John Sweetser Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Alf Doten Wrote:
>
> > The North Coast Daylight started out with such
> promise. A true hit for a scenic railroad that had
> been running mostly an overnight passenger train
> since the 1930's.
>
> Not exactly. It was only from 1942 until 1956
> that the NWP had just an overnight passenger
> train.

That's true, there was a day and night train up till 1942. SP even tried to promote a rail/bus/rail tour of the Redwoods from Portland to San Francisco using a bus between Grants Pass and Eureka with an overnight stay in the Rureka Inn. That used the day train for the final leg to San Francisco. The Depression killed that. The overnight fit in better with the few people who used the service during the growth age of the auto. Post 1956 the PUC forced SP to run the service, hence the abreviated "Redwood" down to the Budd Car. For six months after the '55 flood the train sat idle in Eureka while SP tried to end the service. Post 1956 three coaches and no amentites at 25 mph for 100 miles just never caught on, especially with Greyhound as competition. Hence the final use for SP's only unwanted Budd Car until AMTRAK in 1971. I rode the overnight behind steam to Petaluma in 1952 (during a Greyhound strike) and it was a jerky, smokey ride. Every tunnel the smoke entered the train through the diaphrams....probably to the delight of SP management ?

As a side note we had a family member who got a student teaching job in Sacramento prior to 1940. She would return to Humboldt County during the Holidays via the Delta King/Queen boat overnight to San Francisco, then NWP ferry to Sausalito that morning and the day train to Eureka arriving that evening. 24 hours of boat and train just to go 300 miles. How I wish we could repeat that journey today !