Watch video clips of SP 2-10-2s, Daylight 4-8-4s, cab-forwards, and more from the Herron Rail Video program Glory Machines Vol. 1.
Southern Pacific steam in action
By Angela Cotey | August 11, 2016
| Last updated on September 20, 2022
I rode the Daylight three times I can remember during the 1950’s and 60’s and the Starlight a few times. Some of those trains were behind steam. These were great trains until a combination of factors killed them. Their end really came when an upstart airline, PSA, initiated inexpensive hourly service between LAX and other southern California airports and SFO. That, superhighways, and SP becoming hostile toward passenger service did in those fine trains. My last trip on something called “Daylight” was while I was in college in 1964. It was a two coach spartan affair with a vending machine car. Gone was the red, orange and black consist with a full dining car and a tavern observation on the rear. Despite having to share the train with only a handful of passengers, that was a horrible trip. I cherish the 1953 or 4 trip up Cuestra Grade in a full length dome with nary an empty seat.
I also remember riding with my Dad at work in the 1950’s and taking the time to stand trackside in Palo Alto or San Bruno to watch the commuter fleet pass by, all drawn by steam. Sometimes we timed it right to see an inbound Daylight with a GS-4 on the point. Great memories!
Enjoyable video. Rare footage from 0:17 through 0:47 as this is Texas & New Orleans (the SP subsidiary in Texas and Louisiana) territory. Likely shot between Sanderson and Marathon which would be somewhere between 307 to 367 rail miles west of San Antonio. Literally the middle of nowhere. Some particulars: The freight train is westbound with locomotive 913 and the photographer is just west of the lower quadrant semaphore; The passenger train is eastbound and there is a brief glimpse of “2” on the number board meaning this is the Sunset Limited (train #2 and there are no mail and express cars as they would be on companion trains #5 & #6 the Argonaut); the photographer appears to have remained in the general only moving some paces to the east for the passenger train as he is now east of the semaphore signal; Power line poles are along the north side of the track while the telegraph lines are along the south side of the track which is standard for most of the San Antonio-El Paso line.
Nice to hear from you Dave. It has been a long time since I saw you. We had some great times at Portola. Had to retire from the museum because of old Fire Fighting
injuries catching up with me.
Did Norn Holmes move out of Portola? I knew he bought a home in Carson City,
Nevada. Do you happen to know Norms e-mail address? Sure would like to contact
him.
Thanks Dave
I recall those cab-forwards on the Modoc line in the mid-50s, and seeing them in Sparks, NV regularly as a kid in the early 50s. It was fun getting up close to the one in the Museum in Sacramento a few years back. The crews who transited the Donner snowsheds every day really appreciated them. Great video.
Also Gordy,
I still work with Paul, and he was one you taught all the ropes at the CDF along with Glen Ford. Paul said you were a great teacher.
Gordy! Nice to hear from you! I am still active there but don’t run any trains. I am in constant repair mode when I go there, usually with help. And my love is still EMD.
Dave
Good to see the famous GS Series and Cab Forward locomotives in action again. Even
though it was just a video. My grandfather worked for the Southern Pacific at the Oakland
Yard as a grave yard switchman. I got to visit the Oakland Yard many times over the years.
Even got to ride in the cab of a few Cab Forwards going to San Jose and Roseville. Great
times. The Southern Pacific is not the only railroad I got to visit. The Sacramento Northern, Western Pacific, Santa Fe, Virginia & Truckee and the Union Pacific also got a bunch of
visits. Learned how to operate Western Pacific and Union Pacific locomotives at the
Portola Western Pacific Museum. In fact, I ran the museum railroad for 10 years (I was
the Superintendant Of Operations at the museum).
retired
Video brought back many memories. My uncle, Randle T. Henderson was the S.P. Roadmaster based at Niles, California. He lived in a S.P. house fronting the main line through Niles. The water tower was next to his home and steam engines replenished their water at all hours of the day and night. The cab in fronts were my favorites to see pass by and once in awhile, with my uncles approval, I was able to explore the cabs of an at rest engine. Great times in the 1940’s & 1950’s.
Take a chill pill Rob. You can point out such errors without being so abrasive. It ain’t that big of a deal.
The Central Pacific and the Union Pacific met at Promontory SUMMIT not Promontory point. This error should not be made by a company promoting railroad history videos. Get your facts right.
Sometime in Summer 1942, my Dad E.C. Schroeder was transferred from New Orleans to Long Beach, CA by the United Fruit Company of Chiquita Banana note.
German U-Boats were sinking more shipping in the Gulf of Mexico than along the West Coast,
In September 1942 my Mom and younger brother Rob followed Dad to Long Beach on the S.P.’s Argonaut from New Orleans to Los Angeles. I was 5 years old; my brother Rob turned 4 in early October.
Dad had advised Mom to buy round trip tickets New Orleans to San Francisco; SP charged the same rate for sleeper accommodations NOLA to LA or SF.
Shortly after we reached Long Beach, Dad had to go to San Francisco; his Fruit Co. counter part there had become critically ill.
At the end of September Mom, Rob and I took the Pacific Electric from Long Beach to Los Angeles where we boarded the S.P. Daylight to San Francisco.
Several weeks later, Dad, Mom, Rob and I came south (Time Table East) from San Francisco on the Lark. The Daylight and the Lark were both pulled by Southern Pacific GS 4-8-4’s. Don’t know which version GS engines.
In August 1956, Rob, our younger brother Dave who had been conceived in Long Beach, a neighborhood buddy and I took the S.P. Sunset Limited to Los Angeles, probably pulled by E units, then the Daylight to San Francisco.
From San Francisco we took the S.P. ferry to Oakland where we caught the San Francisco Overland to Kansas City via Denver. Somewhere along the way in Wyoming I think we connected with the Union Pacific’s City of St. Louis.
In the Bay area we still saw some steam, I think a 4-8-4 from the Cotton Belt St. Louis Southwestern and in Wyoming we saw U.P. Challengers and Big Boys. Don’t remember if we saw any S.P. Cab Forwards.
From Kansas City we rode the Southern Belle of Kansas City Southern back to New Orleans.
In August 1956 we paid $ 100 each for our chair car accommodations New Orleans – Los Angeles – San Francisco – Kansas City – New Orleans. No added fares for reserve seat accommodations on the Sunset, Daylight and Southern Belle.
A great time was had by all.
I would have enjoyed seeing these locomotives operating in California, but I am glad we have these terrific films to remind us of what used to be.
Made one trip, Los Angeles to San Francisco on the Daylight in 1953. A GS 4, number unknown, was the power. Wonderful trip, great memories for a guy now in his seventies.
Very good I would have liked to have been around California in the 50s
Very impressive! Brings back memories of our cabin at Donner Lake below the SP show sheds near Truckee.