Imperial (SP train)

The Imperial was a night train of the Rock Island Rail Road and the Southern Pacific. It operated from Chicago to Los Angeles, via Kansas City (Missouri) and Tucumcari (New Mexico).

Imperial

Overview
Service type	Inter-city rail
Status	Discontinued
Locale	Midwestern United States/Southwestern United States/Baja California
First service	1931
Last service	1967
Former operator(s)	Rock Island Rail Road Southern Pacific Railroad
Route
Termini	Chicago, Illinois Los Angeles, California/San Diego, California
Distance travelled	2,361 miles (3,800 km)
Service frequency	Daily
Train number(s)	Southwest: 39, Northeast: 40
On-board services
Seating arrangements	Coaches
Sleeping arrangements	Open sections, roommettes, drawing rooms and compartments
Catering facilities	Dining car
Baggage facilities	Baggage car
Route map v t e Legend Chicago–LaSalle Street Englewood Rock Island Illinois Missouri Kansas City Missouri Kansas Topeka Herington McPherson Hutchison Liberal Kansas Oklahoma Guymon Oklahoma Texas Dalhart Texas New Mexico Tucumcari CRI&P SP Santa Rosa Carrizozo Alamogordo Orogrande New Mexico Texas El Paso Texas   New Mexico   Arizona Douglas Bisbee Junction Hereford Fairbank Whetstone Tucson Coolidge Chandler Mesa Tempe Phoenix Buckeye Yuma Arizona California Niland Indio Palm Springs Beaumont Colton Pomona Alhambra Los Angeles–Union Station Los Angeles–Central Station until 1939

Route

Among the Southern Pacific passenger trains running from Arizona to southern California, it was distinctive for stopping in Mexico and for having an international branch running into Mexico a second time, stopping between Calexico and San Diego. In most of the Arizona section, it passes through an area acquired by the Gadsden Purchase.

The Imperial's main route ran west to Los Angeles. Heading west of Yuma it went into Mexico for two stops, then returned to Calexico; there, the main route continued to Los Angeles.

A southern branch split from the main route at Calexico on the San Diego Short Line. It crossed the Mexico–United States border, then made stops in Baja California at Mexicali, before returning to California, stopping in Calexico and El Centro. It then crossed into Mexico, stopping at Tijuana, and finally crossed to the United States to finish in San Diego.^[1]

The route had its origins as a local train between San Diego and Yuma. It was suspended from 1942 to 1946, as a result of World War II. Its service was truncated by 1958, continuing into 1967.^[2]

Major stops

• Chicago (LaSalle Street Station)
• Rock Island
• Kansas City (Kansas City Union Station)
• Topeka (Great Overland Station)
• Tucumcari
• El Paso
• Tucson
• Phoenix
• Yuma
• Palm Springs
• Los Angeles (Union Station (Los Angeles))

San Diego Short Line branch:

• Mexicali
• Tijuana
• San Diego

Notes

1. Southern Pacific timetable, July 1947, Tables 3, 17
2. American Rails, Imperial

External links

• San Diego Short Line map
• Imperial 1950 schedule at Streamliner Schedules