San Joaquin Daylight - Later History

Later History

In 1946 a Sacramento section of the San Joaquin Daylight was introduced, named the Sacramento Daylight, trains 53-54. The two trains ran together from Los Angeles to Lathrop, where they diverged. In 1970 the split moved north from Lathrop to Tracy.

The San Joaquin Daylight's dining service was replaced by a coffee-shop car by the 1950s. The parlor-observation car was also removed, though it immediately gained a second life. In 1954 SP placed two of its seven homebuilt dome-lounge cars in the consists; one of the cars was in fact rebuilt from the train's own parlor-observation car. The dome car was discontinued on the San Joaquin Daylight in the late 1960s.

In 1961, the coffee-shop car in each consist was replaced by SP's automat cars which provided vended meals and non-alcoholic beverages, a self-service microwave oven, and a table area. This lasted to the end of service.

The San Joaquin Daylight operated until April 30, 1971, the day before Amtrak took over nationwide rail passenger service in the United States. It was partially succeeded in 1974 by the San Joaquins between the Bay Area and Fresno and Bakersfield, albeit over Santa Fe trackage in the San Joaquin Valley.