Does any one know what actually diesels headed the Golden state train between L.A. and Chicago?
I know that K-line used Alco’s in their set, but I thought I had heard that they used F-7’s.
When the Golden State was first inaugurated it had E-7 ABB diesels in a unique paint scheme for the SP portion of the route. Rock Island on their portion of the run also used the E-7. Within a couple of years the E-7’s went into the SP passenger pool and ended up with the standard SP passenger paint scheme of that period. Daylight painted E-7, E-8, and E-9’s were the norm for the train until the scarlet and gray engines became the standard. Every once in a while a Alco PA would end up in the consist in the 60’s as the railroads were downsizing their fleet of passenger engines. The reason that the Alco’s and the F-7’s were rarely on this train is that the GS did not need dynamic brakes due to the relatively flat terrain. All the F and Alco units of the SP were dynamic brake equipped for mountain territory, plus since the Rock Island was supplying E units for the train SP followed suit. The one exception to the F unit passenger pool was that the Sunset Limited from New Orleans to LA, along the same route of the GS, used F units from 1960 until the train was combined with the Golden State in the late 60’s, at which time the E units were back on. I worked for the SP in the mid 60’s during the summers and never recall a F-7 being assigned to the Golden State, even in an emergency, and only on a couple of occasions did a see an old weather-beaten ALCo PA thrown into the consist due to a lack of E units available. Since Oakland, California was the home base for the ALCo’s on SP, a break down in El Paso was a long way home for repairs. The power orders at LA was for a 6 axle, non-dynamic brake passenger engine, that could be used through to Chicago if necessary. I don’t think Rock Island used anything but their small handful of E units on their end of the Golden State route.
Thank You Very Much ‘murrieta’ !
That is exactly the info I was looking for!