Golden State (passenger train)
Categories: US rail stubs | Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad | Southern Pacific Railroad | Named passenger trains of the United States
The Golden State was a named passenger train jointly operated by the Rock Island and Southern Pacific railroads as No. 3 (westbound) and No. 4 (eastbound). The extra-fare train made its inaugural run as the Golden State Limited on October 2, 1902. In 1947, three EMD E7 ABB locomotive sets were delivered to the Southern Pacific and painted in what would be a signature paint scheme for the line.
On January 4, 1948 an all lightweight (streamlined) consist was placed in service and the train's name was changed to the Golden State, running on a 45-hour schedule. From 1948–1952, the upper portions of rolling stock and motive power used on the Golden State were painted "SP Daylight" red over a lower section either coated with aluminum paint or skinned in stainless steel, after which they received the red and orange Daylight color scheme. The Southern Pacific utilized Roman-style lettering on its equipment, while the Rock Island favored Zephyr-style lettering.
The Golden State competed with the Super Chief, a streamlined passenger train operated by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, and the City of Los Angeles, a streamlined passenger train jointly operated by the Chicago and North Western Railway and the Union Pacific Railroad. The train commenced its last run from Los Angeles' Union Passenger Terminal (LAUPT) on April 8, 1968.
References
- Ryan, Dennis and Mike Jarel. "The Streamlined Golden State." SP Trainline 59 (2) 8-38.
- Jarel, Mike. "Diesel Power for the Golden State." SP Trainline 59 (2) 39-45.
See also
- Passenger trains on the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad.
External links
- The Golden State Page at the Rock Island Technical Society official website.
- Southern Pacific Locomotive Paint Schemes: The Golden State