Southern Pacific Lines Coast Line Division “The Route of the Octopus”

Southern Pacific Lines

Coast Line Division

“The Route of the Octopus”

General Information

The West Coast History

The train number was 59 & 60.
The West Coast train #59 changed from westward to eastward at Lathrop, but it didn't change numbers there--at least not always. The West Coast changed from running via Roseville to running via Davis in 1941.
The image on page 30 in Tom Dill's book "Southern Pacific's San Joaquin Valley Line", The train coming in from the left is train No. 59, the "West Coast"(LA - Sac overnight), not West Coast Daylight.
http://www.fourwayswest.com/id51.html
The caption for the image (photo taken by Donald Duke) includes the following:
"Early morning sun highlights train No. 59, the westbound West Coast, as it arrives at Lathrop, while a cab-forward powered freight waits in the clear on the Tracy to Stockton double track main for the passenger train to proceed. Prior to 1949, the West Coast had run through from Portland to Los Angeles via Sacramento, but after the introduction of the new streamlined Cascade, its schedule was truncated to an overnight run between Sacramento and Los Angeles. Sighting loss of revenue and ridership, the train was discontinued altogether on December 7, 1960. Just behind GS-2 No. 4420 is one of just three express boxcars painted in the attractive two-tone gray paint scheme. The rest of the consist includes three Harriman "round roof" 60 ft. baggage cars, an air conditioned heavyweight coach, Daylight painted articulated chair cars, a heavyweight snack-lounge car and a two-tone gray 6 section-6 roomette-4 double bedroom (6-6-4) Pullman, recently transferred from the Lark."
Rob Sarberenyi

The West Coast, train nos. 59 & 60 became a Sacto-LA train only in 1949. It died Dec. 7, 1960.
Jeff Cauthen

The West Coast, Trains 59 and 60 also carried head end equipment.
Jeff Cauthen

West Coast Train Consist

West Coast Steam Motive Power

GS-2
GS-4

If you model 1950 you can use a GS-4 in daylight on these trains. or if you want you can use a GS-2. in black with skirts.
Bob Liberman

West Coast Diesel Motive Power

West Coast Passenger Car Equipment

1954 West Coast #59-60 - 14-4 car pass consist list

From the SP July 23, 1954 Consist File, verbatim: CONSIST NO. 59
l Mail & Express (sealed) LA - Sacramento (to 229 two days a week)
l " (working) (Sat.only) LA - Bakersfield
l " (Dy.exc.Sun.) (working) LA - Fresno (returns No.56)
l 30' mail apt. Fresno - Sacramento (off No.60)
l Storage mail (working) Los Angeles - "
l Baggage & Express " - "
l Chair car (Fri.and Sun.only) " - "
3 AC chair cars " - "
l Diner " - "
l Lounge " - "
l 10-5 Std. 594 " - "
l l4-4 " 593 " - "
Cars in No. 59 from Los Angeles
Sun. Mon. to Thurs. Fri.-Sat.
Los Angeles - Bakersfield l0 ll l2
Bakersfield - Fresno l0 ll ll
Fresno - Sacramento ll ll l0
Max. consist - Los Angeles - Fresno - l7 cars,
Fresno - Sacramento - l9 " .
There are no other 14-4 cars on any SP trains in the June-July 1954 official consist file which could connect to the "West Coast" at Los Angeles (ie, #3/4 Golden State, #5/6 Argonaut, #39/40 Imperial, #43/44 Cherokee). Train #60 also shows a 14-4.
In the June 1954 OG, there was nothing mentioned on any SP trains about carrying 14-4's. SP official consist files both before July 1954 and after July 1954 show the 14-4 cars, but not the OG's or PTT's. SP might have leased 14-4's in exchange for MP leasing some other SP lightweights.
Partial answers to this mystery are in the excellent resource SOUTHERN PACIFIC PASSENGER CARS, VOL 2, SLEEPERS, published in 2005 by the SP Historical and Technical Society.
When the SP was "trying to upgrade the West Coast due to political considerations emanating from Sacramento" {the PUC most likely} T&P 14-4 cars Eagle Spirit and Eagle Call were leased "early in 1956 and ran for approximately two years." There is a picture of one car in Blue and Grey in Sacramento in April 1957 so apparently the cars were not repainted into SP colors.
The 12-5 sleepers (SP 9250-9251) from the COSF operated on the West Coast for about a year during 1954/55.

1957 West Coast #59 - Pass Consist List

From the SP March 1, 1957
l Mail &Express LA to Bakersfield
l Storage mail (sealed) LA to Sacramento
l Baggage & Express LA to Fresno
l Baggage & Express LA to Sacramento
l Baggage & Express LA to Sacramento
l Baggage & Express LA to Sacramento
l News Agent LA to Sacramento
2 Chair Car (AC) LA to Sacramento
l Snack-Lounge LA to Sacramento
l 6-6-4 LA to Sacramento
l 14-4 LA to Sacramento

1957 West Coast #60 - Pass Consist List

From the SP March 1, 1957
l Baggage & Express Fresno to LA
l Baggage & Express Seattle to LA
l Baggage & Express Portland to LA
l Baggage & Express Seattle to LA
l Baggage & Express Sacramento to LA
l Baggage Sacramento to LA
l News Agent Sacramento to LA
2 Chair Car (AC) Sacramento to LA
l Snack-Lounge Sacramento to LA
l 6-6-4 Sacramento to LA
l 14-4 Sacramento to LA

Specific Equipment Used on the West Coast

Heavyweights Snack-Lounge Car

SP #2980 was a heavyweight arch roof Snack-Lounge car, assigned in the 50s to the West Coast, as pictured at Page 57 of Stegmaier's "SP Passenger Train consists and Cars 1955-1958". Daylight painted.

Sleepers

1938 cars, were renumbered SP #9250 (Portsmith Square) & SP #9251 (Telegraph Hill)
They were reassigned in 1954 to the West Coast train.

6-6-4 Pullman

6 section-6 roomette-4 double bedroom

Tavern

#10315 Was used on the West Coast train.
A photo in LA in 1959 can be seen in PT2-254.

Southern Pacific Lines
The West Coast Passenger Train

General Info
West Coast History

West Coast Train Consist
Steam Motive Power
Diesel Motive Power
Passenger Car Equipment

Specific Equipment Used

Photo courtesy of Brian Moore