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25
New markets for the Coast Daylight 1953-1960
The schedule of the San Joaquin Daylight between Oakland, on
the east side of San Francisco Bay, and Los Angeles was hours
longer than the Coast Daylight. In January 1953, a through
Oakland-Los Angeles car was added to the Coast Daylight.
Operating eastbound on train #250 from Oakland, the car was
switched into the Coast Daylight at San Jose. Westbound train
#255 performed the same operation in the other direction.
Another untapped market was between Los Angeles and the
developing suburbs around San Francisco. Adding stops would
have increased the Daylight’s running time, so beginning in
20. Running with an off-peak consist, the Daylight has a pair of
General Motors E7 diesels today.
PART 1 – SP PASSENGER TRAINS |
26
January 1955, a through Los Angeles car departed San Francisco
in a commute train making suburban stops to San Jose, where
it was cut into the Coast Daylight. Similar service was provided
westbound in the afternoons.
These improvements required expensive switching of cars at
San Jose, and lasted till service cuts in May, 1960. See the article
starting on page 62 in
Model Railroad Hobbyist
for October/
November 2010 for details. The link to this follows:
21. In the middle of the Daylight, a modern diner, class 83-D-1
replaces the triple unit. Following is a “Timberline Tavern” with
rustic interior brought from the Shasta Daylight. Finally, a class
83-C-5 chair car, brand new this year (1955).
