General Motors' Train of Tomorrow

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This page was last updated on May 29, 2022.

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Overview

The General Motors' Train of Tomorrow was built in 1947 and purchased second hand by UP in April 1950, each of the four dome cars in the Train of Tomorrow were named lightweight cars.

After a one-week period of preparation and preview on May 26 to June 2, 1947, on June 3, 1947 the special train began its tour of U. S. cities. The train was also displayed at the Railroad Supply Manufacturers Association convention at Atlantic City, New Jersey on June 23-27, 1947. The tour ended on June 22, 1949 when the train was put on display at the Chicago Railroad Fair, until September 16, 1949. A tour of Canadian cities began on September 17, 1949, and the train returned to Chicago on October 30, 1949. The entire train was then moved to Pullman's South Chicago (111th St.) Plant for conversion to Union Pacific service.

On April 1, 1950, the former GM Train Of Tomorrow was formally sold to Union Pacific. On June 18,1950 the train made its first run from Seattle to Portland as Union Pacific Trains 457 and 458, informally known as the "City of Seattle," as a Seattle connection with its City of Portland.

(EMD E7 locomotive no. 765 was also part of the Train of Tomorrow; renumbered to UP no. 988 when purchased) (Read more about UP 988)

Car Name Type March 1956
UP Number
Dream Cloud Dome Sleeper (none)
Moon Glow Dome Observation Lounge UP 9015
Sky View Dome Diner UP 8010
Star Dust Dome Coach (Dome Chair) UP 7010

Roster Listing

Dome Sleeper -- 1 car (ex GM Train of Tomorrow)
Pullman-Standard, 1947 (to UP in 1950)
Lightweight

Car
Name		 Date To
UP		 Date
Retired		 Notes
Dream Cloud Apr 1950 Feb 1964 1

Description:

  • Length, Over Buffers (coupled): 85'-0"
  • Length, Over End Sills: 79'-2"
  • Truck Centers: 59'-6"
  • Truck Style: 4 wheel (8'-0" wheelbase)

General Notes:

  1. Built in 1947 as Dome Sleeper "Dream Cloud"; sold to UP in 1950 as "Dream Cloud"
  2. Used as first class coach.
  3. "Dream" series sleeper (one car), 3 compartment, 2 drawing room, 8 roomette (3-2-8)
  4. The rooms on "Dream Cloud" were sold as drawing rooms while in UP service. Car sold for scrap during 1964.
  5. "Dream Cloud" was the only Dome Sleeper ever constructed by Pullman Standard.
  6. UP diagram sheet P-10-3 (6/1/1949), Rev. A (3/2/1959)

Notes:

  1. UP "Dream Cloud" was built in May 1947, part of General Motors' Train of Tomorrow; entire train sold to UP in April 1950; unlike the other former Train of Tomorrow cars, UP did not remove the name and apply a number to "Dream Cloud"; assigned to First Class service Portland-Seattle) in 1956; retired in February 1964

 

Dome Observation Lounge -- 1 car (ex GM Train of Tomorrow)
Pullman-Standard, 1947 (to UP in 1950)
Lightweight

Car
Name		 Date To
UP		 Date
Retired		 Notes
Moon Glow Apr 1950 Nov 1964 1

Description:

  • Length, Over Buffers (coupled): 85'-0"
  • Length, Over End Sills: 79'-2"
  • Truck Centers: 59'-6"
  • Truck Style: 4 wheel (8'-0" wheelbase)

General Notes:

  1. Seating Capacity: 44 seats in lower level, 24 seats in dome level
  2. Pullman Lot: 6780
  3. Pullman Floor Plan: 93-H-69
  4. Converted to mid train service in 1959.
  5. UP diagram sheet P-10-4 (6/1/1949), Rev. A (2/15/1956), Rev. C (8/17/1960)

Notes:

  1. Built in May 1947 as "Moon Glow", part of General Motors' Train of Tomorrow; entire train sold to UP in April 1950; "Moon Glow" name removed and car numbered as UP 9015 in March 1956; retired in November 1964; sold to scrap yard in Pocatello Idaho in March 1965; "discovered" during 1990, and purchased by the Golden Spike Railroad and Locomotive Historical Society for display by The Ogden Union Station Foundation. Car is currently stored off-site for possible restoration and display at their museum.

 

Dome Diner -- 1 car (ex GM Train of Tomorrow)
Pullman-Standard, 1947 (to UP in 1950)
Lightweight

Car
Name		 Date To
UP		 Date
Retired		 Notes
Sky View Apr 1950 Feb 1961 1

Description:

  • Length, Over Buffers (coupled): 85'-0"
  • Length, Over End Sills: 79'-2"
  • Truck Centers: 59'-6"
  • Truck Style: 4 wheel (8'-0" wheelbase)

General Notes:

  1. Seating Capacity: 34 seats in lower level, 18 seats in dome level
  2. UP diagram sheet P-10-2 (6/1/1949), Rev. B (3/2/1959) (removed from UP diagram book as part of July 1961 revision)

Notes:

  1. Built in May 1947 as "Sky View", part of General Motors' Train of Tomorrow; entire train sold to UP in April 1950; "Sky View" name removed and car numbered as UP 8010 in March 1956; retired in February 1961, scrapped in 1964

 

Dome Chair -- 1 car (ex GM Train of Tomorrow)
Pullman-Standard, 1947 (to UP in 1950)
Lightweight

Car
Name		 Date To
UP		 March 1956
Number		 Date
Retired		 Notes
Star Dust Apr 1950 UP 7010 Nov 1964 1

Description:

  • Length, Over Buffers (coupled): 85'-0"
  • Length, Over End Sills: 79'-2"
  • Truck Centers: 59'-6"
  • Truck Style: 4 wheel (8'-0" wheelbase)

General Notes:

  1. Seating Capacity: 48 seats in lower level, 24 seats in dome level
  2. UP diagram sheet P-10-1 (6/1/1949), Rev. A (2/15/1956), Rev. B (3/2/1959)

Notes:

  1. Built in May 1947 as "Star Dust", part of General Motors' Train of Tomorrow; entire train sold to UP in April 1950; "Star Dust" name removed and car numbered as UP 7010 in March 1956; retired in November 1964, scrapped

Train Of Tomorrow In Utah

November 13-14, 1947
GM's Train of Tomorrow visited Salt Lake City as part of its nationwide tour. The display was at the D&RGW station in Salt Lake City, arriving by way of D*&RGW from Grand Junction, Colorado. A preview luncheon was held at Hotel Utah on November 12th, after which the party of 125 guests and members of the press were bused to Thistle, and boarded the train for the trip to Salt Lake City. The train arrived in Salt Lake City at 4:45 p.m. on Tuesday November 12th. (Deseret News, November 7, 1947; November 9, 1947; November 10, 1947; November 11, 1947)

November 15, 1947
GM's Train of Tomorrow visited Ogden. The display was at the D&RGW freight depot in Ogden. On November 16th, after its display in Ogden, the train returned to Salt Lake City by way of D&RGW, then headed west by way of Western Pacific for display in Sacramento, spending the night of November 16th at Portola, California. (Salt Lake Tribune, November 9, 1947; Deseret News, November 11, 1947)

More Information

Based in part on the research of David Seidel. Portions were orignally presented in a different format in his book, "Union Pacific Passenger Equipment". (Read more about David Seidel's book)

"The Train Of Tomorrow" by Ric Morgan (Indiana University Press, 2007; copyright by Ogden Union Station Foundation and Ric Morgan). This book fully describes the Train of Tomorrow, including hundreds of photos of the exterior and interior of the equipment and of the 2-1/2 year tour of U. S. and Canadian cities, and includes a full diary of the daily events of the tour itself. Highly recommended.

The Story of the 1947-1948 GM Train Of Tomorrow -- A web site with the complete timeline of tour of GM's Train Of Tomorrow.

Wikipedia Article about the Train Of Tomorrow

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