The Golden State would be discontinued on April 8, 1968. Its longtime competitor, the original Chief, would follow suit a little over a month later on May 15.

NOTE: I have been advised by a correspondent, Mr. Gregory Stout, that the April 8 date is incorrect and that the Golden State made its last run over Rock Island rails on February 21, 1968. He believes that the schedule appeared in the March issue due to publication lead time. When opportunity permits I plan to revise this page to the January 1968 timetable; I believe that there is no difference in any of the times.

YET ANOTHER NOTE: A second correspondent, Mr. David Nelson, is in the process of compiling a list of all named trains in North American railroad history. According to his sources the April 8 date for the last run of the Golden State is correct. Until I can confirm beyond doubt one date or the other I am letting the page stand as is. However, do be aware that there is conflicting information.

From the pages of the Official Guide, March 1968

Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific heraldSouthern Pacific Lines herald

The Golden State

Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific RR.
Southern Pacific Lines
March 1, 1968

3 Train Number 4
Daily Miles (Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific) Services Daily
11 25A Dp 0 Chicago, IL (La Salle St. Station) (CT) C R Ar 9 40P
11 37A 7 Englewood, IL (Union Station) C 9 14P
R12 10P 40 Joliet, IL C D 8 37P
R12 53P 84 Ottawa, IL C D 7 47P
R 1 08P 99 La Salle, IL C D 7 31P
R 1 23P 114 Bureau, IL C 7 16P
2 28P 179 Moline, IL C 6 16P
2 45P Ar 181 Rock Island, IL C R Dp 6 10P
3 00P Dp Ar 5 45P
3 08P 183 Davenport, IA C R 5 20P
3 38P 210 Muscatine, IA C 4 46P
3 59P 231 Columbus Junction, IA C 4 26P
4 43P 271 Fairfield, IA C 3 45P
5 02P 287 Eldon, IA C 3 28P
5 43P 326 Centerville, IA C 2 51P
6 11P 352 Allerton, IA C 2 25P
7 10P 402 Trenton, MO C 1 39P
9 10P Ar 495 Kansas City, MO C Dp 11 55A
9 40P Dp Ar 11 30A
10 50P 563 Topeka, KS C 10 15A
12 20A Ar 645 Herington, KS C Dp 8 55A
12 30A Dp Ar 8 50A
1 25A 690 McPherson, KS C 8 03A
2 15A 718 Hutchinson, KS 7 36A
3 10A Ar 771 Pratt, KS C Dp 6 42A
3 30A Dp Ar 6 33A
5 39A Ar 904 Liberal, KS C Dp 4 31A
6 00A Dp Ar 4 20A
6 38A 943 Guymon, OK C 3 37A
7 50A 1015 Dalhart, TX 2 32A
9 30A Ar 1108 Tucumcari, NM (CT) C Dp 1 05A
(Southern Pacific)
8 55A Dp 1108 Tucumcari, NM (MT)C Ar 11 59P
F 9 55A 1167 Santa Rosa, NM F10 46P
F10 42A 1210 Vaughn, NM X F10 04P
12 13P 1296 Carrizozo, NM X 8 35P
1 08P 1353 Alamogordo, NM X 7 27P
2 35P Ar 1441 El Paso, TX (Union Station) C R Dp 6 00P
The Streamliner Sunset
1Connecting Train Number2
12 01PDp0New Orleans, LA (Union Psgr. Tml.) (CT)C RAr7 45P
9 00PDp363Houston, TX (S. P. Station)C RAr11 35A
1 45ADp569San Antonio, TX (CT)C RAr7 15A
1 35PAr1177El Paso, TX (Union Station) (MT)C RDp5 40P
1 Continuing Train Number 2
3 00P Dp 1441 El Paso, TX (Union Station) C R Ar 5 00P
4 20P 1530 Deming, NM C 3 05P
5 25PAr 1590 Lordsburg, NM CDp 2 05P
5 35PDp Ar 1 55P
6 50P 1663 Willcox, AZ C 12 25P
7 40P 1705 Benson, AZ C 11 25A
8 45P Ar 1752 Tucson, AZ C R Dp 10 00A
9 05P Dp Ar 9 40A
F10 05P 1816 Coolidge, AZ C F 8 23A
10 50P 1856 Mesa, AZ C 7 45A
11 35P Ar 1872 Phoenix, AZ C R Dp 7 15A
12 05A Dp Ar 6 45A
3 00A Ar 2046 Yuma, AZ (MT) C Dp 3 40A
2 10A Dp Yuma, AZ (PT) Ar 2 25A
3 15A 2111 Niland, CA 12 40A
4 20A 2168 Indio, CA C 11 40P
5 10A 2196 West Palm Springs, CA (Palm Springs) C R 10 55P
6 30A 2240 Colton, CA C 9 45P
7 00A 2265 Pomona, CA C R 9 10P
7 40A 2291 Alhambra, CA (Pasadena) C R 8 35P
8 15A Ar 2297Los Angeles, CA (Union Psgr. Tml.) (PT) C R Dp 8 15P

Train 3-1 (Chicago-Los Angeles): 45 stops, 46:50, 49.0 MPHTrain 2-4 (Los Angeles-Chicago): 45 stops, 47:25, 48.4 MPH


NOTE: Operates combined with the Sunset between El Paso and Los Angeles.

NOTE: There is a 29 mile discrepancy in the mileage from El Paso to Los Angeles shown on the Rock Island through timetable and that shown on the Southern Pacific Sunset Route timetable. Mileage shown here is Rock Island mileage from Chicago to Tucumcari; Southern Pacific mileage from El Paso to Los Angeles; and Southern Pacific mileage from the January 1968 Guide between Tucumcari and El Paso.

(Rock Island Notes)

ROCK ISLAND LINES

EQUIPMENT.

Nos. 3 and 4—GOLDEN STATE.
CHICAGO-LOS ANGELES. Daily.
SPECIAL SERVICE CHARGE.

Club Diner—

Between Chicago and Los Angeles.

Pullman Cars—Between Chicago and Los Angeles—Roomettes, Bedrooms.

Chair Cars—(Pillows available at a nominal charge.)

Advance Reservations Required.

Between Chicago and Los Angeles.

Chicago to Kansas City.

(Southern Pacific Notes)

SUNSET ROUTE

EQUIPMENT.
STREAMLINER SUNSET. SPECIAL SERVICE CHARGE.

Sleeping Cars—El Paso-Los Angeles. (Roomettes, Bedrooms.)

Chair Cars—New Orleans-Los Angeles. El Paso-Los Angeles. Reclining leg rest seats. Pillow service available at nominal charge. Porter Service.

Meal and Lounge Service—Los Angeles-El Paso.

Automatic Buffet Car—Los Angeles-New Orleans.

Checked baggage handled.


[NOTE: By March 1968, all mention of the Golden State had been removed from the Southern Pacific timetable pages. The following notes, and all station services notations for S. P. stations between Tucumcari and El  Paso, have been taken from the January 1968 edition of the Official Guide.]

SUNSET AND GOLDEN STATE ROUTES

EQUIPMENT.

STREAMLINER
GOLDEN STATE.

SPECIAL SERVICE CHARGE.

Sleeping Cars—

Chicago-Los Angeles. (Roomettes, Bedrooms.)

Chair Cars—

Chicago-Los Angeles.

Reclining leg rest seats.

Pillow service available at nominal charge.

Porter Service.

Meal and Lounge Service—

Chicago-Los Angeles.

Baggage—

Checked only to and from certain stations east of Tucumcari. Consult agent.


No checked baggage service on Golden State to or from Vaughn, Carrizozo and Alamogordo.
FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE
FREE SELF-SERVICE LUGGAGE CARTS
AVAILABLE AT MANY SOUTHERN PACIFIC STATIONS
Don't overlook using S.P.'s free self-service luggage carts located in front of the station or at trainside. They're there for your convenience and economy. Just load your luggage, release the hand brake, and away you go.

A note of historical interest to railfans: While the operational turnover from Rock Island to Southern Pacific occurred in Tucumcari, the interchange point for division of interline revenue and actual end-of-track for both lines was in Santa Rosa, NM, and that was the point which would be shown on your interline coupons if you booked a through ticket. Thanks to Mr. Gilbert Norman for bringing up this detail.

Original timetable information copyright ©1968 by National Railway Publication Company.  It is believed that the noncommercial use of this out-of-print material to document the history of the North American passenger train constitutes Fair Use under U.S. copyright law.

The Southern Pacific name and herald are trademarks of Union Pacific Railroad Company and are used with permission. Other railroad logos, heralds and trademarks used with intent to comply with Fair Use provisions of copyright and trademark law to illustrate the source material in its historical context.  Rock Island herald obtained from Wikipedia. Southern Pacific Lines herald obtained from Signal Signs.

All comments, original material and page design copyright ©2006-2011 by Eric H. Bowen. Page created 7/6/2009. Revised 2/22/2011 (Sunset connection info).

References:
Louisiana Rail Site; Sunset Limited in the Streamliner Era, page 2; retrieved on 7/6/2009.
Wikipedia Chief (passenger train) page, retrieved on 7/6/2009.
StreamlinerSchedules.com

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LEGEND

Time:

A - A.M.

D - Train stops only to discharge passengers

F - Conditional (Flag) stop

I  - Customs/Immigration inspection stop

M - Meal stop

N - Not a passenger stop

P - P.M.

R - Train stops only to receive passengers


Services:

A - Auto loading/unloading facilities (as freight)

B - Checked baggage is handled

C - Coupon station (Ticket office)

I  - International border inspection station

M - Food service available

P - Telephone station

R - Rental cars available

T - Telegraph station

X - Checked baggage NOT handled

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