this, my brief encounters with trains of the SP years ago came
back to me, and I hope readers will enjoy this piece as much as I
did writing it and building the models.
New streamliners and the Southern Pacific
Daylight (1934-1937)
Until the Interstate highways were built and airline schedules
increased in the 1950s, passenger trains were the fastest, most
reliable long distance transportation and provided service to
every city and large town.
The 1929 stock market crash and subsequent international
financial depression caused massive unemployment, peaking at
PART 1 – SP PASSENGER TRAINS |
5
2. The Daylight second section made up of rebuilt heavy-
weight cars with lightweights as available.
PART 1 – SP PASSENGER TRAINS |
6
3. Southern Pacific RR Common Standard passenger classes.
25% in 1934. In a positive response, several railroads introduced
lightweight streamlined passenger trains in that year with the
intention of attracting new business.
Conventional locomotives of this time were functional steam
engines with all their piping and mechanisms exposed. The typ-
ical passenger car bristled with rivets, and was usually painted
in a somber dark green color.
By contrast, the streamliners were built of new metals to
reduce weight.
