The Golden State, Rock Island and Southern Pacific's Premier LA - Chicago Streamliner

The Southern Pacific and Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific (Rock Island) teamed up in the late 1930s and launched their own Chicago – Los Angeles train named, the Golden State. It featured all streamlined equipment and fine on board amenities, however, the train was always an underdog in the hotly contested LA – Chicago corridor as it did not travel through territory nearly as scenic as trains like the Super Chief, City of Los Angeles, and even the California Zephyr. Still, for twenty years the train did its best to find a niche for itself in this cutthroat region until the SP and Rock Island finally gave up on the train in 1968.

The Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad, better known as simply the Rock Island was a legend even during its own time (the railroad even had a song named after it!). And perhaps this is what makes it’s ending so depressing. For all of the railroad’s fame and recognition, this did not translate into wealth and power. Several times throughout the railroad’s history it would go into receivership, its last in 1975 when it would be liquidated five years later in 1980.

Through the early 1900s the Rock Island would continue to grow, build, and acquire railroad lines through either construction or outright purchase of other smaller railroads. The railroad gained its final name as the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad in May of 1866 when the railroad set out to complete its subsidiary, the Mississippi & Missouri Railroad, to Omaha, Nebraska to connect with the newly created Union Pacific Railroad which was building west to link with the Central Pacific Railroad to complete the Transcontinental Railroad (the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad was also created as a holding company for both the C&GI and M&M). At the peak of the railroad’s size it operated over 8,000 miles of track between cities such as Chicago, St. Louis, Dallas, Denver, and Memphis.

Much like the Pennsylvania Railroad was to the State of Pennsylvania so was the Southern Pacific to the State of California, an institutional icon. Also just like the Pennsy the Southern Pacific (also referred to affectionately as the “Espee” by railfans and historians after its SP reporting marks) has such a history that entire libraries of books could be written on the differing aspects of the railroad. The SP was by far our country’s single largest classic railroad (i.e., before the modern-day merger movement began in the 1950s), spanning over 15,000 miles and reaching from the stretches of northwest Oregon to southeast Louisiana!

The Southern Pacific has a whole host of renowned achievements it is credited with, far too many to go into detail here. However, to name a few it had three important main lines which continue as important arteries under Union Pacific today, the Overland Route (San Francisco to the Midwest), the Golden State Route (the Southwest to Kansas City), and the Sunset Route (the Pacific Coast to the Gulf Coast).

Aside from its very popular and famous passenger trains its traffic base, as you might expect, was very diverse and included things such as chemicals, lumber and timber products, produce, autos and auto parts, other agricultural products, and almost any other product that could be hauled in a freight car. Through the 1970s the Southern Pacific was by far one of the most respected railroads, if not the industry standard, in terms of size and scope.

The Golden State actually has its beginnings dating back all of the way to the early 20th century (it remained a seasonal train until the 1930s) although it did not fully catch the public’s eye until after World War II when it received streamlined, lightweight equipment (delivered by both Pullman-Standard and the Budd Company) that debuted on the train in 1948. The Golden State itself boasted on board features that included diners, lounges, sleepers, air conditioning, showers, and even a barbershop, which ran on a 45-hour schedule between Chicago and Los Angeles.

Still, the Golden State lacked many things that made the train difficult to effectively compete with its rivals: first, the train traveled through some of the blandest scenery in the west losing a valuable marketing opportunity to attract, and keep, travelers; second, the train featured no Vista Domes or general dome cars to give travelers an impressive 360-degree panoramic view of what scenery was available; and third, the Golden State simply could not offer schedules as fast as trains like the Super Chief.

As patronage on the Golden State declined so did the train, which by the late 1960s included just a dismal few cars, often being hauled by a banged up Rock Island EMD E-series diesel (the Rock Island itself was in financial trouble during this time and was eventually liquidated and shutdown in 1980).

It should also be noted that the SP and Rock Island came extremely close to launching a much more luxurious train that would have operated over the same route as the Golden State and meant to fully compete with the Santa Fe, Union Pacific, and others with no expenses spared. The train was to be called the Golden Rocket and came so close to becoming a reality that the Rock Island actually had its consist delivered before the Southern Pacific backed out (and whose consist had not yet been built). The equipment the Rock Island received would be reused on the Golden State.

For more reading on streamliners like the Golden State you might want to also consider the book Streamliners: History of a Railroad Icon from renowned author Mike Schafer who covers in detail most of the well-known and remembered “classic” passenger trains to operate in the country. If you have any interest in such you should very much enjoy Mr. Schafer’s book.

Also, for a superb general history of passenger trains consider the book American Passenger Train from Mike Schafer. Using plenty of colored photographs complemented with lots of good information, if you are interested in passenger trains or would like to learn more about them this book will get you started. If you're interested in perhaps purchasing these books please visit The Railroad Diamond by clicking the tab in the menu to your left marked "TRD Store".