(Chicago & North Western Notes)
CHICAGO
& NORTH WESTERN
RY.
SLEEPING, PARLOR, DINING AND CHAIR CAR SERVICE.
West and Northbound.
No. 1—DAILY.
San Francisco Overland Limited. (The Overland Route.)
(For Standard Sleeping Car passengers only. Extra fare.)
Chicago to San Francisco
Club
Buffet Car. Valet and maid service, barber and bath. Telephone at
Terminal.
Observation
Sleeping Car (3-Compartment 2 Drawing-room).
6-Compartment
3 Drawing-room Sleeping Car.
12-Section
Drawing-room Sleeping Cars.
Dining
Car.
SLEEPING,
PARLOR, DINING AND CHAIR CAR SERVICE.
East and Southbound.
No. 2—DAILY.
San Francisco Overland Limited. (The Overland Route.)
(For Standard Sleeping Car passengers only. Extra fare.)
San Francisco to Chicago.
Club
Buffet Car. Valet and maid service, barber and bath. Telephone at
Terminal.
Observation
Sleeping Car (3-Compartment 2-Drawing-room).
6-Compartment
3-Drawing-room Sleeping Car.
12-Section
Drawing-room Sleeping Cars.
Dining
Car.
All first-class, one-way or round-trip tickets, including
clergy, unless endorsed to the contrary, will be honored on San
Francisco Overland Limited trains Nos. 1 and 2 (extra fare trains), and
also on Gold Coast Limited trains Nos. 27 and 28 (no extra fare).
Reduced fare tickets issued account charity, employes [sic], D. V. S.,
or drovers, caretakers, homeseekers or second-class tickets, and live
stock contracts, will not be honored on Trains 1, 2, 27 or 28, except
that tickets of those classes, reading from Chicago to points beyond
Ames, Ia., will be honored on Gold Coast Limited train No. 27 when
passengers occupy space in Hawarden sleeper. Passengers will not be
carried locally on C. & N. W. Ry. on Trains 1 or 2, except
between Chicago and Council Bluffs or Omaha.
(Union Pacific Notes)
UNION
PACIFIC SYSTEM—The Overland Route
UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD COMPANY
OREGON SHORT LINE RAILROAD COMPANY
OREGON-WASHINGTON RAILROAD & NAVIGATION COMPANY
LOS ANGELES & SALT LAKE RAILROAD COMPANY
EQUIPMENT
TRAINS NOT SHOWN CARRY NO SLEEPING CARS.
Westbound
No. 1—San
Francisco Overland Limited. Daily.
Extra Fare All-Pullman Train. Consult Agent.
Club Car...Chicago to San Francisco
(barber, valet and bath).
Observation Sleeping Car...Chicago to San
Francisco—Drawing-rooms, Compartments (maid service, hairdresser).
Standard Sleeping Cars...Chicago to San
Francisco—6 Compartments, 3 Drawing-rooms.
Chicago
to San Francisco—12-Sections, Drawing-room.
Dining Car...Serving all meals, Chicago to
San Francisco.
Eastbound.
No. 2—San
Francisco Overland Limited. Daily.
Extra Fare All-Pullman Train. Consult Agent.
Club Car...San Francisco to Chicago
(barber, valet and bath).
Observation Sleeping Car...San Francisco
to Chicago—Drawing-rooms, Compartments (maid service, hairdresser).
Standard Sleeping Cars...San Francisco to
Chicago—6 Compartments, 3 Drawing-rooms.
San
Francisco to Chicago—12-Sections, Drawing-room.
Dining Car...Serving all meals, San
Francisco to Chicago.
(Southern Pacific Notes)
SOUTHERN
PACIFIC LINES
OVERLAND ROUTE, VIA OGDEN.
EQUIPMENT.
WESTBOUND.
No. 1—San Francisco Overland Limited. Daily.
Extra Fare Train.
(Barber, valet, shower baths, ladies' lounge, maid.)
Club Car...Chicago to San Francisco.
Standard Sleeping Car...Chicago to San
Francisco—12-Sections, 1 Drawing-room.
Chicago
to San Francisco—6 Compartments, 3 Drawing-rooms.
Observation Sleeping Car...Chicago to San
Francisco—3 Compartments, 2 Drawing-rooms.
Dining Car.
EASTBOUND.
No. 2—San Francisco Overland Limited. Daily. Extra Fare
Train.
(Barber, valet, shower baths, ladies' lounge, maid.)
Club Car...San Francisco to Chicago.
Standard Sleeping Cars...San Francisco to
Chicago—12-Sections, 1 Drawing-room.
San
Francisco to Chicago—6 Compartments, 3 Drawing-rooms.
Observation Sleeping Car...San Francisco
to Chicago—3 Compartments, 2 Drawing-rooms.
Dining Car.
By the mid-1920s railroads in North America were moving into what we can safely consider the modern era. The steam locomotive was nearing its pinnacle of development with the success of Lima's "Super Power" A-1 Berkshire of 1925, which was quickly copied by the other two major locomotive builders Baldwin and Alco. All-steel passenger cars with "Vapor system" steam heat and electric lighting were now the norm, wood was on its way out, and air conditioning was just around the corner. Automatic block signals were becoming the standard for main line trackage and passengers were beginning to clamor for speed, speed, speed.
As of this writing I haven't been able to determine with certainty who first threw down the gauntlet. But there clearly was one thrown; make no mistake of that. The fall of 1926 would see no less than four new extra-fare trains introduced between Chicago and California: The San Francisco Overland Limited between Chicago and San Francisco and the Los Angeles Limited, the Golden State Limited, and the Santa Fe Chief between Chicago and Los Angeles. The first three were established trains reinvigorated with new equipment and a tight (by the standards of the day) 63 hour schedule, while the Chief represented an all-new entry. All four trains boasted that they saved patrons an extra business day of travel, and all four were introduced on the same day—November 14, 1926.
See advertisements for the new 1926 California trains from Chicago & North Western and Southern Pacific.