my ESPEE MODELERS ARCHIVE

California's Railroad to the U.S. 1861 - 1996

Southern Pacific

Passenger Trains

San Joaquin Daylight

This information has been compiled from postings to the SP Mailing list and very close reading of the Books and articles listed in the References.

The streamlined San Joaquin Daylight started officially on July 4th 1941, although lightweight cars had appeared on the train earlier. The inaugural consist in the table below is taken from an article that appeared in Mainline Modeler of May 1988.

Two cars were specially modified for the San Joaquin Daylight; these were the two headend cars per train. The Baggage/RPO and full Baggage were what SP called "Stream-styled" - this involved squaring of each end and altering the end profile to that of the lightweight cars, then adding a full-width diaphragm. The "Harrriman-style" roof was blended into the new end and skirting was added again to match the lightweight cars.

The Baggage/RPO only had a full-width diaphragm at the 'B' end as this car (almost always) operated as the first car. The full-baggage had full-width diaphragms both ends.

Train #51-53 is a combined train until Lathrop, where the first 9 Cars continue to Oakland as Train #51, the last 5 cars go as Train #53 to Sacramento.

The two 60ft Baggage cars were not modified but were painted Daylight colors.

Lunch-Counter Tavern 10310 added 24/7/1941, 10311 added 8/4/1941

#51/52 was 19 cars long up to 7/1943 then 20 cars to 1946.

#6448 a 70ft baggage car was painted in Daylight colors but was not modified.

The #6083 and 6085 were originally built for the Lark and were Stream-Styled, these were repainted in Daylight for the San Joaquin.

The 2 baggage-express were discontinued after 7/1943 and replaced by 66-ACM/ACW 2458/2457 and 66-ACM/ACW 2466/2465.

77-PRO-1 replaced by 79-C-2 between 6/1942 and 7/1943.

Triple unit Diners always operated Coffee-Shop Forward. Pre-war built Triples operated 3-2-1 ie. backwards to their numbering. Post-war built Triples were numbered opposite or correctly, so operated 1-2-3, or as their numbering still with the Coffee-Shop forward.

For the period above the RPO operated as the third car. This was unusual, 99% of the time the RPO was the first car for the security of the mail. Only Railway Mail Service employees were allowed in the RPO and if the car was a combine, then there was a locked door between the RPO and baggage section that could only be opened by the RMS employee.

Operational Notes:

• Parlor Obs to Sacto for short time only

The San Joaquin Daylight went from a 30ft RPO space to a 60ft RPO space meaning a change from a 70-BP-x to an 80-BP-x. Two 80ft Horse-baggage cars were converted to RPO's and painted Daylight in 1950 and numbered - #5217, #5218 and another was converted in 1954 as the 'protection' car - #5219.

When the Noon Daylight was annulled in 1949, Full Dining service was stopped on the SJD and M/CD so the Triple units re-assigned to the SJD had cars 10250/53 rebuilt to Lounge cars and were in operation until 1955.

The last two cars were switched into the Sacramento Daylight at Lathrop.

SP rebuilt 7 cars to Dome-Lounges #3600-3606. Two were built for the SJD #3600 and #3604. #3600 class 79-DL-1 was rebuilt from 77-PRO-1 #2950 released 7/54, #3604 class 83-DL-1 was rebuilt from 81-PRO-x #3000 released 5/55.

In 1955 Dining car assignments changed again with the introduction of the Dome-Lounges. #10253 the artic 59 seat lounge which was converted from a 72 seat diner was converted yet again to a 62 seat Coffee-Shop. #10255 the artic 80 seat coffee-shop was converted to a 52 seat Hamburger-Grill. It then entered service with #3600 or #3604. #10250-51-52 was also similarly converted but never entered service and was vacated in late 1959.

So one consist ran with Triple unit #10253-54-55 (until retired in 1961), and one Dome-Lounge (either #3600 or #3604), the other ran with heavyweight Hamburger-Grill #10501 or #10509 and later (1956) #10507 with lightweight Coffee-Shop-Diner #10200 or #10201 and one Dome-Lounge (either #3600 or #3604). Hamburger-Grill cars ran on the SJD until 6/1961. #10509 vacated 11/1960.

The first Automat Buffet or "Tavern Vendo-Mat" #10600 entered service 9/1961, the second #10601 11/1961. These replaced #10200, 10201 Coffee-Shop-Diners. #10600 and #10601 were reassigned to The Owl in 3/1962, SJD then got #10602 and #10603.

Karl L. Swartz has a website of passenger train consists, he has a 1954 San Joaquin consist and the 1957 San Joaquin consist as below.

• Winter consist would drop 5 chair cars, the triple unit and Hamburger-Grill, both would come down to just one Coffee-Shop-Diner and the Dome-Lounge.
• Train 51/53 - 15 cars LA to Lathrop (except 16 cars on Tues - 3rd baggage added)
• Train 51/53 - 13 cars Lathrop to Oakland - Last 2 cars to Sacramento on 53
• Train 52/54 - 13 Cars Oakland to Lathrop - only two headend cars
• Train 52/54 - 15 cars Lathrop to LA - Last 2 cars ex 54 from Sacramento

Stegmaier lists the chair cars as 44 seats, but by 1958 most chair cars would have had at least 46 seats so car numbers are wild guesses...

Stegmaier also lists neither consist with a Triple unit, but Ryan and Shine say that one Triple unit was in summer service until 1960.

I have shown the Triple on 52/54 with Dome-Lounge #3604, but it could just as easily be on 51/53 with #3600 or any combination.

Operational Notes:

• )* denotes articulated chair cars

Contributors:

• Jim Lancaster
• Gary Schrader
• Bob Pecotich
• John Vasconcelos
• Tim O'Connor
• Jeff Cauthen
• Ken Harrison

References:

• San Joaquin Daylight - Memories of Red, Orange and Black by W. Gordon Anderson - article in Mainline Modeler May 1988
• SP Passenger Car Painting and Lettering Part 2 by Will Anderson - article in Mainline Modeler May 1995
• SP Equipment Circular No.14 June 2, 1946
• Southern Pacific Passenger Trains Volume.1 Night Trains of the Coast Route - by Ryan/Shine
• Southern Pacific Passenger Trains Volume.2 Day Trains of the Coast Line - by Ryan/Shine
• SP Heavyweight Baggage-Mail Cars 5217-5219 and 5044-5045 by James E. Lancaster Ph.D. - article in SP Trainline #22
• Southern Pacific Passenger Cars Volume.1 Coaches and Chair Cars - by The Southern Pacific Historical & Technical Society
• Southern Pacific Passenger Train Consists and Cars 1955-1958 - by Harry Stegmaier