Nostalgia & History > SP Commute Scheduels: 1961, 1980

Here are the SP San Francisco to San Jose Commute schedules from 1961.

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And here are the Eastward SF/SJ Commuter train schedules from 1980, for comparison. (Train # 150 shows up on the left edge of the third Westward page)

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The Westward pages from the same 1980 timetable.

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Here's something to compare with the 2006 Caltrain schedule, this one is weekdays, the other is weekends.

http://www.caltrain.org/pdf/timetable_effective_01_01_06.pdf

http://www.caltrain.org/pdf/Holiday_Schedules/CT_Weekend_Holiday_Schedule_01-2006.pdf

No "baby bullets" in sight in 1961 or 1980. Just about every train made all stops.

One great thing about those commute trains - we were often successful in assisting injured freight train service employees back to work on a gradual basis. When they had physical restrictions they could often be accommodated in passenger service until they were able to return to full duty in the better paying freight service positions. I recall a couple of cases in which the employee, who had never before worked in passenger service, declined to return to freight service, finding the wearing of a nice uniform and the respect given him by the passengers too much of a good thing to give up.

Look at the weekday AM and PM fleet operation. I think the running of trains out of San Francisco in the afternoon on 3 minute headway was much more interesting than Cal Trains Baby Bullets.