No. 10729 Alco PA-1 AB Diesel Locomotive, heading up the "Cascade" Streamlined Passenger Train ( also "Shasta Daylight" Streamlined Passenger Train)

 Southern Pacific Railroad

The pride of Southern Pacific's new Cascade Line, upon its opening to passenger traffic in April, 1927, was the namesake train itself. The "Cascade" was an all-Pullman extra-fare steam- powered heavyweight train from Seattle and Portland overnight to San Francisco (Oakland), with an open-air observation car for the scenic trip over the new line.  Trip time Portland-San Francisco was 23 hours and 20 minutes.  A similar train, the "Lark" (see No. 10335), offered overnight Pullman service on the Southern Pacific between San Francisco and Los Angeles, the 470-mile Coast Line. "Lark" service was inaugurated in 1910, a 13-hour 45- minute run.

In August, 1950, the heavyweight "Cascade" was replaced by a new lightweight all-Pullman streamliner with state-of-the-art two-tone gray cars by Pullman-Standard that offered at no extra fare modern roomettes, bedrooms, compartments, and drawing rooms, but the train's greatest feature was its revolutionary triple-unit articulated kitchen/diner/lounge, the "Cascade Club." After a nightcap in the convivial "Club," it was off to bed for a good night's rest before arrival the next morning. In addition to offering reliable overnight service between Portland and the Bay Area (714 miles, 16 ½ hours), the new "Cascade" served Seattle as well with a through sleeping car connection.

Since there was little scenery to enjoy on the overnight "Cascade," the focus on the train became the "Cascade Club"- there were no bulkheads at the points of articulation to break up the length of the dining/lounge unit, which offered over 130 unobstructed feet of formal dining tables and an inviting lounge.

To power the re-equipped "Cascade," Southern Pacific ordered PA-1 "A" and "B" diesel locomotives from Alco. The PAs, introduced to American railroads by Alco in 1946, developed 2000 horsepower per unit, more than adequate to pull the "Cascade" at high speeds. Service was daily, with two trainsets.

The "Cascade" had a companion train linking California with the Pacific Northwest, the "Shasta Daylight," introduced between San Francisco (Oakland) and Portland in April, 1949, perhaps the most glorious of the "Daylight" fleet (including the original "Daylight" 1937 see No.  10432, "San Joaquin Daylight" 1941, "Sacramento Daylight" 1946, and "Coast Daylight" 1952 see No. 10371). The red-and-orange "Shasta" featured lightweight cars by Pullman- Standard similar to the "Cascade" cars, including the unique triple-unit kitchen/diner/coffee shop car, but of course substituting elegant chair cars and the famed "Timberline Tavern" lounges for "Cascade's" sleeping cars, as the "Shasta" was a day train, with oversized picture windows to give passengers an unobstructed view of the scenic splendors of the Shasta Route. For example, crossing Shasta Lake just beyond Redding, California, on the Pit River Bridge, the "Shasta" began a winding climb through the spectacular Sacramento River Canyon to Dunsmuir as majestic Mount Shasta (14,161 feet high) came into view with its snow-capped peak, one of the most dramatic mountains in the Cascade Range and the inspiration for the train's name. Also on the route were Klamath Falls, Oregon, Crater Lake, Odell Lake, the Willamette River, and Portland, in the shadow of Mount Hood. Enhancing the viewing possibilities in 1955, Southern Pacific added homebuilt dome/lounge cars. Trip length was 16 ½ hours.

Like the "Cascade," the "Shasta" was powered by Alco PA-1 "A" and "B" diesel locomotives. Service was daily, with two trainsets.

The late 1950s and 1960s were unkind to American railroads, including the Southern Pacific, as the automobile on the new intestate highway system and the jet airliner changed the American way of life in terms of travel. By 1960, the "Shasta" was reduced to a tri-weekly operation, in 1964 it ran during the summer only; then it was discontinued altogether in 1967.

The "Cascade" was limited to tri-weekly service in 1970, but survived into Amtrak (1971), along with the "Coast Daylight." Later in 1971, the two trains were combined by Amtrak to become the "Coast Starlight," running the entire route between Los Angeles and Seattle (see No. 10359).

The "Coast Starlight" continues to operate today as what many consider to be the finest long- distance sleeper-equipped train in service in the United States.

The "Cascade" name survives today as an all-coach Amtrak train between Vancouver and Eugene, Oregon, through Seattle and Portland. This is a fine scenic experience and, as an enhancement, the train features a full-service Dining Car and a Cafe'/Lounge Bistro Car with sandwiches, snacks, and bar service.