*San Francisco Challenger*
Overview
Service type	Inter-city rail
Status	Discontinued
Locale	Western United States
First service	1936 (1936)
Last service	1947 (1947)
Successor	Gold Coast
Former operator(s)	Chicago and North Western Railway Union Pacific Railroad Southern Pacific Railroad
Route
Termini	Chicago, Illinois Oakland, California
Line(s) used	Overland Route
Technical
Track gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)

The San Francisco Challenger was a train operated by Southern Pacific Railroad, Union Pacific Railroad and Chicago and Northwestern Railroad. Starting in 1936, it ran from Oakland, California to Chicago, Illinois via the Overland Route. Schedule was about 60 hours—three nights and two days. In 1947 it was replaced by the Gold Coast, which was discontinued in January 1955.^[1]

Passenger trains of the Union Pacific Railroad

Passenger trains of the Union Pacific Railroad

Early articulated streamliners	M-10000 M-10001 M-10002 M-10003 to M-10006
City fleet	City of Denver City of Kansas City City of Las Vegas City of Los Angeles City of Portland City of Salina City of San Francisco City of St. Louis
Commuter rails	Metra (West, Northwest, North)
Others	Butte Special Challenger Colorado Special Columbine Forty Niner Gold Coast Idahoan Los Angeles Limited Nightingale Overland Overland Flyer Overland Limited Pacific Limited Pony Express Portland Limited Portland Rose Saint Louis Express San Francisco Challenger San Francisco Overland San Francisco Overland Limited Spokane Treasure Island Special Utahn Yellowstone Special
Rolling stock	Astra Dome Pacific series Placid series

Named trains of the Chicago and North Western Railway

Named trains of the Chicago and North Western Railway
400s	The 400 Capitol 400 City of Milwaukee 400 Commuter 400 Dakota 400 Flambeau 400 Kate Shelley 400 Minnesota 400 Peninsula 400 Rochester 400 Shoreland 400 Twin Cities 400 Valley 400
Overland Route	Challenger City of Denver City of Los Angeles City of Portland City of San Francisco Gold Coast Los Angeles Challenger Los Angeles Limited Overland Limited Pacific Limited Portland Rose San Francisco Challenger San Francisco Overland Limited The Columbine The Forty Niner The Nightingale
Other Named Trains	Arrowhead Limited Ashland Limited Ashland Mail Corn King Limited Duluth-Superior Limited Iron & Copper Country Express Minnesota & Black Hills Express North Western Limited Northwoods Fisherman Rochester-Minnesota Special The Commuter The Mondamin The North American The Shoreland The Valley The Victory The Viking The Winnebago

Passenger trains of the Southern Pacific

Passenger trains of the Southern Pacific
Named trains	Acadian Alamo Argonaut Arizona Limited Cascade Del Monte El Yaqui Golden Rocket Golden State Imperial Lark Owl Limited Peninsula Commute Stockton Flyer Sunbeam Sunset Limited Suntan Special West Coast
Daylights	Coast Daylight Daylight Limited Sacramento Daylight San Joaquin Daylight Shasta Daylight
Overland Route	Challenger City of San Francisco San Francisco Challenger San Francisco Overland Pacific Limited Gold Coast Saint Louis Express

See also

References