Sunset Limited discussion

[Rasputin]

That's the schedule I remember that left LA mid afternoon. I didn't remember when they reverted to the traditional 10 pm LA departure, though.

I quite liked that schedule. I thought you got better scenery with it, Beaumont Pass, the Salton Sea, Pecos High Bridge, though it didn't work well for connections.

I have traveled on the eastbound Sunset under both schedules and liked the previous (pre-early May 2012) schedule much better. Although I enjoyed the scenery east of Tucson in the morning under the present schedule, the earlier schedule offered much better views across Texas. I especially liked the section where the Sunset route runs along a cliff with the cliff overhanging the train in places. I can't recall if that section was between Sanderson and High Bridge or between High Bridge and Del Rio.

 

[Cal]

I can't recall if that section was between Sanderson and High Bridge or between High Bridge and Del Rio.

Assuming the High Bridge is the Pecos River bridge, it's between there and Del Rio. I remember waking up on #1 a few years ago and sipping coffee while watching the sunrise over the PEcos River. It was a lovely view and one of my favorite memories on the train, but the land was very normal desert, no cliffs.

 

[FortCalhoun]

Pre-Amtrak and in early Amtrak, the actual switching would likely take about 20 minutes I suspect.

In 1967 The Sunset Limited was combined with the Golden State in El Paso. The Sunset arrived at 1:35 and the Golden State arrived at 2:35. The combined train left at 3:00.

 

[Sunrobber]

Pre-Amtrak and in early Amtrak, the actual switching would likely take about 20 minutes I suspect.

I I opened one eye very briefly, but basically slept through the stop and reconfiguring the train.

 

[Bob Dylan]

I I opened one eye very briefly, but basically slept through the stop and reconfiguring the train.

Switching used to go much quicker and Smoother back in the day, when there were many more Trains and Crews @ Stations where Switching was done in the Station.

 

[Asher]

I I opened one eye very briefly, but basically slept through the stop and reconfiguring the train.

I never thought I slept well on trains until I missed San Antone completely.

 

[Bob Dylan]

I never thought I slept well on trains until I missed San Antone completely.

Of all the hundreds of times I've ridden thru San Antonio on the Sunset/Eagle in both directions, I've yet to be able to do this!

 

[uncleboots]

In 1967 The Sunset Limited was combined with the Golden State in El Paso. The Sunset arrived at 1:35 and the Golden State arrived at 2:35. The combined train left at 3:00.

The Golden State had a Yuma to San Diego Section

 

[zephyr17]

In 1967 The Sunset Limited was combined with the Golden State in El Paso. The Sunset arrived at 1:35 and the Golden State arrived at 2:35. The combined train left at 3:00.

The Golden State had a Yuma to San Diego Section

Not by 1967.

 

[Harmon Shay]

That combining of the Sunset and Golden State actually happened in April of 1964. An ex-SP passenger guy told me it came as a surprise. Another account said it was technically illegal and caused a lot of confusion and problems. During that first summer it ran as long as 27 cars west of El Paso with a capacity of something like 700 people and was given only the Golden State's diner and lounge cars and the Sunset's automat car for food service. All three were swamped at meal times. Not a fun ride anymore.

 

[Bob Dylan]

That combining of the Sunset and Golden State actually happened in April of 1964. An ex-SP passenger guy told me it came as a surprise. Another account said it was technically illegal and caused a lot of confusion and problems. During that first summer it ran as long as 27 cars west of El Paso with a capacity of something like 700 people and was given only the Golden State's diner and lounge cars and the Sunset's automat car for food service. All three were swamped at meal times. Not a fun ride anymore.

I rode this combo once, and it was jam packed with people waiting hours to eat.

As I remember they even had a 10PM Dimner setting that night.

 

[uncleboots]

Not by 1967.

That combining of the Sunset and Golden State actually happened in April of 1964. An ex-SP passenger guy told me it came as a surprise. Another account said it was technically illegal and caused a lot of confusion and problems. During that first summer it ran as long as 27 cars west of El Paso with a capacity of something like 700 people and was given only the Golden State's diner and lounge cars and the Sunset's automat car for food service. All three were swamped at meal times. Not a fun ride anymore.

Not by 1967.

ORIGINALLY!!!!!!!!

 

[George Harris]

The Golden State had a Yuma to San Diego Section

Don't know when passenger service ended. Wiki says 1951. Nor do I know whether or not it was regarded as a section of the Golden State, or a connecting train or a connection to some other train. I suspect not since the one passenger train each way was essentially a local. The railroad was built as the San Diego and Arizona, later called the San Diego and Arizona Eastern, but was controlled by Southern Pacific. It looped through Mexico, the Mexican portion being the Tijuana and Tecate. This was 148.1 miles to El Centro CA with 44 miles being on the T&T. The rest of the way to Yuma AZ was on a Southern Pacific branch 9.1 miles to Calexico on the Mexican border, thence back into Mexico for 52 miles on the Inter California Railway, then 9 miles back in the US to Yuma. Total 218 miles San Diego to Yuma.

My mother-in-law talked once about riding on it during WW2. She was returning from San Diego to Pensacola after spending some time in San Diego while her husband's ship was in port. (I never met the man. He died before I met my wife to be.) She had three small kids, not including my wife who was born in 1947. They were in coach. She probably never even ever saw the inside of a Pullman car. Beyond their budget. She talked about the whole passenger clientele being somewhat creepy, particularly when she realized they were outside the US and in Mexico on two different sections of the route. The whole San Diego to Yuma time was on the order of 8 hours. I do not know what the entire trip time was, but their destination was Pensacola FL. Yes, during that time many people took multi day/night trips in coach.

 

[uncleboots]

Don't know when passenger service ended. Wiki says 1951. Nor do I know whether or not it was regarded as a section of the Golden State, or a connecting train or a connection to some other train. I suspect not since the one passenger train each way was essentially a local. The railroad was built as the San Diego and Arizona, later called the San Diego and Arizona Eastern, but was controlled by Southern Pacific. It looped through Mexico, the Mexican portion being the Tijuana and Tecate. This was 148.1 miles to El Centro CA with 44 miles being on the T&T. The rest of the way to Yuma AZ was on a Southern Pacific branch 9.1 miles to Calexico on the Mexican border, thence back into Mexico for 52 miles on the Inter California Railway, then 9 miles back in the US to Yuma. Total 218 miles San Diego to Yuma.

My mother-in-law talked once about riding on it during WW2. She was returning from San Diego to Pensacola after spending some time in San Diego while her husband's ship was in port. (I never met the man. He died before I met my wife to be.) She had three small kids, not including my wife who was born in 1947. They were in coach. She probably never even ever saw the inside of a Pullman car. Beyond their budget. She talked about the whole passenger clientele being somewhat creepy, particularly when she realized they were outside the US and in Mexico on two different sections of the route. The whole San Diego to Yuma time was on the order of 8 hours. I do not know what the entire trip time was, but their destination was Pensacola FL. Yes, during that time many people took multi day/night trips in coach.

It was included in a earlier timetable

 

[uncleboots]

Don't know when passenger service ended. Wiki says 1951. Nor do I know whether or not it was regarded as a section of the Golden State, or a connecting train or a connection to some other train. I suspect not since the one passenger train each way was essentially a local. The railroad was built as the San Diego and Arizona, later called the San Diego and Arizona Eastern, but was controlled by Southern Pacific. It looped through Mexico, the Mexican portion being the Tijuana and Tecate. This was 148.1 miles to El Centro CA with 44 miles being on the T&T. The rest of the way to Yuma AZ was on a Southern Pacific branch 9.1 miles to Calexico on the Mexican border, thence back into Mexico for 52 miles on the Inter California Railway, then 9 miles back in the US to Yuma. Total 218 miles San Diego to Yuma.

My mother-in-law talked once about riding on it during WW2. She was returning from San Diego to Pensacola after spending some time in San Diego while her husband's ship was in port. (I never met the man. He died before I met my wife to be.) She had three small kids, not including my wife who was born in 1947. They were in coach. She probably never even ever saw the inside of a Pullman car. Beyond their budget. She talked about the whole passenger clientele being somewhat creepy, particularly when she realized they were outside the US and in Mexico on two different sections of the route. The whole San Diego to Yuma time was on the order of 8 hours. I do not know what the entire trip time was, but their destination was Pensacola FL. Yes, during that time many people took multi day/night trips in coach.

The imperial was the Chi-La train that provided service to San Diego

 

[George Harris]

In reference to my comment about Mother-in-law and kids riding east from San Diego to Yuma, thence eastward.

The imperial was the Chi-La train that provided service to San Diego

Her destination was Pensacola FL, so she would not have ended up on the Imperial. If that was the through train into San Diego, and I am not sure that was the case in WW2, she would have had to change somewhere, either Yuma or El Paso, as her destination on the SP would have been New Orleans, thence on the L&N for the rest of the trip.