of five smaller communities: Centerville, Niles, Irvington, Mission San Jose, and Warm Springs...
to the California State Railroad MuseumCalifornia State Railroad MuseumThe California State Railroad Museum is a museum in the state park system of California, USA, interpreting the role of the "iron horse" in connecting California to the rest of the nation. It is located in Old Sacramento at 111 I Street.... - 3420 (C-19, 2-8-02-8-0Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-8-0 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle , eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles, and no trailing wheels...
), owned by El Paso Historic Board, stored at Phelps Dodge copper refinery, El Paso, TexasEl Paso, TexasEl Paso, is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States, and lies in far West Texas. In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 649,121. It is the sixth largest city in Texas and the 19th largest city in the United States... - 745Southern Pacific 745Southern Pacific 745 is a Mikado-type or 2-8-2 steam locomotive that has been restored to operating condition. It has also been known as Texas & New Orleans 745 and Galveston, Harrisburg, & San Antonio 745, reflecting two Southern Pacific Railroad subsidiaries that operated it at times.-Historic...
(Mk-5, 2-8-22-8-2Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-8-2 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle , eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle...
), owned by the Louisiana Rail Heritage Trust, operated by the Louisiana Steam Train Association, and based in Jefferon (near New Orleans), LouisianaLouisianaLouisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties... - 4460Southern Pacific 4460Southern Pacific 4460 is the only surviving GS-6 Class steam locomotive. The GS-6 is a semi-streamlined 4-8-4 Northern type steam locomotive. GS stands for "Golden State" or "General Service." The locomotive was built by the Lima Locomotive Works for the Southern Pacific Railroad in 1943...
(GS-6Southern Pacific class GS-6The GS-6 is a semi-streamlined 4-8-4 Northern type steam locomotive that served the Southern Pacific Railroad from 1943 to 1958 and the Western Pacific Railroad from 1943 to 1953. They were built during World War II for the Southern Pacific Railroad by the Lima Locomotive Works and were numbered...
, 4-8-44-8-4Under 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...
), located at the Museum of TransportationMuseum of TransportationThe Museum of Transportation of the St. Louis County, Missouri, United States Parks Department is a museum located in the Greater St. Louis area. It was first founded in 1944 by a group of individuals dedicated to preserving the past and has a wide variety of vehicles from American history...
, Kirkwood, MissouriKirkwood, MissouriKirkwood is an inner-ring suburb of St. Louis, located in St. Louis County, Missouri. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 27,540. Founded in 1853, the city is named for James Pugh Kirkwood, builder of the Pacific Railroad through that town. It was the first planned suburb located west... - 1518Southern Pacific 1518Southern Pacific Railroad's number 1518 is an EMD SD7 diesel locomotive. It was built originally in May 1951 as General Motors Electro-Motive Division's Demonstrator #990. It was the first "SD" series locomotive ever built. Its road number 990 is in reference to its EMD Engineering Department...
(EMD SD7EMD SD7An EMD SD7 is a 6-axle diesel locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division between February 1952 and November 1953. Power was provided by an EMD 567B 16-cylinder engine which generated ....
), located at the Illinois Railway MuseumIllinois Railway MuseumThe Illinois Railway Museum is the largest railroad museum in the United States and is located in Union, Illinois, northwest of Chicago...
, Union, IllinoisUnion, IllinoisUnion is a village in McHenry County, Illinois, United States. The population was 580 at the 2010 census, up from 576 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Union is located at .... - 4450Southern Pacific 4450Southern Pacific Railroad's locomotive number 4450, nicknamed "Huff", is an EMD SD9 diesel locomotive. 4450 was part of SP's first order of 32 SD9s, and delivered in 1954, with its original number, 5363. This order was assigned SP class DF-120 and numbered 5340-5371...
(EMD SD9EMD SD9An EMD SD9 is a 6-axle diesel locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division between January 1954 and June 1959. Power was provided by an EMD 567C 16-cylinder engine which generated . This model is, externally, similar to its predecessor, the SD7. The principal spotting feature are the...
), located at the Western Pacific Railroad MuseumWestern Pacific Railroad MuseumThe Western Pacific Railroad Museum in Portola, California, formerly known as the Portola Railroad Museum before , is a heritage railroad that preserves and operates historic American railroad equipment. The museum's mission is to preserve the history of the Western Pacific Railroad and is...
, Portola, CaliforniaPortola, CaliforniaPortola is the only incorporated city in Plumas County, California, United States. The population was 2,104 at the 2010 census, down from 2,227 at the 2000 census...
- former commute train engine
For a complete list, see: List of preserved Southern Pacific Railroad rolling stock.
Presidents of the Southern Pacific Company
- Timothy Guy PhelpsTimothy Guy PhelpsTimothy Guy Phelps was an American business executive and politician. He was the first president of the Southern Pacific Railroad from 1865 until 1868 when the railroad was purchased by members of The Big Four, and saw the railroad build its first tracks south of San Francisco, California.-Early...
(1865–1868) - Charles CrockerCharles CrockerCharles Crocker was an American railroad executive.-Early years:Crocker was born in Troy, New York, to a modest family and moved to an Indiana farm at age 14. He soon became independent, working on several farms, a sawmill, and at an iron forge. In 1845 he founded a small, independent iron...
(1868–1885) - Leland StanfordLeland StanfordAmasa Leland Stanford was an American tycoon, industrialist, robber baron, politician and founder of Stanford University.-Early years:...
(1885–1890) - Collis P. HuntingtonCollis P. HuntingtonCollis Potter Huntington was one of the Big Four of western railroading who built the Central Pacific Railroad as part of the first U.S. transcontinental railroad...
(1890–1900) - Charles Melville HaysCharles Melville HaysCharles Melville Hays was an American railway executive of the Grand Trunk Railway. He died at sea on the RMS Titanic.-Early years:...
(1900–1901) - E. H. HarrimanE. H. HarrimanEdward Henry Harriman was an American railroad executive.-Early years:Harriman was born in Hempstead, New York, the son of Orlando Harriman, an Episcopal clergyman, and Cornelia Neilson...
(1901–1909) - Robert S. Lovett (1909–1911)
- William SprouleWilliam SprouleWilliam Sproule was president of the Wells Fargo Express Company and later the Southern Pacific Railroad.-References:...
(1911–1918) - Julius KruttschnittJulius KruttschnittJulius Kruttschnitt was a German American railroad executive. The son of the German consul in New Orleans, he graduated from Washington and Lee University in 1873 and worked briefly as a schoolteacher before beginning his railroad career...
(1918–1920) - William SprouleWilliam SprouleWilliam Sproule was president of the Wells Fargo Express Company and later the Southern Pacific Railroad.-References:...
(1920–1928) - Paul ShoupPaul ShoupPaul Shoup was an American businessman, president and later vice-chairman of the Southern Pacific Railroad in the 1920s and 1930s, a founding board member of the Stanford University School of Business, and founder of the community of Los Altos, California.-Family:He was the third of five children...
(1929–1932) - Angus Daniel McDonaldAngus Daniel McDonaldAngus Daniel McDonald an American railroad executive. He was president of the Southern Pacific Company, the parent company of the Southern Pacific Railroad....
(1932–1941) - Armand Mercier (1941–1951)
- Donald J. RussellDonald J. RussellDonald 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...
(1952–1964) - Benjamin F. Biaggini (1964–1976)
- Denman McNear (1976–1979)
- Alan Furth (1979–1982)
- Robert KrebsRobert KrebsRobert D. Krebs has headed three major United States railroads in succession, leading the Southern Pacific when it was acquired by Santa Fe Industries, rising to lead the resulting Santa Fe Pacific Corporation, and finally being chosen to head the new Burlington Northern Santa Fe when Santa Fe...
(1982–1983) - D. M. "Mike" Mohan (1984–1996)
Chairmen of the Southern Pacific Company Executive Committee
- Leland StanfordLeland StanfordAmasa Leland Stanford was an American tycoon, industrialist, robber baron, politician and founder of Stanford University.-Early years:...
(1890–1893) - (vacant 1893-1909)
- Robert S. Lovett (1909–1913)
- Julius KruttschnittJulius KruttschnittJulius Kruttschnitt was a German American railroad executive. The son of the German consul in New Orleans, he graduated from Washington and Lee University in 1873 and worked briefly as a schoolteacher before beginning his railroad career...
(1913–1925) - Henry deForestHenry deForestHenry Wheeler De Forest was an American railroad executive.He was chair of the executive committee of the Southern Pacific Railroad from 1925 to 1928, and chair of its board of directors from 1929 to 1932....
(1925–1928) - Hale Holden (1928–1932)
Chairmen of the Southern Pacific Company Board of Directors
- Henry deForestHenry deForestHenry Wheeler De Forest was an American railroad executive.He was chair of the executive committee of the Southern Pacific Railroad from 1925 to 1928, and chair of its board of directors from 1929 to 1932....
(1929–1932) - Hale Holden (1932–1939)
- (position nonexistent 1939-1964)
- Donald J. RussellDonald J. RussellDonald 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...
(1964–1972) - (vacant 1972-1976)
- Benjamin F. Biaggini (1976–1983)
- Edward L. Moyers (1993–1995) Chairman/C.E.O.
Arizona
- Arizona Eastern Railroad 1910-1955
- Arizona Eastern Railroad Company of New Mexico 1904-1910
- Arizona and Colorado Railroad 1902-1910
- Gila Valley, Globe and Northern RailwayGila Valley, Globe and Northern RailwayThe Gila Valley, Globe and Northern Railway was a common carrier incorporated on January 24, 1894. The railway built from a connection with the Southern Pacific Railroad at Bowie, Arizona and continued northwest for 125.75 miles to its terminus at the mining town of Globe, Arizona...
1894-1910 later AZER - Maricopa and Phoenix Railroad (of 1907) 1908-1910
- Maricopa and Phoenix and Salt River Valley Railroad 1895-1908
- Maricopa and Phoenix Railroad (of 1886) 1887-1895
- Arizona Central RailroadArizona Central RailroadThe Arizona Central Railroad is an Arizona shortline railroad that operates from a connection with the BNSF Railway at Drake, Arizona. The AZCR runs from Drake to Clarkdale, Arizona. An excursion train also runs on the line through Verde Canyon and is operated by the same owners under the Verde...
1881-1887
- Arizona Central Railroad
- Phoenix, Tempe and Mesa Railway 1894-1895
- Maricopa and Phoenix Railroad (of 1886) 1887-1895
- Maricopa and Phoenix and Salt River Valley Railroad 1895-1908
- Arizona and Colorado Railroad Company of New Mexico 1904-1910
- El Paso and Southwestern RailroadEl Paso and Southwestern RailroadThe El Paso and Southwestern Railroad was a short-line American railway company which operated in Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas, with line extensions across the international border into Mexico. The railroad was known as the Arizona and South Eastern Railroad from 1888 to 1902.-Founding:James...
- Arizona and New Mexico Railway 1883-1935
- Clifton and Southern Pacific Railway 1883 (Narrow Gauge)
- Clifton and Lordsburg Railway
- Arizona and South Eastern Railroad 1888-1902
- Mexico and Colorado Railroad 1908-1910
- Southwestern Railroad of Arizona 1900-1901
- Southwestern Railroad of New Mexico 1901-1902
- Arizona and New Mexico Railway 1883-1935
- New Mexico and Arizona Railroad 1882-1897 ATSF Subsidiary, 1897-1934 Non-operating SP subsidiary
- Phoenix and Eastern Railroad 1903-1934
- Tucson and Nogales Railroad 1910-1934
- Twin Buttes Railroad 1906-1929; Tucson-Sahuarita line sold to above in 1910. Sahuarita-Twin Buttes line scrapped in 1934.
California
- California Pacific RailroadCalifornia Pacific RailroadThe California Pacific Railroad Company was incorporated in 1865 at San Francisco, California as the California Pacific Rail Road Company. It was renamed the California Pacific Railroad Extension Company in the spring of 1869, then renamed the California Pacific Railroad later that same year...
(Vallejo, CaliforniaVallejo, CaliforniaVallejo is the largest city in Solano County, California, United States. The population was 115,942 at the 2010 census. It is located in the San Francisco Bay Area on the northeastern shore of San Pablo Bay...
to Sacramento, CaliforniaSacramento, CaliforniaSacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
) - Central Pacific RailroadCentral Pacific RailroadThe 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...
- Interurban Electric RailwayEast Bay Electric LinesThe East Bay Electric Lines were a unit of the Southern Pacific Railroad which operated a system of electric interurban-type trains in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area...
- Northern RailwayNorthern Railway (California)The Northern Railway was a non-operating subsidiary of the Southern Pacific Railroad during the 19th century, created primarily as a device to consolidate the management of a number of smaller subsidiary railroads....
- Northwestern Pacific RailroadNorthwestern Pacific RailroadThe Northwestern Pacific Railroad is a regional railroad serving California's North Coast. The railroad currently runs on 62 miles of the 462 mile main line, stretching from Schellville, California to Eureka, California...
- Oregon and California RailroadOregon and California RailroadThe Oregon and California Railroad was formed from the Oregon Central Railroad when it was the first to operate a stretch south of Portland in 1869. This qualified the Railroad for land grants in California, whereupon the name of the railroad soon changed to Oregon & California Rail Road Company...
- Pacific Electric RailwayPacific Electric RailwayThe Pacific Electric Railway , also known as the Red Car system, was a mass transit system in Southern California using streetcars, light rail, and buses...
- Sacramento Southern RailroadSacramento Southern RailroadThe Sacramento Southern Railroad is a heritage railroad owned by the California State Railroad Museum which operates excursion trains on it.The railroad extends from the museum property located in Old Sacramento south along the east bank of the Sacramento River levee.The original Sacramento...
- San Diego and Arizona RailwaySan Diego and Arizona RailwayThe San Diego and Arizona Railway was a short line American railroad founded by "sugar heir," developer, and entrepreneur John D. Spreckels, and dubbed "The Impossible Railroad" by many engineers of its day due to the immense logistical challenges involved...
- San Diego and Arizona Eastern RailwaySan Diego and Arizona Eastern RailwayThe San Diego and Arizona Eastern Railway is a short-line American railroad originally founded in 1906 as the San Diego and Arizona Railway by sugar heir, developer, and entrepreneur John D. Spreckels...
- San Francisco and San Jose Rail RoadSan Francisco and San Jose Rail RoadThe San Francisco and San Jose Railroad was a railroad incorporated on August 18, 1860 and consists of 49.5 miles of track running the San Francisco Peninsula from San Francisco, California to San Jose, California...
- South Pacific Coast RailroadSouth Pacific Coast RailroadThe South Pacific Coast Railroad was a narrow gauge steam railroad running between Santa Cruz, California and Alameda, with a ferry connection in Alameda to San Francisco. The railroad was created as the Santa Clara Valley Railroad, founded by local strawberry growers as a way to get their crops...
- Visalia Electric RailroadVisalia Electric RailroadThe Visalia Electric Railroad, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Southern Pacific Railroad, began as an electric interurban railroad in Tulare County, in the U.S. State of California. The railroad was incorporated on April 22, 1904....
- Western Pacific Railroad (1862-1870) (San Jose, CaliforniaSan Jose, CaliforniaSan Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
to Sacramento, CaliforniaSacramento, CaliforniaSacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
) - West Side and Mendocino RailroadWest Side and Mendocino RailroadThe West Side and Mendocino Railroad is a defunct railroad that operated in California.The WS&M had a 16.84 mile route that ran west from Willows, California to Fruto, California...
(Willows, CaliforniaWillows, CaliforniaWillows is the county seat of Glenn County, California. As the county seat, the city is a home to regional government offices, including the California Highway Patrol, California Department of Motor Vehicles and the United States Bureau of Reclamation...
to Fruto, CaliforniaFruto, CaliforniaFruto is an unincorporated community in Glenn County, California. It is located west-northwest of Willows, at an elevation of 610 feet . It is located along State Route 162.A post office operated at Fruto from 1888 to 1953....
)
Oregon
- Oregon and California RailroadOregon and California RailroadThe Oregon and California Railroad was formed from the Oregon Central Railroad when it was the first to operate a stretch south of Portland in 1869. This qualified the Railroad for land grants in California, whereupon the name of the railroad soon changed to Oregon & California Rail Road Company...
1869-1927- Oregon Central RailroadOregon Central RailroadThe Oregon Central Railroad was the name of two railroad companies in the U.S. state of Oregon, each of which claimed federal land grants that had been assigned to the state in 1866 to assist in building a line from Portland south into California...
1867-1870
- Oregon Central Railroad
- Portland Traction Company, owned jointly with Union Pacific RailroadUnion Pacific RailroadThe Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman....
and operated independently 1962-1989 Portland, OregonPortland, OregonPortland 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...
to Oregon City, OregonOregon City, OregonOregon City was the first city in the United States west of the Rocky Mountains to be incorporated. It is the county seat of Clackamas County, Oregon...
and Boring, OregonBoring, OregonBoring is an unincorporated community located in Clackamas County, Oregon, United States, on Oregon Route 212. It is approximately eight miles south of Gresham and about the same distance from Clackamas, both suburbs of Portland. The town is roughly twenty-two miles southeast from downtown...
Texas
- Austin and Northwestern RailroadAustin and Northwestern RailroadThe Austin and Northwestern Railroad began construction on a rail line west of Austin, Texas, USA, toward Llano on April 20, 1881. The railroad was originally built as a narrow gauge line with plans to connect to the Texas and Pacific Railway at Abilene...
- Galveston, Harrisburg and San Antonio Railway
- Houston and Texas Central Railroad
- San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railway
- Texas and New Orleans RailroadTexas and New Orleans RailroadThe Texas and New Orleans Railroad is a former railroad in Texas and Louisiana. At one point the company was the largest railroad in Texas, with of trackage in 1934, but by 1961 there were only remaining when it was merged with parent company Southern Pacific....
- El Paso and Southwestern RailroadEl Paso and Southwestern RailroadThe El Paso and Southwestern Railroad was a short-line American railway company which operated in Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas, with line extensions across the international border into Mexico. The railroad was known as the Arizona and South Eastern Railroad from 1888 to 1902.-Founding:James...
- El Paso and Northeastern RailwayEl Paso and Northeastern RailwayThe El Paso and Northeastern Railway was a short line railroad that was built around the beginning of the twentieth century to help connect the industrial and commercial center at El Paso, Texas, with physical resources and the United States' national transportation hub in Chicago...
Arizona
- Arizona Eastern Railway (AZER) since 1988 from SP
- San Pedro and Southwestern Railroad (SPSR) 2003-2006 line abandoned
- San Pedro and Southwestern Railway (SWKR) from SP, 1994-2003
California
- California Northern Railroad
- Eureka Southern RailroadEureka Southern RailroadThe Eureka Southern Railroad was a shortline formed from the northern end of the Northwestern Pacific from Willits, California to Eureka, California.-Origin:...
- Napa Valley Wine TrainNapa Valley Wine TrainThe Napa Valley Wine Train is operated by the Napa Valley Railroad . The train is a privately operated excursion train that runs between Napa and St. Helena, California. Much of the rail line parallels State Route 29 after leaving the City of Napa and passes the towns of Yountville, Rutherford and...
- Niles Canyon RailwayNiles Canyon RailwayThe Niles Canyon Railway is a heritage railway running through Niles Canyon, between Sunol and the Niles district of Fremont in the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area, in California, USA. The railway is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Niles Canyon Transcontinental...
- North Coast RailroadNorth Coast Railroad (1992–1996)The North Coast Railroad operated freight trains on the Northwestern Pacific Railroad from Schellville to Eureka...
- San Diego and Imperial Valley RailroadSan Diego and Imperial Valley RailroadThe San Diego and Imperial Valley Railroad is a freight operator on the San Diego and Arizona Eastern Railway from San Diego, California to San Ysidro, California . The SD&IV has been owned and operated by RailAmerica since 2000; it had been previously owned by RailTex and operated with the...
- San Joaquin Valley RailroadSan Joaquin Valley RailroadThe San Joaquin Valley Railroad is one of several short line railroad companies and is part of the Sunset Division of RailAmerica. It operates about of track primarily on several lines in California's Central Valley/San Joaquin Valley outside of Fresno, California and Bakersfield, California...
Oregon
- Oregon Pacific Railroad
- Port of Tillamook Bay RailroadPort of Tillamook Bay RailroadThe Port of Tillamook Bay Railroad is a shortline railroad in northwestern Oregon, United States. Purchased from the Southern Pacific Transportation Company in 1990 by the Port of Tillamook Bay, the railroad was used to transport lumber and agricultural products over the Coast Range between the...
Ferry service
Ferries of San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay in California has been served by ferries of all types for over 150 years. Although the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge and the San Francisco – Oakland Bay Bridge led to the decline in the importance of most ferries, some are still in use today for both commuters and...
that connected Oakland with San Francisco by water. For this purpose, a massive pier, the Oakland Long Wharf
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....
, was built out into San Francisco Bay in the 1870s which served both local and mainline passengers. Early on, the Central Pacific gained control of the existing ferry lines for the purpose of linking the northern rail lines with those from the south and east; during the late 1860s the company purchased nearly every bayside plot in Oakland, creating what author and historian Oscar Lewis
Oscar Lewis
Oscar Lewis was an American anthropologist who is best known for his vivid depictions of the lives of slum dwellers and for postulating that there was a cross-generational culture of poverty among poor people that transcended national boundaries...
described as a "wall around the waterfront" that put the town’s fate squarely in the hands of the corporation. Competitors for ferry passengers or dock space were ruthlessly run out of business, and not even stage coach lines could escape the group's notice, or wrath.
By 1930, the Southern Pacific owned the world's largest ferry fleet (which was subsidized by other railroad activities), carrying 40 million passengers and 60 million vehicles annually aboard 43 vessels. However, the opening of the San Francisco – Oakland Bay Bridge in 1936 initiated the slow decline in demand for ferry service, and by 1951 only 6 ships remained active. SP ferry service was discontinued altogether in 1958.
Notable employees
- Carl Ingold JacobsonCarl Ingold JacobsonCarl Ingold Jacobson was a City Council member in Los Angeles, California, from 1925 to 1933. He was tried on a morals charge, and then it was later shown that he was the victim of a frame-up by local police authorities.-Biography:...
, Los Angeles, California, City Council member, 1925–33
See also
- California and the railroadsCalifornia and the railroadsThe establishment of America's transcontinental rail lines securely linked California to the rest of the country, and the far-reaching transportation systems that grew out of them during the century that followed contributed to the state’s social, political, and economic development...
- Historic Southern Pacific DepotsSouthern Pacific DepotThe names Southern Pacific Depot, Southern Pacific Railroad Station, Southern Pacific Railroad Depot, and variations, apply to a number of train stations operated by the Southern Pacific Railroad. Many of these are historic and are listed on the U.S...
- Pacific Fruit ExpressPacific Fruit ExpressPacific Fruit Express was a railroad refrigerator car leasing company that at one point was the largest refrigerator car operator in the world. The company was founded on December 7, 1906 as a joint venture between the Union Pacific and Southern Pacific railroads...
- Southern Pacific Santa Fe RailroadSouthern Pacific Santa Fe RailroadIn the 1980s, the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway and Southern Pacific Transportation Company attempted a merger. It began with the merger of holding companies Santa Fe Industries and Southern Pacific Company on December 23, 1983 to form the Santa Fe Southern Pacific Corporation , which...
- St. Louis Southwestern RailwaySt. Louis Southwestern RailwayThe St. Louis Southwestern Railway , known by its nickname of "The Cotton Belt Route" or simply Cotton Belt, was organized on January 15, 1891, although it had its origins in a series of short lines founded in Tyler, Texas, in 1870 that connected northeastern Texas to Arkansas and southeastern...
External links
- Southern Pacific Historical and Technical Society
- Southern Pacific Passenger Train Consists
- Union Pacific History maintained by the Union Pacific.
- David Coscia's Southern Pacific Site
- Across the Great Salt Lake The Lucin Cutoff - Article from 1937
- Los Angeles River Railroads
- History of the Santa Ana and Newport Railroad on Abandoned Rails.com.