The Train Called the
Sunset Limited
by Warren Taylor
S
ix days a week at mid-
day, the Alpine area has
the exciting event of
seeing what has become a
rarity. It’s a passenger train –
the train called the Sunset
Limited. This famous train is
the oldest named train in
America and has the distinc-
tion of always being num-
bered train #1 (westward)
and # 2 (eastward).
The first run of this train was in 1893,
and it opened up service along the route
from New Orleans to Los Angeles and
originally on to San Francisco. Now the
train, under Amtrak, operates westward
on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays
and eastward on Mondays, Thursdays
and Saturdays.
This train was
operated for 78
years by Southern
Pacific. Now the
Amtrak train runs
on Union Pacific
tracks. During its
long years of serv-
ice, the “Sunset,”
as it is known, has
seen its share of
ups and downs.
In the begin-
ning, the train was
certainly the pride
of the Southern
Pacific line. It was
a first-class train with only small private
rooms. A second train served along the
same route for many years and offered
more economical fares; it was called the
Argonaut. This train offered chair-car
service and what were commonly called
“tourist sleepers,” which were the old-
fashioned fold-down births with the can-
vas curtains.
4
In its early days at the end of the
1800s, the Sunset Limited was not a
long train with numerous coaches. The
wooden cars were very deluxe. They
included smoking rooms for men and
parlors for women. The train included a
diner with specially prepared food.
There was a library at the end of one
coach and a writing room in the last car
which featured an
open outdoor plat-
form
“porch.”
Short as it may
have been, the
train also featured
a barber shop and
shower facility. At
that time, the
Sunset probably
did not operate
daily except during
peak season. The
train usually con-
sisted of five or six
cars. The head car
also featured space
for the U.S. Postal mail car.
The original Sunset Limited was
steam-powered and required 73 hours
to travel between New Orleans and Los
Angeles. Many water stops were
required for the steam engine and to
change the locomotives; a single steam-
er did not make the complete run. The
coaches were wooden and without cen-
Cenizo
Second Quarter 2013
tral heating
and certainly
without air
conditioning.
The locomo-
tives were
coal-pow-
Photos from the Southern Pacific archive, courtesy of Karen Lanier
ered, a feature that was
soon to change to oil to Above - The publicity poster touts the glamour and “out
this world” experience of the train. Left - The color
reduce sparks in the of
scheme on the diesels, the yellow next to red was inten-
engine smoke that could tional, to further carry on the theme of the sunset. Also
create grass fires along the the general logo of the railroad was a circle with railroad
tracks running off into a sunset. So the theme prevailed.
right of way.
By 1924, new steel
included the crest of the railroad at the
coaches were added, which contributed
top and was edged with orange blos-
to a superior, smooth-riding quality for
soms. Silver was specially made by
the passengers and eliminated the
Gorham and Reed & Barton. Dinner in
famous squeaking associated with the
the diner was a wonderfully special
older “woodys.” Air conditioning was
event. Napkins had the company crest
soon to be added, and the train soon saw
woven into the starched damask.
an increased ridership, while maintain-
The other train to operate on the line
ing the deluxe appeal. The train was no
was the “work-horse,” the Argonaut.
longer a “bobcat,” to use railroad jar-
This additional train was begun in 1926
gon, but was now handling a total of 10
and lasted until 1958. It was a slower
to 14 passenger cars including eight
train and offered cheaper tickets and
sleepers, a diner and a lounge-observa-
services. This train hauled more express
tion car.
and mail and made more stops. Yet for
Diner specialties were broiled red
the thrifty-minded passenger who was
fish, fried oysters with coleslaw, breaded
not in a hurry, this was the train to take.
lamb chops with green peas, veal cutlets
The Argonaut was a 50-hour train
and a wide assortment of desserts.
Orders for meals were not given verbal-
ly but written by the passenger on a
small pad. Custom china was made for
continued on page 27
the Southern Pacific, and the china