PART 1 – SP PASSENGER TRAINS |
16
In 1938 the Santa Fe Railroad initiated competing Los Angeles-
San Francisco “Golden Gate” streamliners twice a day. Santa
Fe used fast motor coaches on the new highway between Los
Angeles and Bakersfield, bypassing the slow rail route over the
Tehachapi mountains.
This drastically cut the trip time to rival that of the SP Coast
Daylight, and siphoned riders away from the Southern Pacific.
The SP charged $9.47 for a one-way ticket, but a ticket on the
Santa Fe was only $5.15. In response, the SP lowered its ticket
price to $6.00 and the Daylight gained back its clientele.
In 1939 the Golden Gate International Exposition opened, (San
Francisco World’s Fair) increasing the demand for seats on the
Daylight. In 1940 new equipment was delivered for the Daylight,
