To combat plummeting passenger traffic on its home turf - California - the Southern Pacific turned to Pullman-Standard and the Lima Locomotive Works for its first streamliner. Pullman created a pair of luxurious 12-car trainsets, and Lima responded with the magnificent GS-2 4-8-4 locomotives (the 4449, perhaps today's best-known surviving steam locomotive, is a direct descendant of this type - a GS-4, to be exact). The final result, clad in SP designer Charles Eggleston's red, orange, and black paint scheme, did indeed live up to SP's billing as "The Most Beautiful Train in the World" - the original Daylight. 

The Daylight would be a smash success. Originally inaugurated on March 21, 1937, by 1939 it would be averaging 370 passengers per trip. Needless to say, SP quickly followed up on its success with additional equipment to allow twice-daily Daylight service by January of 1940.

From the pages of the Official Guide, September 1938

Southern Pacific Lines herald

The Daylight

Southern Pacific Lines
July, 1938

98 Train Number 99
Daily Miles Services Daily
8 15A Dp 0 San Francisco, CA (3rd St.) (PT) T C Ar 6 00P
9 08AAr 47 San Jose, CA T CDp 5 02P
250 Connecting Train Number 255
7 00ADp 0 San Francisco, CA (Ferry Bldg.) (PT) T CAr 7 32P
7 30A 4 Oakland Pier, CA (via ferry) T C 7 00P
7 39A 7 Oakland, CA (1st St.) T C 6 52P
7 47A 10 Fruitvale, CA (Alameda) T C 6 42P
8 55AAr 47 San Jose, CA T CDp 5 08P
9 10ADp 47 San Jose, CA T CAr 5 00P
10 32A 115 Salinas, CA T C 3 39P
1 07PAr 248 San Luis Obispo, CA T CDp 12 58P
1 12PDp Ar 12 53P
3 35PAr 367 Santa Barbara, CA T CDp 10 35A
3 38PDp Ar 10 32A
5 38P 465 Glendale, CA T 8 39A
6 00P Ar 471 Los Angeles, CA (PT) T C Dp 8 15A

Train 98: 5 stops, 9:45, 48.3 MPHTrain 99: 5 stops, 9:45, 48.3 MPH


No. 99 - Daylight. Daily
New Streamlined, Air-Conditioned Train. All seats on train must be reserved in advance. Passenger Agent, Porter Service, Maid, Radio Service, Chair Cars, Coffee Shop, Diner, Tavern Car, Parlor Car, Parlor Observation Car.
Meal Service in Coffee Shop - Breakfast 25c. to 45c.; Luncheon and Dinner 35c. to 65c.; also a la carte.
Meal Service in Diner - Breakfast 50c. to $1.00; Luncheon and Dinner 90c. to $1.50; also a la carte.

No. 98 - Daylight. Daily
New Streamlined, Air-Conditioned Train. All seats on train must be reserved in advance. Passenger Agent, Porter Service, Maid, Radio Service, Chair Cars, Coffee Shop, Diner, Tavern Car, Parlor Observation Car.
Meal Service in Coffee Shop - Breakfast 25c. to 45c.; Luncheon and Dinner 35c. to 65c.; also a la carte.
Meal Service in Diner - Breakfast 50c. to $1.00; Luncheon and Dinner 90c. to $1.50; also a la carte.

One item of notice: No. 99 shows both a parlor car and a parlor-observation car northbound, while No. 98 shows only the parlor-observation car southbound. None of the other trains in the timetable show a parlor car heading south. So where's the missing parlor car? Well, it's probably a misprint in the original. Not the first I've found, and it certainly won't be the last.

Original timetable information copyright ©1938 by National Railway Publication Company.  No known record of copyright renewal; it is believed this information is in the public domain.

The Southern Pacific name and herald are trademarks of Union Pacific Railroad Company and are used with permission. Southern Pacific Lines herald obtained from Terry Solberger's Railroad Heralds page.

All comments, original material and page design copyright ©2006-2007 by Eric H. Bowen

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LEGEND

Time:

A - A.M.

D - Train stops only to discharge passengers

F - Conditional (Flag) stop

I  - Customs/Immigration inspection stop

M - Meal stop

N - Not a passenger stop

P - P.M.

R - Train stops only to receive passengers


Services:

A - Auto loading/unloading facilities (as freight)

B - Checked baggage is handled

C - Coupon station (Ticket office)

I  - International border inspection station

M - Food service available

P - Telephone station

R - Rental cars available

T - Telegraph station

X - Checked baggage NOT handled

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