Southern Pacific Railroad

Ghost Corp Apparel — resurrecting iconic corporate ghosts.

The Southern Pacific Railroad was one of the defining transportation companies of the American West. Its roots stretched back to the 1860s, and over the next century the Southern Pacific built a sprawling rail network linking California with the Southwest, Gulf Coast, Pacific Northwest, and major markets across the country.

Known simply as the SP, the railroad became famous for everything from long-distance freight and passenger trains to some of the most distinctive locomotives ever built. Its orange-and-red “Daylight” passenger trains became icons of streamlined rail travel, while its rugged mountain routes over places like Donner Pass helped cement the railroad’s reputation for operating in some of the toughest terrain in the country.

By the late 20th century, Southern Pacific was struggling with financial problems, aging infrastructure, and an increasingly consolidated railroad industry. After a complicated series of ownership changes and restructuring, Union Pacific acquired Southern Pacific in 1996, bringing one of America’s most historic railroad names to an end as an independent system.

More than a century of moving the West — eventually absorbed by an even bigger railroad.

Our Southern Pacific Railroad collection celebrates the classic SP lettering, Daylight colors, legendary locomotives, and the legacy of a railroad that helped shape transportation across the American West.