Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Email
Answers.com

Sunset Limited

 
Wikipedia: Sunset Limited
Home > Library > Miscellaneous > Wikipedia
For the play by Cormac McCarthy, see The Sunset Limited.
Sunset Limited
Amtrak 146 GE P42DC.jpg
An eastbound Sunset Limited at the Houston, Texas, station in 2005.
Info
Service type Inter-city rail
Status Operating
Locale Southern United States
First service 1971
Current operator(s) Amtrak
Route
Start Los Angeles, California
No. of intermediate stops 20
End New Orleans, Louisiana
Distance travelled 1,995 mi (3,211 km)
Average journey time 48 hours
Service frequency Three weekly each way
On-board services
Class(es) Business and standard class
Disabled access Yes
Seating arrangements Reserved Coach Seat
Superliner Lower Level Coach Seats
Sleeping arrangements Superliner Roomette
Family Bedroom
Superliner Bedroom
Superliner Bedroom Suite
Superliner Accessible Bedroom
Catering facilities Dining car
On-board café
Baggage facilities Checked baggage available at selected stations
Technical
Gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)
Operating speed 42 mph (68 km/h)
Track owner(s) UP, BNSF, and CSX (Even though it only owns trackage from New Orleans to Orlando, which is currently suspended)

The Sunset Limited is a passenger train that for most of its history has run between New Orleans and Los Angeles, California, and that from early 1993 through late August 2005 also ran east of New Orleans to Florida, making it during that time the only true transcontinental passenger train in American history. From late August 2005 to the present, the train has remained officially a Florida-to-Los Angeles train, being considered temporarily truncated due to the lingering effects of Hurricane Katrina. Service between Orlando and New Orleans has been suspended. Future service has not been determined. It uses cars of Amtrak's double-deck Superliner fleet.

Contents

Route

The tracks used were once part of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, the Seaboard Air Line Railroad, the Louisville and Nashville Railroad, and the Southern Pacific Railroad; they are now owned by CSX Transportation, BNSF Railway, and the Union Pacific Railroad. The name Sunset Limited traces its origins to the Galveston, Harrisburg and San Antonio Railway, which was known as the Sunset Route as early as 1874.

The train uses the following route segments, identified here by the names of their original owners:

Route Original owner Current owner
Orlando, Florida–Sanford, Florida South Florida Railroad (ACL) CSX
Sanford–DeLand, Florida Jacksonville, Tampa and Key West Railway (ACL) CSX
DeLand–Jacksonville, Florida Jacksonville, Tampa and Key West Railway (ACL) CSX
Jacksonville–Chattahoochee, Florida Florida Central and Western Railroad (SAL) CSX
Chattahoochee–Pensacola, Florida Pensacola and Atlantic Railroad (L&N) CSX
Pensacola–Flomaton, Alabama Pensacola Railroad (L&N) CSX
Flomaton–Mobile, Alabama Mobile and Montgomery Railway (L&N) CSX
Mobile–New Orleans, Louisiana New Orleans and Mobile Railroad (L&N) CSX
New Orleans–Lafayette, Louisiana Morgan's Louisiana and Texas Railroad and Steamship Company (SP) BNSF
Lafayette–Lake Charles, Louisiana Louisiana Western Railroad (SP) BNSF
Lake Charles–Orange, Texas Louisiana Western Railroad (SP) UP
Orange–Houston, Texas Texas and New Orleans Railroad (SP) UP
Houston–El Paso, Texas Galveston, Harrisburg and San Antonio Railway (SP) UP
El Paso–Los Angeles, California Southern Pacific Railroad UP

Timetable notes

Service on the Sunset Limited between Orlando and New Orleans has been suspended indefinitely. At San Antonio the Sunset Limited and Texas Eagle trains are combined for the journey westward and split eastward.

A highlight of the trip is the crossing of the Huey P. Long Bridge just west of New Orleans. The bridge is one of the longest railroad bridges in the United States, at 4.5 miles (7.2 km); it takes the train 135 feet (41 m) above the Mississippi River.

History

Pre-Amtrak

Prior to the start of Amtrak service on May 1, 1971, the Sunset Limited was operated by the Southern Pacific Railroad. The Sunset Limited is the oldest name train in the United States still operating, having held the name since its inauguration in 1894. The Sunset Limited was Southern Pacific's premier train, built for luxury first-class long-distance travel. Initially the Sunset Limited was an all-Pullman train, consisting only of sleeping cars and no coaches, running directly from New Orleans to San Francisco via Los Angeles. In 1924 the train received new all steel cars, replacing the old wooden cars. From its beginning in 1893 until streamlining in 1950, all the train's cars featured 6-wheel trucks and were painted in dark olive green with black roofs and trucks.

A typical 1895 consist included:

  • A 4-4-0 American steam locomotive
  1. Composite Baggage car with barber shop, bath and buffet smoker lounge "El Indio"
  2. 7 Drawing Room Sleeper with ladies´ parlor lounge "El Piloto"
  3. 10 Section 2 Drawing Room Sleeper "El Dorado"
  4. Dining Car "Gourmet"
  5. 6 Section 1 Drawing Room 3 Compartment Sleeper "Cliola"
  6. 14 Section 1 Drawing Room Sleeper "Los Angeles"

A typical 1929 consist included:[citation needed]

  • A 4-6-2 Pacific or 4-8-2 Mountain steam locomotive
  1. Railway Post Office
  2. Baggage
  3. Buffet library baggage combination car
  4. 12-section, 1 drawing room sleeper Brazos
  5. 12-section, 1 drawing room sleeper Calaveras
  6. 12-section, 1 drawing room sleeper Pecos
  7. 12-section, 1 drawing room sleeper Tontos
  8. Diner
  9. 10-section, 1-drawing room, 2-compartment sleeper El Monte
  10. 10-section, 1-drawing room, 2-compartment sleeper El Norte
  11. 10-section, 1-drawing room, 2-compartment sleeper El Occidente
  12. 10-section, 1-drawing room, 2-compartment sleeper El Oriente
  13. 4-2 sleeper lounge observation Sunset Beach

A typical 1940 consist included:

  • A GS-1 4-8-4 Golden State steam locomotive
  1. Railway Post Office
  2. Baggage
  3. Parlor Sleeper "Abington"
  4. 16 Section Tourist Sleeper "Catlin"
  5. 12 Section 1 Drawing Room Sleeper "Alamo"
  6. Coffee Shop Lounge
  7. Diner
  8. Lounge with barber shop, shower-bath and valet service
  9. 10 Section 1 Drawing Room 2 Compartment Sleeper "Lake Ariana"
  10. 10 Section 1 Drawing Room 1 Compartment Sleeper "Prior Lake"
  11. 8 Section 1 Drawing Room 2 Compartment Sleeper "Des Plaines"
  12. 6 Compartment 3 Drawing Room Sleeper "Glen Aladale"
  13. 6 Single Bedroom 2 Double Bedroom Sleeper Lounge Sun-Room Solarium Observation "Mission Santa Ynez"

In 1930, the route was cut back to Los Angeles, and the train lost its all-Pullman status for the first time. After the Great Depression, in 1936, the train once again began running through to San Francisco and was also one of SP's very first trains to receive air-conditioning; in 1939, the train gained back its exclusive all-Pullman status. From 1939 to 1941 the train operated at its zenith, being equipped with air conditioning, featuring exclusively sleeping cars (All-Pullman status) and running the complete New Orleans to San Francisco routing via the magnificent coast line. The advent of the Second World War in December 1941 saw the train carry coaches again, and in January 1942 it was again cut back to Los Angeles. The Sunset Limited would never again be all-Pullman status, nor would it have the direct New Orleans to San Francisco routing.

The train was dieselized in late 1949, and upgraded to a streamliner in August 1950. The Sunset Limited was the last among the big American luxury trains to be streamlined, and in 1950 the train was reintroduced in a completely new look, featuring stainless steel cars, painted in silver with red letterboards and white "Southern Pacific" lettering. All cars except the RPO-Baggage (which had 6-wheel trucks) were built with 4-wheel trucks, and the last car of the train was a sleeping car with a blunted rear end, featuring a lighted neon-sign with the train name on the rear door. Until 1950 the train was pulled by 4-6-2 Pacific type and 4-8-4 GS-1 Northern type steam locomotives between New Orleans and El Paso, and by 4-8-2 MT-4 Mountain type and 4-8-4 GS-4 Northern type steam locomotives between El Paso and Los Angeles/San Francisco. Occasionally even some 4-10-2 Southern Pacific type and 4-8-8-2 AC class Cab Forward type steam locomotives could be seen pulling the train, especially on the western portion of its run. Steam on the Sunset Limited lingered until 1953, when there were enough diesel locomotives to provide steady diesel power to the train.

After dieselization, Alco PA A-A Unit diesel locomotives powered the train between New Orleans and El Paso, and EMD E7 and E9 diesel locomotives in A-B-B sets pulled the train between El Paso and Los Angeles. Between 1950 and 1958, the diesel locomotives pulling the train were painted in the Southern Pacific's "Daylight" scheme; later in the 1960s and 70s EMD F7 diesel locomotives in A-B-B-A sets and painted in SP's "Bloody Nose" scheme powered the train on the entire run.

A typical consist from the early 1950s included:[citation needed]

  • An A-A Set of Alco PA-1 or an A-B-B Set of EMD E-7 diesel locomotives, both painted in Daylight colors
  1. Railway Post Office/Baggage
  2. Baggage Dormitory
  3. Partitioned Coach
  4. Coach
  5. Coach
  6. Coffee Shop Lounge Pride of Texas
  7. Coach
  8. Coach
  9. 10-roomette, 6-double bedroom sleeper
  10. 10-roomette, 6-double bedroom sleeper
  11. Diner Audubon
  12. Lounge French Quarter
  13. 10-roomette, 6-double bedroom sleeper
  14. 10-roomette, 6-double bedroom sleeper
  15. 10-roomette, 6-double bedroom blunt ended sleeper

A typical consist between October 1970 and April 1971 (the last months under Southern Pacific's thrice-weekly operation):

  • An A-B-A Set of EMD FP-7 units or a SDP-45 diesel locomotive, painted in the "Bloody Nose" scheme
  1. Box Car Baggage Express
  2. Baggage Dormitory
  3. 10-6 Sleeper
  4. 10-6 Sleeper (Southern Railway through car New York - Los Angeles via the Crescent Limited)
  5. Lounge "French Quarter"
  6. Diner "Audubon"
  7. Coach
  8. Coach
  9. Coffee Shop Lounge "Pride of Texas"
  10. Coach
  11. Coach

During the decline in the 1960s, the Sunset lost its "Limited" status, and more and more services on board were cut back, culminating in the elimination of the dining car, lounge car and all sleeping cars. By 1968, the once proud streamliner consisted of only three cars: a baggage car, a coach and an automat lunch counter car. The Sunset was even combined with the Golden State passenger train west of El Paso for a while. In October 1970, the Sunset stopped running daily between New Orleans and Los Angeles, running only three times a week, but with full dining and sleeping cars returning across the entire run. This was the state of the train when Amtrak took control in May 1971.

Amtrak

Amtrak retained the Sunset unchanged, while it dropped the Gulf Wind, which was operated between New Orleans and Jacksonville, Florida, by the Louisville and Nashville Railroad and the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad (previously the Seaboard Air Line Railroad).

The tracks between New Orleans and Jacksonville remained unused by passenger trains from the Amtrak takeover until April 29, 1984, when an Amtrak train called the Gulf Coast Limited, running between New Orleans and Mobile, Alabama, began service; this train only lasted until January 6, 1985. Almost five years later, on October 27, 1989, the track segment between Mobile and Flomaton, Alabama, came into passenger train use as part of the route of the Gulf Breeze, a new Amtrak train that was actually a Mobile section of Amtrak's New York-to-New Orleans Crescent; at Flomaton the train's route turned northeast towards Montgomery. The Gulf Breeze was discontinued in 1995. Meanwhile, on April 4, 1993, the entire New Orleans-to-Jacksonville route had gone into passenger train service with the extension of the Sunset Limited to Jacksonville and Miami, using the route of Amtrak's Silver Meteor south of Jacksonville. The train's eastern endpoint was later cut back from Miami to Orlando.

On September 22, 1993, some cars and the locomotives of the eastbound Sunset Limited derailed and fell off a bridge into water near Mobile, Alabama and exploded, in Amtrak's worst train wreck, the Big Bayou Canot train disaster.

On October 9, 1995, saboteurs derailed the Sunset Limited at Hyder, Arizona, by removing 29 spikes from a section of track - and short-circuited the signal system to hide the sabotage.[1]

On June 2, 1996, the Sunset Limited was rerouted to a more southerly route between Tucson, Arizona, and Yuma, Arizona, bypassing Phoenix, Arizona, in order to accommodate the Union Pacific Railroad's desire to abandon a portion of its Phoenix-to-Yuma "West Line". As of early 2006, however, the line had not yet been abandoned, and construction activities suggested that Union Pacific might reopen the line.

Katrina and aftermath

On August 28, 2005, the Sunset Limited route was truncated at San Antonio, Texas, as a result of damage to trackage in the Gulf Coast area caused by Hurricane Katrina. In late October 2005, service was restored between San Antonio and New Orleans, as the line through southwest Louisiana had by that time been repaired.

As time has passed, particularly since the January 2006 completion of the rebuilding of damaged tracks east of New Orleans by their owner CSX Transportation Inc., the obstacles to restoration of the Sunset Limited's full route have been more managerial and political than physical. Advocates for the train's restoration have pointed to revenue figures for Amtrak's fiscal year 2004, the last full year of coast-to-coast Sunset Limited service. During that period, the Orlando-New Orleans segment accounted for 41% of the Sunset's revenue.[2]

Section 226 of the Federal Railroad Safety Improvement Act of 2007 (H.R. 2095), signed into law by President Bush on October 16, 2008, giving Amtrak 9 months to provide Congress with a plan for restoring service that "shall include a projected timeline for restoring such service, the costs associated with restoring such service, and any proposals for legislation necessary to support such restoration of service."[3]

References

  • Mike Schafer, Amtrak's atlas, Trains June 1991
  • Bob Johnston, Getting Ready for the Sunset, Trains March 1993
  • Bob Johnston, At last, a transcontinental passenger train, Trains July 1993
  1. ^ "At least one dead, 100-plus injured in Amtrak derailment". CNN. 1995-10-09. http://www.cnn.com/US/9510/amtrak/. Retrieved 2007-05-24. 
  2. ^ "Release 06-06: NARP Urges Resumption of New Orleans-Florida Rail Service". National Association of Railroad Passengers. 2006-05-03. http://www.narprail.org/cms/index.php/news_releases/more/nr06_06. Retrieved 2008-12-29. 
  3. ^ Federal Railroad Safety Improvement Act of 2007

External links

v • d • e
Amtrak routes
California
Midwest
Northeast
Northwest
South
West

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

Search unanswered questions...

Enter a question here...
Search: All sources Community Q&A Reference topics

 
 

 

Copyrights:

Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Sunset Limited".  Read more

Related answers
» More
 
Answer these
» More

Mentioned in

» More» More