The Cascade was an American passenger train of the Southern Pacific on its route between Oakland and Portland with a connecting sleeping car to Seattle. The Southern Pacific inaugurated the original train on April 17, 1927 in tandem with the opening of its Cascade Line between Black Butte, California and Springfield, Oregon. The new Cascade was part of the upgrade of SP's Shasta Route betwee the Bay Area and the Pacific Northwest. The first version of the tran offered first class service and a $3.00 extra fare. It became an all-Pullman train in 1937. On August 13, 1950, the Cascade became a streamlined coach/Pullman train with a triple-unit diner and cars painted in two shades of gray. But the next 21 years saw a decline. The connecting sleeper was discontinued in 1966, the triple-unit diner came off a year later. By 1970, the train was down to five or six cars, ran only three days per week, and was usually late. Amtrak would take over the Cascade on May 1, 1971 and would combine its services with the San Francisco - Los Angeles Coast Daylight routing the train through Oakland and eventually renaming it the Coast Starlight.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7]
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The original Shasta Route line into Oregon was completed on December 17, 1887. This allowed the connection of California points to Portland, Seattle, and the growing Pacific Northwest. The Oregon and California Express was the first passenger service offered on this line. It later gained fame as the Shasta Limited, offering a first class service. But the original route over the Siskiyou Mountains of Southern Oregon was difficult, plagued with steep grades, sharp curves, and subject to landslides and washouts. During the reign of Edward H. Harriman, Southern Pacific began construction of an alternate, less difficult route. Government involvement in the affairs of Harriman and the SP would delay completion for 18 years.[1]
Although trains began using the new Natron Cutoff or Cascade Line as early as 1926, official service did not begin until several months later when the old Weed Lumber Company line south of Grass Lake was replaced. The new Cascade would offer a better first class service than given by the Shasta Limited, which included a smoother ride. The first version of the train had a $3.00 extra fare and was given the numbers 17 and 18.[1]
This new train would survive the depression through consolidations, schedule changes, and a different set of numbers (19 and 20). The extra fare was dropped. With the economy showing signs of improvement, Southern Pacific re-equipped the train and returned its original numbers. As matters continued to get better, the SP chose to upgrade the Cascade to the status of an all-Pullman train. It was reassigned numbers 23 and 24 with an 18-hour schedule.[1]
For three years during World War II, the Cascade was combined with the Beaver. After the war the train was given new equipment and a faster schedule. But the best was yet to come for the Cascade. Starting on June 5, 1950, the first streamlined Pullman was placed in service on the route. Southern Pacific was also experimenting with diesel power. The result would be the greatest presentation of this train; a faster, dieselized, streamlined, all-Pullman, daily overnight service second-to-none.
The streamlined Cascade became the SP's overnight trains between Oakland and Portland with through sleeping cars to and from Seattle was only the second all room sleeping car train to operate in a north-south direction on the west coast. The new thirteen car Pullman Standard built consists were initially powered by A-B-B sets of EMD E7 diesels but were replaced in weeks by A-B-A sets of ALCO PA passenger diesels painted in daylight colors. The Cascade cars painted in the two tone Gray of the Lark and San Francisco Overland trains. The Southern Pacific streamlined Cascade began service on August 13, 1950 and has the distinction of being an all Pullman train for the shortest length of time, for beginning October 11, 1950 the Cascade began operation with coaches assigned between Oakland and Portland. The through sleepers to Seattle numbered four and traveled north from Portland in the Union Pacific Railroad (UP) pool train to Seattle Union Station. Upon arrival in Seattle the four sleeping cars were switched out and transferred to the Northern Pacific Railway (NP) on the other side of Fourth Avenue viaduct at the King Street Station. The next morning these four through sleeping cars would depart Seattle in the NP pool train and transfer to the Cascade that afternoon in Portland for the trip to Oakland.
In the above consist sleeping cars 9118, 9031, 9032 and 9031 originated in Seattle and were forwarded by NP pool train from there to Portland to be forwarded to Oakland.
In the above consist sleeping cars 9119, 9034, 9035 and 9303 were through Oakland – Seattle cars forwarded in the UP pool train to Seattle. After arrival in Seattle at Union Station they were turned over to the NP under the 4th Ave. viaduct where they were forwarded to the NP-GN coach yard for cleaning and servicing for the next mornings departure in the NP pool train from King Street Station to Portland and the waiting Cascade.
The streamlined Cascade operated as an all – Pullman train only until October 10, 1950. Beginning October 11, 1950 Coaches were added to the train sets. Coaches 2425 and 2431 operated in one consist and 2433 and 2437 operated in the other consist of the Cascade. No coaches operated as through cars to and from Seattle. All Coach travelers crossed the platform in Portland to the waiting UP pool train northbound to Seattle. Southbound coach passengers from Seattle arrived in Portland on the NP pool train and again crossed the platform to the waiting Cascade.
Through sleeping car service to and from Seattle ended January 9, 1966. The triple-unit diner came off a year later. Southern Pacific tried to replace it with an automat service but the Oregon PUC balked, forcing the railroad to place a regular diner on the train. The two-tone gray colors were already gone, replaced by SP's new passenger color scheme of Sunset-style aluminum mist with red letterboard. Yellow sleeping cars from the City of San Francisco and San Francisco Overland trains were also seen in the nightly consist. By 1970, after trying for two years to discontinue the service, Southern Pacific was allowed to trim the Cascade to triweekly. By this time, the train had a later departure time allowing daylight viewing of the Willamette Valley and part of the Cascade Mountains.[8]
A quasi-government agency, the National Railroad Passenger Corporation – or Amtrak – took over the remains of America's passenger train system on May 1, 1971. The Cascade was included but was combined with the San Francisco to Los Angeles Coast Daylight. With service rerouted through Oakland, the train was rechristened as the Coast Starlight. Though originally continuing to run as a triweekly train north of Oakland, its immediate popularity and continued growth would lead to restoration of daily service.