Coast Daylight (SP)
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Officially named simply Daylight when launched, the Coast Daylight was a passenger train originally run by the Southern Pacific Railroad (SP) between the cities of Los Angeles and San Francisco, California, via SP's Coast Line. In the eyes of many, the "most beautiful passenger train in the world" featured a stunning red, orange, and black color scheme.[1]
The Daylight had its inaugural run on March 1, 1937 and was hauled by GS-2 steam locomotives. It was the first one of the Daylight series of the Southern Pacific passenger trains that also included the San Joaquin Daylight, the Shasta Daylight, the Sacramento Daylight, and the Sunset Limited. The Coast Daylight ran behind steam from March 1937 until it was dieselized on January 7, 1955. After dieselization, the train continued to run until 1971, when Amtrak took over service and rerouted their Coast Daylight to Oakland.
A second train known as the Noon Daylight ran on the same route between 1940 and 1949, with a suspension during World War II. The original train was informally known as the "Morning Daylight" during this time.
In 1949, the Noon Daylight was replaced by an overnight train known as the Starlight using the same equipment. In 1956, coaches from the Starlight were added to the all-Pullman Lark and the Starlight was discontinued in 1957. Amtrak revived the train name for its Los Angeles to Seattle service known as the Coast Starlight.
On August 26, 1999: The United States Postal Service issued 33-cent All Aboard! 20th Century American Trains commemorative stamps featuring five celebrated American passenger trains from the 1930s and 1940s. One of the five stamps featured an image of a GS-4 steam locomotive pulling the red-and-orange train along California's Pacific Coast.
The train is the subject of the railroad documentary, "Daylight: The Most Beautiful Train in the World." hosted by Michael Gross. The documentary features early color images and color films from within the train and as it travels along its route. Passengers fondly reminisce about their travels aboard the train, about the striking coastal scenery, and about the fine amenities available at the height of rail passenger era. The narrative is accompanied by large collection of contemporaneous photographs and films, including personal black-and-white films showing life aboard the train.
The documentary covers the time period from 1937 to 1971. This is the time period when the route and equipment were owned and operated as a business venture of the Southern Pacific Railroad. It begins with the train being ordered in 1935 in spite of the ongoing depression, entering service in 1937, operating through World War II, replacing locomotives with diesel power in the 1950s, and finally the demise of the train due to the declining rail passenger traffic. After World War II, declining revenues forced SP to cut costs through a series of austerity measures.
One significant change was that the train's layout was reconfigured to eliminate the dining cars. These were replaced in favor of Automat cars. The Automat cars offered prepared food from vending machines instead of fresh, made-to-order meals in the dining cars. These cars saved money by eliminating all of the train's culinary personnel. This was a utilitarian configuration which allowed for seating, for baggage, and for the Automat car. This configuration was used until the train was discontinued.
In 1971, Amtrak took over operation of the route along the Pacific coast, expanding the route northward to Portland and Seattle.
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[edit] Equipment used
A typical 1946 passenger car consist:
- Baggage Chair Car Combine
- Articulated Chair Car (Pair)
- Articulated Chair Car (Pair)
- Articulated Chair Car (Pair)
- Articulated Dining Car (Triple Unit, consisting of a Coffee Shop car, Kitchen car, and Dining Room car)
- Chair Car
- Articulated Chair Car (Pair)
- Articulated Chair Car (Pair)
- Chair Car
- Tavern Car
- Parlor Car
- Parlor Observation Car
*Note: 20 cars was the maximum consist, if demand was there.
A typical 1970 passenger car consist:
- Baggage Car
- Chair Car
- Chair Car
- Chair Car
- Automat Car
- Chair Car
- Chair Car
[edit] Locomotives used on the Coast Daylight
There are only two surviving locomotives that were used on the Coast Daylight. They are Southern Pacific 4449, a GS-4 steam locomotive which also served as the Bicentennial American Freedom Train engine from 1975 to 1976, and Southern Pacific 6051, an EMD E9 diesel locomotive.
Steam Locomotives
| Class | Wheel arrangement (Whyte notation) |
Locomotive Numbers | Years of Daylight Service | Retired | Current Disposition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GS-2 | 4-8-4 | 4410-4415 | 1937-1941 | 1956 | No survivors |
| GS-3 | 4-8-4 | 4416-4429 | 1938-1942 | 1957 | No survivors |
| GS-4 | 4-8-4 | 4430-4457 | 1941-1955 | 1958 | One survives; 4449 |
| GS-5 | 4-8-4 | 4458 & 4459 | 1942-1955 | 1958 | No survivors |
Diesel Locomotives
| Builder | Model | Locomotive Numbers | Years of Daylight Service | Retired | Current Disposition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ALCO | PA | 6005-6016, 6019-6045, 6055-6068 (A units); 5910-5915, 5918-5924 (B units) |
1953-1971 | 1971 | No survivors |
| EMD | E7 | 6000-6004, 6017 (A units); 5900-5909, 5916 & 5917 (B units) |
1953-1968 | 1968 | No survivors |
| EMD | E8 | 6018 | 1954-1968 | 1968 | No survivors |
| EMD | E9 | 6046–6054 | 1954-1971 | 1971 | One survives; 6051 |
| EMD | FP7 | 6446-6462 | 1953-1971; All but 6462 sold to Amtrak in 1971. | Early 1980s (with Amtrak) | No survivors |
| EMD | SDP45 | 3200-3209 | 1967-1971; leased by Amtrak until 1976. | Early 1990s | No survivors |
[edit] Notes
- ^ DeNevi, p. 46
[edit] References
- DeNevi, Don (1996). America's Fighting Railroads: A World War II Pictorial History. Pictorial Histories Publishing Company, Inc., Missoula, MT. ISBN 1-57510-001-0.
- Wright, Richard K. (1970). Southern Pacific Daylight: Train 98-99. RKW Publications, Sparks, NV.
[edit] See also
- Passenger train service on the Southern Pacific Railroad
