Southern Pacific Railroad
It was more than just a railroad; the Southern Pacific was an empire! With one end of the system anchored in Portland, Oregon, its middle planted in Los Angeles, California, and its eastern end touching many ports in the Gulf of Mexico, the venerable "Espee" was for many years America's only true transcontinental railroad. From austere beginnings rooted in the Central Pacific Railroad (of Golden Spike fame) and the original Southern Pacific at San Francisco, the Southern Pacific and its most-notable subsidiary, the Cotton Belt, grew to a far-flung system boasting more than 17,000 route-miles.
Though largely a California institution, "The Friendly"- as it was known locally in its classic period served a broad sweep of states: Oregon, California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, Nevada, Utah, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois,
Tennessee, and in later years Colorado and Kansas. SP's freight operations were lifelines of commerce for these states as well as for the United States as a whole.
Mention of Southern Pacific always conjures up images of flashy red-and-orange Daylight streamliners-"The Most Beautiful Trains in the World," claimed SP. The railroad featured many other attributes as well, including several important corridors that had their own names: the Coast Line, the Shasta Route, the Golden State Route, and the fabled Overland Route.
Southern Pacific Railroad tells the tale of SP's development from 1861 through its 1996 acquisition by the Union Pacific. Through more than 120 illustrations, Southern Pacific Railroad takes readers on a journey throughout the SP empire while explaining the railroad's passenger and freight operations as well as its steam and diesel locomotive fleets.
Softback, 21x27cm, 128 pages, black & white and colour photographs
Condition: Good/Very Good
ISBN: 9780760306147
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Updated: 2 January 2025