PART 1 – SP PASSENGER TRAINS |
34
L.A. were closed. On May 12, 1968 the Sunset was extended west
of Los Angeles on the schedule of the Daylight to San Francisco,
so the cars could be serviced in the SP’s own shops.
In 1970 Southern Pacific applied for permission from the
Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) to reduce Sunset ser-
vice from daily to three days a week. The ICC indicated that the
railroad’s removal of the sleepers and feature cars demonstrated
that the railroad was trying to discourage passenger rider-
ship and refused permission. However, it stipulated that if the
amenities were restored to the Sunset, the ICC would approve
cutting operation to three days a week.
Southern Pacific responded by upgrading the Sunset, adding a
hamburger grill diner, a coffee shop-lounge and sleeping cars.
One of the sleepers continued through to New York via the
28. The tail end of the baggage chair class 79-CB-1 combine,
on right, with a class 83-C-5 chair car in painted imitation
stainless with red letterboard, and a dome car, from across
Santa Clara freight yard in 1964.
