Track 7—The Northwest and Pacific Coast

This section focuses upon passenger service along the Pacific Coast, as well as through passenger service from Chicago and the Midwest to the Pacific Northwest

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The Trains:

The Butte Special

Union Pacific service from Salt Lake City to Butte, Montana via Pocatello and Idaho Falls. Also operated concurrently with the Yellowstone Special during the Yellowstone Park summer season.
Butte Special/Yellowstone Special - July 1957 (Part of the Union Pacific 1957 Summer Tours series.)

The Cascade

Overnight service between San Francisco and Portland, Oregon (with connections to Seattle) operated by the Southern Pacific.
The Cascade - August, 1950

The City of Portland

The original long-distance streamliner was operated by Union Pacific and its partner railroads between Chicago and Portland.
City of Portland - May, 1936
City of Portland - July, 1956
City of Portland - July, 1957 (Part of the Union Pacific 1957 Summer Tours series.)
April 1971 - See the "City of Everywhere" (Track 5)

The Empire Builder

Named in honor of its founder J. J. Hill, this was the Great Northern's flagship train between Chicago and Seattle/Portland.
Empire Builder - June, 1947
Empire Builder - July, 1956

The Golden Gates

Santa Fe's pioneering intermodal service featured bus connections from Los Angeles to Bakersfield, these streamlined trains from Bakersfield to Oakland, and bus service across the Bay to San Francisco.
Golden Gates - June, 1941

The Lark

Southern Pacific's overnight service along the Coast Line between Los Angeles and San Francisco.
The Lark - March, 1968

The Olympian Hiawatha

The Milwaukee Road's long-distance flagship on it's Pacific Extension between Chicago and Seattle/Tacoma.
The Olympian - March, 1946
Olympian Hiawatha - July, 1956

The Owl

Overnight service between Los Angeles and San Francisco through the San Joaquin Valley.
The Owl - July, 1957 (Part of the Union Pacific 1957 Summer Tours series.)

Portland-Seattle Pool Service

Three railroads—Great Northern, Northern Pacific, and Union Pacific—pooled their passenger services along the line they shared between Portland and Seattle.
Portland-Seattle Pool Service - August, 1952
Portland-Seattle Pool Service - July, 1957 (Part of the Union Pacific 1957 Summer Tours series.)
Portland-Seattle Pool Service - April, 1971

The Rogue River

Local service between Portland and Ashland, Oregon, which was the last passenger service operated via Southern Pacific's Siskiyou Line.
Rogue River - April, 1955

The San Diegans

Santa Fe's streamliner service on its "Surf Line" between Los Angeles and San Diego.
San Diegans - May, 1957

The San Joaquin Daylight

Service on Southern Pacific's interior route through the San Joaquin Valley from Los Angeles to Oakland via Bakersfield and Fresno.
San Joaquin Daylight - August, 1944
San Joaquin Daylight/Sacramento Daylight- July, 1957
(Part of the Union Pacific 1957 Summer Tours series.)
San Joaquin Daylight/Sacramento Daylight - April, 1971

The Shasta Daylight

Companion train to the Cascade, this was Southern Pacific's daytime train between Portland and Oakland/San Francisco.
Shasta Daylight - August, 1950

The Spokane

Union Pacific operated extensive coordinated service in eastern Washington state and western Idaho, and this overnight train between its namesake city and Portland was the link which held it all together.
The Spokane - July, 1954

The West Coast

Overnight service operated by Southern Pacific between Los Angeles and Sacramento via Bakersfield and Merced.
West Coast - July 1957 (Part of the Union Pacific 1957 Summer Tours series.)

The Western Star

Inaugurated in 1951 to replace the Oriental Limited as Great Northern's secondary train on the St. Paul to Seattle run, with through cars to Chicago via the Burlington and to Portland via S. P. & S.
Western Star - July, 1966

The Yellowstone Special - See the Butte Special above

See Also:

Track 5: The Coast Daylight and the North Coast Limited
Track 6: The Internationals
Track 12: The Camas Prairie Railroad
All comments, original material and page design copyright 2006-2015 by Eric H. Bowen. Page modified 2015-11-29.