Golden State (train)

Golden State

Streamlined version of the train.
Overview
Service type	Inter-city rail
Status	Discontinued
Locale	Midwestern United States/Southwestern United States
First service	1902
Last service	1968
Former operator(s)	Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad Southern Pacific Company
Route
Termini	Chicago, Illinois Los Angeles, California
Distance travelled	2,340 miles (3,770 km)
Service frequency	Daily
Train number(s)	3 (westbound); 4 (eastbound)
On-board services
Seating arrangements	Reclining seat coach
Sleeping arrangements	Roomettes, double bedrooms, compartments, drawing rooms (1952)
Catering facilities	Dining car
Observation facilities	Lounge car
Technical
Track gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Route map v t e Legend Chicago–LaSalle Street Englewood Bureau Moline Rock Island Illinois Iowa Davenport Muscatine Columbus Junction Eldon Iowa Missouri Centerville Trenton Kansas City Missouri Kansas Topeka Herington McPherson Hutchison Pratt Liberal Kansas Oklahoma Guymon Dalhart Oklahoma   Texas   New Mexico Tucumcari CRI&P SP Carrizozo Alamogordo New Mexico Texas El Paso Texas   New Mexico   Arizona Douglas Bisbee Junction Fairbank until c. 1950 Tucson Coolidge Chandler Mesa Phoenix Yuma Arizona, U.S. Baja California, Mexico Cantu Algodones Mexicali Baja California, Mexico California, U.S. Calexico Heber El Centro Carriso Gorge Jucumba California, U.S. Baja California, Mexico Agua Caliente Tijuana Baja California, Mexico California, U.S. San Diego Arizona California Niland Indio Palm Springs Beaumont until c. 1950 Colton Pomona Alhambra Los Angeles–Union Station Los Angeles–Arcade Depot until 1914 Los Angeles–Central Station 1914– 1939

The Golden State was a named passenger train between Chicago and Los Angeles from 1902–1968 on the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad (“Rock Island”) and the Southern Pacific Company (SP) and predecessors. It was named for California, the “Golden State”.

The Golden State route was relatively low-altitude, crossing the Continental Divide at about 4,600 feet (1,400 m) near Lordsburg, New Mexico, although the highest elevation en route was over 6,600 ft (2,000 m) near Corona, New Mexico. Other transcontinental routes reached elevations of more than 7,000 feet (2,100 m) in the Santa Fe railway near Flagstaff, Arizona, and Union Pacific near Sherman, Wyoming. At 2340 miles it was one of the longest continuous passenger railroad routes in the United States,^[1] to be exceeded by the SP's Imperial and by Amtrak's pre-2005 Sunset Limited.