Description
The Ghost Trains of SP’s Overland Route, Train Nos 21-22 – Second Section
By Randall E. Cape and Robert G. McKeen
Overshadowed on the Overland Route by the rest of Southern Pacific’s passenger fleet, Nos. 21 and 22, Mail, ran between Oakland and Ogden from 1947 to 1967. Operated primarily for the United States Post Office Department and the Railway Express Agency rather than passengers, these workhorse trains conveyed vast amounts of head end traffic, quietly, efficiently — and very profitably. The Ghost Trains of SP’s Overland Route provides a comprehensive review of the history, operations and makeup of these little-known trains. The book takes readers “on board” and describes activities in all of the working areas of the train — from the engine cab to the rear rider car, and everything in between.
This expanded second edition adds to the prior edition’s presentation with new images, many in color, and related documents that have become available, helping fill out the story of Train Nos. 21 and 22. This Second Section — Westward takes readers on a photographic journey headed from Ogden to Oakland. Along the way, it provides new insights as it covers the trains, locations they frequented, and operations along the route. Operations at the previously under-examined SP West Oakland Mail Dock and REA Express Oakland Key Point terminal are the subject of special attention in this expanded volume.
Hardcover, 8½”x11” landscape with dust jacket, 206 pages and over 240 pictures, maps and documents.
