Union Pacific Streamliners
This page was last updated on December 14, 2011.
(This is a work in progress; research continues.)
(Return to Union Pacific Passenger Cars index page)
Timeline
( The information in this timeline was taken from multiple sources, including "The Union Pacific Streamliners" by Harold E. Ranks and William W. Kratville, and David Seidel's research for the 1st Train through 10th Train.)
February 12, 1934
The three-unit fully-articulated M-10000, the first streamlined internal-combustion passenger train, was delivered to Union Pacific at the Pullman plant at Pullman, Illinois; on February 11, 1934, the train had made two trial runs between Pullman, Illinois, and Michigan City, Indiana. (click here for more of the timeline for M-10000, known as the 1st Train)
The Competition
April 9, 1934
"Pioneer Zephyr" was delivered to CB&Q by the Budd Company, as the first diesel-powered streamlined train; a record breaking trip between Chicago and Denver was completed on May 26, 1934; the train enetered regular revenue service on Novemer 11, 1934 between Kansas City and Lincoln, Nebraska, by way of Omaha; a fourth car was added in June 1935; the train remained in regular service until March 20, 1960.
May 12, 1934
Overland Trail, the first streamlined sleeping car, was delivered and displayed with M-10000 at the Chicago Century of Progress; the train was displayed at Chicago from May 12 to July 12, 1934 ("Overland Trail" was later added to M-10001)
October 2, 1934
M-10001 was delivered as a six-unit, fully-articulated train; returned to Pullman for improvements in December 1934. (click here for more of the timeline for M-10001, known as the 2nd Train)
January 31, 1935
M-10000 entered revenue service on the 187-mile Kansas City-Salina, Kansas route (named "City of Salina" on March 13, 1936)
June 5, 1935
M-10001 entered revenue service as the "City of Portland" (the train was christened as "City of Portland" on June 4th, at a ceremony at Portland, Oregon
March 13, 1936
M-10000, first known as "The Streamliner," was named "City of Salina" in a letter from W. M. Jeffers
May 16, 1936
M-10002 entered revenue service as the "City of Los Angeles." This is the first train to have two power units, and to have power units that can be uncoupled from their nine-car fully-articulated train. (click here for more of the timeline for M-10002, known as the 3rd Train)
M-10000, M-10001 and M-10002 had the same car body cross-section, with tapered sides.
June 14, 1936
M-10004 entered revenue service as the "City of San Francisco." (click here for more of the timeline for M-10004, known as the 4th Train)
The motive power set of M-10004, along with the spare motive power set M-10003, had the same car body cross-section, straight (vertical) sides that matched the later M-10004 and M-10005.
The nine articulated cars of M-10004 had tapered sides.
June 18, 1936
M-10005 and M-10006 entered revenue service as the "City of Denver," making the 1,048 mile trip between Chicago and Denver in 16 hours. These trains were the first Streamliners with separate motive power units, and a mix of single cars and two-unit articulated cars.
M-10005 and M-10006 had the same car body cross-section, with straight (vertical) sides.
July 8, 1937
The Forty-Niner made its initial run from Chicago to San Francisco. This train used Union Pacific's only streamlined steam locomotives, 4-6-2 number 2906 and 4-8-2 number 7002
December 27, 1937
A new 14-car City of Los Angeles train, powered by the 3-unit set of EMD E2 locomotives LA-1-2-3, joined M-10002
January 2, 1938
A new 14-car City of San Francisco train, powered by the 3-unit set of EMD E2 locomotives SF-1-2-3, replaced M-10004
August 18, 1938
The remodeled 13-car M-10004, with locomotives renumbered as LA-4, replaced M-10002 on the City of Los Angeles route
March, 1939
The LA-4 locomotives were replaced with a pair of new EMD E3 locomotives numbered LA-5 and LA-6 and rebuilt into booster units CD-05-C and CD-06-C for the City of Denver trains
June, 1939
M-10002 replaced M-10001 as the City of Portland. M-10001's power unit was rebuilt later in the year as CD-07-C
August 12, 1939
The City of San Francisco derailed on vandalized track near Harney, Nevada. A replacement train was put into service until the consist can be repaired. Five cars were completely destroyed and had to be replaced
August, 1940
Union Pacific took delivery of three pairs of EMD E6A passenger locomotives, painted Armour Yellow with Harbor Mist Grey instead of Leaf Brown
February, 1941
E3 locomotives LA-5 and LA-6 were renumbered 5-M-1-A and 5-M-2-B
July, 1941
A new 14-car City of Los Angeles train, powered by the 3-unit set of EMD E6 locomotives LA 4-5-6, replaced M-10004 on the City of Los Angeles route. This was the first train to use Harbor Mist Grey instead of Leaf Brown
July, 1941
M-10004 replaced M-10002 as the City of Portland
August, 1941
A new 14-car City of San Francisco train, powered by the 3-unit set of EMD E6 locomotives SF 4-5-6, entered service
August 13, 1941
After being in storage since 1939, M-10001's cars were scrapped
December 16, 1941
M-10000 was retired after running over 899,000 miles in revenue service
February 13, 1942
M-10000 was sold for scrap
April 12, 1942
M-10002 entered service between Portland and Seattle
March, 1943
M-10002 was taken out of service; some of the cars were transferred to M-10004 while others were scrapped
December, 1944
Union Pacific received its last new steam locomotive: FEF-3 Class 4-8-4 number 844
June 2, 1946
Daily City of St. Louis service was established between St. Louis and Cheyenne in conjunction with the Wabash Railroad. This train was the only streamliner to be painted two-tone grey, due to its connections
February, 1947
M-10004 was taken out of service
February 15, 1947
Daily City of Portland service was established
May 14, 1947
Daily City of Los Angeles service was established
September 1, 1947
Daily City of San Francisco service was established
February, 1948
The M-10004 cars were put into storage
April 1, 1950
Union Pacific purchased the Train of Tomorrow, getting its first dome cars, including the very first dome diner and dome sleeper
June 18, 1950
The Train of Tomorrow cars entered service between Portland and Seattle
April, 1951
The M-10004 cars were scrapped
April, 1951
The City of St. Louis entered service running through to Los Angeles
March 26, 1952
Union Pacific announced that all passenger equipment will be painted in Streamliner colors of Armour yellow and Harbor Mist grey
1953
M-10005 and M-10006 were retired from City of Denver service and scrapped
1955
Union Pacific added dome coaches, diners and observation lounges to the City of Los Angeles, City of Portland, and Challengers
October 30, 1955
Union Pacific terminated its arrangement with the Chicago and North Western for the streamliners to operate over the C&NW from Omaha to Chicago, and began operating over the Milwaukee Road
1956
The Dome Observation-Lounges were remodeled for mid-train use
December 18, 1956
The City of Las Vegas began revenue service with the leased General Motors Aerotrain
September 15, 1957
The City of Las Vegas began using conventional equipment
1958
Additional Dome Coaches were purchased and added to the City of St. Louis
January 11, 1959
The City of Denver and City of Portland were combined and operated via Denver
July, 1959
Union Pacific ended the use of steam locomotives in regular service
September 25, 1960
The City of Los Angeles and City of San Francisco were combined between Chicago and Ogden
June, 1962
The City of Las Vegas was renamed the Las Vegas Holiday Special
April 12, 1964
The City of St. Louis was combined with the City of Los Angeles between Ogden and Los Angeles
November, 1964
The last two Train of Tomorrow cars were retired
January 27, 1967
Railway Post Office service ended between Ogden and Los Angeles
August 7, 1967
The Las Vegas Holiday Special was discontinued
September 24, 1967
The combined City of Portland/City of Denver stopped operating through Denver, and a separate City is Denver was operated between Denver and North Platte
September 7, 1968
The City of St. Louis was combined with the City of Los Angeles between Cheyenne and Ogden
1969
The Wabash portion of the City of St. Louis was dropped and the Union Pacific renamed the train the City of Kansas City
September 7, 1969
The City of Los Angeles was combined with the City of Denver from Chicago to North Platte and the City of Portland from Chicago to Green River, Wyoming and carried cars for the City of St. Louis from Chicago to Cheyenne
March, 1970
The City of San Francisco was reduced to tri-weekly operation
May 1, 1971
Amtrak began operation; no Union Pacific trains were retained in the Amtrak schedule, however due to the Denver & Rio Grande Western choosing not to join Amtrak, the San Francisco Zephyr used Union Pacific tracks between Denver and Ogden and was the only Amtrak train to be hosted by Union Pacific at the time.
***
