Incredible Photos From California’s First Post-War Cycle Train, From Los Angeles to San Diego, 1946

Organized by the Bicycle Dealers Association of Southern California with the goal of boosting enthusiasm for hobby cycling, the event was not a 120-mile ride from one city to the other, but rather a literal train hired to carry LA cyclists south to give them the opportunity to spend the day riding a new city.

On August 11, 1946, cyclists met at Union Station to catch the 7:40am special via the Santa Fe Railway, where they would load their bikes onto an accompanying box car and then head into the passenger cars where they were offered buffet service and music for the ride south. The train then made stops to pick up more cyclists in Fullerton (at 8:15am) and Santa Ana (at 8:40am) and then set out for San Diego.

When they arrived at 11:10am, cyclists disembarked and then set out to explore the city. The trip back home left San Diego at 6pm and included a special train car for dancing for those with any energy left to exert, and the Association reportedly went through the train awarding prizes to those wearing “the best cycling costumes” before arriving back at Union Station at 9:30pm.

(Photos by Peter Stackpole for LIFE Magazine, via Forgotten Los Angeles)