The Washington-Sunset Route

This booklet advertises the New Orleans connection between the Sunset Limited and Crescent, allowing passengers to go from coast to coast. As mentioned here previously, this “Washington-Sunset Route” was advertised from 1946 to 1949 and again from 1954 to 1956.

Click image to download a 5.2-MB PDF of this 12-page booklet.

This booklet is undated, but I suspect it is from 1954, when New Orleans Union Terminal opened, making it possible to change trains without changing stations. However, there were no through cars from Los Angeles to Washington; the booklet only suggests that it was possible to take that route. It also mentions that the Southern Piedmont connected with the Southern Pacific Argonaut.

The booklet devotes three pages each to the Crescent and Sunset Limited. However, it appears the Crescent may have been a somewhat more luxurious train. While the Sunset offered roomettes and bedrooms, the Crescent also offered drawing rooms and was one of the few trains in the nation to offer a shower-equipped master room, the others being the Broadway Limited and General.


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