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This operation upgraded the Hustler to a streamliner and freed up
the heavyweight equipment, resulting in a far more efficient use of
the expensive new lightweight cars.
On your model railroad, the morning local trains could pick up a
parlor car or drop express cars to run afternoon services.
By 1950, passenger loadings on the T&NO trains fell off drasti-
cally as new highways were completed. Travel by new airlines
quickly drained off the first class passengers, resulting in the
SP discontinuing most of their Texas services but leaving the
Sunbeam and Hustler.
The cars were refinished in stainless steel with red letterboards
in 1951. The Hustler ran until 1954, while the Sunbeam remained
until 1955, after which its cars were sent to Pacific lines of the SP.
40. The Sunbeam’s baggage-express car is followed by chair
cars identical to the ones on the Daylight.
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41. The chair cars are followed by the full parlor car (without
stateroom) and the observation-lounge car of the Sunbeam.
Train consist diagrams
The trains in these diagrams can be modeled with ready-to-run
and kit form plastic models, plus either some brass cars or stand-
ins. The diagrams show the changes that took place on Southern
Pacific streamliners over the years.
The books, “Night Trains of the Southern Pacific Coast Route Vol.
1” and “Day Trains of the Southern Pacific Coast Route, Vol. 2” by
Dennis Ryan and Joseph Shine have detailed descriptions of car
assignments and photos through the history of these cars.
In the book “The Daylight, Volume 1” by Richard K. Wright, it is
indicated that the railroad’s consist sheets only specified car num-
bers in 1946, 1947 and 1948.
Before this time, the cars may have been locked into their assign-
ments due to a lack of extra lightweight equipment. Orders of new
