The Sunset Limited, Southern Pacific's Fabled Passenger Train Connecting New Orleans

The Southern Pacific Railroad is lauded for the vast and illustrious passenger services it offered over the years and its Sunset Limited as another of its fabled passenger trains. Along with the Sunset other well-known SP passenger trains include the legendary Daylights. The Sunset was the Espee's premier train serving Los Angeles and the Deep South of New Orleans, remaining as part of the railroad's passenger fleet through the end at the onset of Amtrak. The Sunset Limited, when created, was the oldest named train in the country and continues to operate to this very day, long outliving its creator and remains a popular under Amtrak.

The Southern Pacific Railroad 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).

However, this all changed in 1950 when the train was upgraded with shiny stainless-steel equipment from the Budd Company (over 70 new cars worth about $15 million), complete with EMD E-series diesel locomotives for power which were clad in the Espee’s very popular Daylight livery (later, FP7s took over the train sporting the SP’s red and gray livery). The on board accommodations were quite classy although never quite as luxurious as rival western trains like the Super Chief or City of San Francisco. Still, like its sister long distance train, the Shasta Daylight, the Sunset Limited featured themes of the regions in which it operated such as a lounge car highlighting the French Quarter in New Orleans.

Listed as Trains #1 (westbound) and #2 (eastbound) on Southern Pacific's official timetable the Sunset Limited the train could make the run between New Orleans and Los Angeles in 42 hours flat carrying an average train speed of nearly 50 mph. The Sunset was one of the few transcontinental southwest trains to offer through sleeper service as far east as New York City via the Southern Railway, Louisville & Nashville, West Point Route, and Pennsylvania Railroad. If one chose to reach NYC in this manner they could expect an additional 17-hour train ride.

A typical consist for the Sunset Limited included reclining-seat coaches, a lounge, several sleepers (due to through service), a diner, coffee shop lounge (later this was switched to a hamburger grill lounge), and round-ended observation. For more information regarding the Sunset Limited's schedule and consist please click here.

By the late 1960s the SP was having the same problems with its Sunset Limited as were virtually all other railroads with their long-distance, first class train; an increasing loss of ridership due to automobiles and airplanes. While the train was briefly cut down to humiliating coach-only status (with a semblance of dining service) it was reinstated to tri-weekly status with lounges and sleepers upon the urging of the ICC. During the final years the train featured baggage, reclining-seat coaches, and an automatic buffet car. Needless to say, during these last days before Amtrak the Southern Pacific had all but given up on passenger service, a sad end to a once proud tradition on the railroad. The Sunset remained under this light setup until Amtrak, when the carrier kept the train as part of its new system.

Today, the Sunset Limited remains a popular train under Amtrak although its regard has diminished somewhat after the carrier has chosen not to reinstate the train’s original route (under Amtrak) to Tallahassee, Florida for unknown reasons after Hurricane Katrina had knocked out the line for some time. it remains to be seen whether Amtrak will eventually reinstate the train's service all of the way to Florida as it was one of the carrier's most popular under such a routing.

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Also, for more reading on streamliners like the Sunset Limited 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. If you're interested in perhaps purchasing either (or both) of these books please visit the links below which will take you to ordering information through Amazon.com, the trusted online shopping network.

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