Randall Cape and Robert McKeen 206 pages hardcover
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.
