NAPA, Calif. – Proving that just about anything can be purchased online today, four Pullman-Standard-built passenger cars from Southern Pacific’s Shasta Daylight streamliner are being offered for sale on classified advertisements website Craigslist. According to the listing, two cars were built in 1949 and two in 1954. Prices vary from $15,000 to $23,000 and the cars can be moved by rail from Napa, north of San Francisco.
The cars were built with large “Sky View” windows for viewing scenery along the SP’s Shasta Route. Some of the cars were part of the 1984 Louisiana World’s Fair Daylight special pulled by the SP 4-8-4 No. 4449 from Portland, Ore., to New Orleans.
The Shasta Daylight was inaugurated in 1949 and operated between Oakland, Calif., and Portland. Advertised as the “Sweetheart of the Northwest,” all of its coaches, diners, and tavern cars had the large Sky View windows. The train made its last run in 1966.
Amtrak’s Coast Starlight operates over the Shasta Daylight route today.
To see the listing, go to sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/clt/4556725592.html.
I had the chance to ride the Shasta Daylight in the summer of 1966 while serving in the Navy and recall fondly the big windows and the neat "doorways" where one could put their suitcase into the coach right from the platform rather than luggong it up the steps and then inside.
The Craigslist link is no longer active. Probably sold quickly. Would be interested to know where these cars have been all these years. Anybody have pictures?
I ran Nos 11 and 14, the Coast Starlight: I only rode the Shasta Daylight. As an emeritus student of the trains, allow me a correction to "operates over the Shasta Daylight route."
Diverting from their more ore less eastward trek to find northward routes. 75 miles from Oakland at Davis the trains could go to a flat, very fast track on the west side of the Sacramento Valley and continue to Oregon or: they could go to the State Capitol, 16 miles later turn North at Roseville, then to a junction at Tehama with the track from Davis….and then to Oregon.
The Daylight ran Davis-Tehama.
Early on, Amtrak's salad days, the Starlight ran Davis to Tehama: then that route became the California Northern RR. and Nos 11 and 14 went to the Davis-Sacramento-Roseville-Chico-Tehama route, the East Valley, and then, on to the Oregon route.
Really great days, I hope an entertaining recollection group of hope some good, good tales….
If any of these were part of the North Coast Daylight which ran on the Northwestern Pacific tracks out of Eureka, then buyers should inspect them very carefully. Those cars were heavily vandalized after that excursion quit running.
I have a feeling that iowa Pacific might buy them maybe.
I guess four cars is great for some but its hardly a whole train. A guy would have to find another eight or ten cars, right mix of course, to make the whole thing look half decent. Did I hear a female voice telling me to dream on. So I will, like I always do!!!
Let us all get behind any outfit that does manage to buy the four cars and hopefully run them.
Too bad the City of Portland cannot buy them and they could be used behind the 4449. Much like the ex-MILW cars used with the 261.
Wish I could buy them.
I like the Shasta Daylight Coaches with their big windows, would be great on a route like the 'Adirondack'.
WOW, that is amazing