LOS ANGELES'S PASSENGER TRAINS

OF THE PAST

Intercity passenger trains serving Los Angeles in 1942, 1956, and 1971 immediately prior to the creation of Amtrak.


THE STATIONS

The major stations serving Los Angeles, during the golden age of passenger trains.

Union Station
800 N. Alameda St.
Opened 1939

Number of station tracks: 16 stub
Interlocked switches controlled as follows:
Terminal Tower: controlled the immediate station area
Mission Tower: controlled junctions with the various railroads serving the station

Although this is a stub station, it is more similar to a through station, with the main station building on the side and a concourse passing underneath the tracks. There had been considerations to develop it as a through station, but that never happened.

In 1939, the new Union Station replaced the following older separate stations.

La Grande Station
2nd St. and Santa Fe Ave.
Opened 1893

Central Station
5th St. and Alameda St.
Opened 1914, replacing Arcade Station built in 1888

Union Pacific Station
1st St. east of the Los Angeles River
Opened 1891


SANTA FE

Departures



No.  Name                  1942 Dest.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

 24  Grand Canyon Limited  Chicago         8:15        1:15 pm     9:00 pm
 70  San Diegan            San Diego       8:30        7:45 am
 72  San Diegan            San Diego       9:15        9:00 am
 42  (Motor Train)         S. Bernardino   9:50
 20  Chief                 Chicago        12:01       10:00 pm
 74  San Diegan            San Diego      12:30       12:30 pm     7:30 am
 22  El Capitan            Chicago         1:30        1:30 pm
 76  San Diegan            San Diego       4:30        4:30 pm    11:00 am
 54  (Motor Train)         S. Bernardino   5:20
  4  California Limited    Chicago         7:15       11:30 pm
 18  Super Chief           Chicago         8:00        7:00 pm     7:30 pm
  2  Scout                 Chicago         8:15
 78  San Diegan            San Diego       9:00        8:00 pm     7:45 am
  8  Fast Mail Express     Chicago        11:10
 80  San Diegan            San Diego                  11:15 pm


Arrivals



No.  Name                  1942 Orig.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

 81  San Diegan            San Diego                  12:30 am
 21  El Capitan            Chicago         7:30        7:15 am
  1  Scout                 Chicago         8:00
 17  Super Chief           Chicago         9:00        8:30 am     9:00 am
 51  (Motor Train)         S. Bernardino   9:10
 71  San Diegan            San Diego      10:45        8:00 am
 19  Chief                 Chicago        11:50       10:30 pm
  3  California Limited    Chicago        12:15        7:30 pm
 73  San Diegan            San Diego       3:15       11:30 am     9:55 am
 53  (Motor Train)         S. Bernardino   4:00
 75  San Diegan            San Diego       5:45        1:45 pm     2:25 pm
 77  San Diegan            San Diego       6:45        6:25 pm     6:55 pm
  7  Fast Mail Express     Chicago         8:00
 23  Grand Canyon Limited  Chicago         8:30       11:55 am     6:00 am
 79  San Diegan            San Diego      10:45        9:30 pm


Passenger service retained by Amtrak in 1971.


SOUTHERN PACIFIC

Departures



No.  Name                  1942 Dest.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

 99  Morning Daylight      San Francisco   8:15        7:15 am     8:30 am
 51  San Joaquin Daylight  San Francisco   8:30        6:25 am     7:00 am
 71                        San Francisco   8:35   91  12:01 am
  2  Sunset Limited        New Orleans     9:45        7:30 pm    10:00 pm
 25  Owl                   San Francisco   6:00   57   6:05 pm
 69  Coaster               San Francisco   7:00   95   6:45 pm
 59  West Coast            Portland        7:15        6:35 pm
  6  Argonaut              New Orleans     7:30        9:15 pm
 44  Californian           Chicago         8:10   40   7:40 pm
  4  Golden State Ltd.     Chicago         8:15        1:30 pm
 55  Tehachapi             Fresno          8:25
 75  Lark                  San Francisco   9:00        8:00 pm


Arrivals



No.  Name                  1942 Orig.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

 56  Tehachapi             Fresno          4:00
 43  Californian           Chicago         7:45   39   5:50 am
  5  Argonaut              New Orleans     8:00        3:30 pm
 70  Coaster               San Francisco   8:25   94   5:45 am
 26  Owl                   San Francisco   8:35   58  10:50 am
 76  Lark                  San Francisco   9:00        7:30 am
 60  West Coast            Portland        9:10        7:15 am
  1  Sunset Limited        New Orleans     4:20        4:15 pm     6:30 am
 98  Morning Daylight      San Francisco   5:45        5:00 pm     8:05 pm
  3  Golden State Ltd.     Chicago         7:40        7:40 am
 52  San Joaquin Daylight  San Francisco   8:00        7:00 pm     7:50 pm
 72                        San Francisco  10:35   90   4:30 pm


Passenger service retained by Amtrak in 1971.


UNION PACIFIC

Departures



No.  Name                  1942 Dest.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

 24  Pacific Limited       Kansas City    11:00   10  10:30 am
104  City of Los Angeles   Chicago         6:30 pm     4:30 pm    12:20 pm
 38  Los Angeles Limited   Ogden           8:00 pm
  8  L. A. Challenger      Chicago         8:05 pm


Arrivals



No.  Name                  1942 Orig.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

 37  Los Angeles Limited   Ogden           7:40 am
  7  L. A. Challenger      Chicago         7:50 am
103  City of Los Angeles   Chicago         8:00 am     9:30 am     1:30 pm
 23  Pacific Limited       Kansas City    10:30 pm 9   3:15 pm


Passenger service discontinued in 1971 with the creation of Amtrak, last train was the City of Los Angeles.

Trains 9-10, the City of St. Louis, replaced the Pacific Limited in 1947. The City of St. Louis operated via Wabash Railroad east of Kansas City.


STATIONS TODAY

Union Station continues to serve Amtrak, along with Metrolink commuter trains.

Los Angeles Union Station (Wikipedia)
Link to a Web site containing further information, photos, and future plans.

The La Grande Station was owned by Santa Fe, and Central Station was owned by Southern Pacific. The Union Pacific Station burned in 1924, and Union Pacific then moved its trains into Central Station.


MAPPING THE STATIONS AND RAILROADS

Links to locations of past and present stations and railroads, using Google Maps. Satellite views are also available.