I’ve posted on related topics to this one several times, mostly about individual passenger cars. One informative post is about fitting cars to trains (see it at: https://modelingthesp.blogspot.com/2021/05/mainline-passenger-cars-on-small-layout.html ) I also posted about an alternative to the trains mentioned below, namely the coast mail train, nos. 71 and 72, shown in this post: https://modelingthesp.blogspot.com/2012/10/choosing-model-sp-passenger-cars.html .
The two distinctive passenger trains of the Coast Route, on which my layout is located, were the Daylight and the overnight Lark, all-Pullman in my 1953 modeling year. As I have often commented, my layout’s staging is too short to host a 12- to 15-car version of either train, which is the size they ran in my era. That leaves two options: operate the layout during a period of the day or night when neither train would operate, or operate a conjectural second section of either train.
In 1953, both trains were normally pulled by Daylight-painted GS-4 or -5 steam engines. I have a Key brass locomotive model that represents SP GS-5 no. 4458. It’s shown here as an eastward train passing the depot at Shumala on my layout, trailed by one of the distinctive Daylight combines, SP 3302 (Soho) and a coach (SP 2401, Athearn). This is necessarily a short train, usually six cars, and would be operated as second 98.
This combine was painted by me, including striping by my mask and spray technique (see: https://modelingthesp.blogspot.com/2023/09/modeling-sp-passenger-cars-part-17.html ). I have repeatedly found this far easier than decal stripes, as described in the post just cited.
The other distinctive Daylight cars were the boat-tail observations, of which I have another Soho model, which I painted and lettered as SP 2952. (That would make it a Class 79-PRO-1, whereas it’s really a model of the earlier 77-PRO-1 cars.) It’s shown below on a westward train, second 99, just leaving Shumala.
Though these Soho cars are not very detailed or exactly accurate, they certain capture the look of the SP cars. For more about these cars, see Jeff Cauthen and Don Munger’s book about Lounge, Dome and Parlor Cars, Vol. 5 in the series, Southern Pacific Passenger Cars (SP Historical & Technical Society, Upland, CA, 2012).
The other distinctive train, as mentioned, was the Lark, and again, I can operate a short train of Lark equipment as a second section. Here too, normal power was a GS class. Below is a westward train, second 75, just crossing Chamisal Road in Shumala. This is a Coach Yard model of SP’s modernized RPOs for Lark service, trailed by Lark sleepers.
Finally, the Lark operated for some years with boat-tail observations too. The original two cars built for the Lark were both destroyed in wrecks by the end of 1942, and thereafter SP used Pullman-operated sleeper-buffet-lounge-observation cars, numbers SP 9500 and 9501. Shown below is my model representing 9500, though it is a Balboa 77-foot observation. It’s shown on an eastward second 76, just passing the engine terminal and caboose track in Shumala.
Occasionally the railroad president’s car operated on the Coast Division. That car for many years was named Sunset, no. 140, and was the standard Dark Olive Green color. Coach Yard offered this car in brass a few years ago. This model would be anomalous on my 1953 layout, however, because the prototype was repainted from green to Two-Tone Gray in February of 1952. The more famous Sunset was the stainless steel no. 150, built in 1955, after which no. 140 was renamed Stanford. For more on the subject, see Munger and Cauthen’s Southern Pacific Official Cars (SP H&TS, Upland, CA, 2015). The model’s shown below on an eastward train.
These various second section versions of famous trains are fun to include in an operating session, and within limits I have the rolling stock to do it. As noted above, most of them involve compromises in accuracy of the cars, but they serve the purpose.
Tony Thompson
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