Union Pacific Steel Passenger Cars
Union Pacific Streamliner Cars
This page was last updated on March 28, 2006.
This page is under construction … research continues; comment or correction is most welcome.
Glossary:
HHW — "Harriman" Heavyweight — All-steel heavyweight cars first delivered to UP and its subsidiaries in 1909 to 1927; arch roof cars (also known as "round-roof" and "turtleback-roof" cars); some cars were built after the un-merger of UP and SP in 1913, so technically these are best referred to as "Harriman-type" cars.
Jeff Cauthen describes the changes in the "Harriman" design:
Just refer to them as arch roofs. My research into Common Standard designs ordered by the Associated (Harriman) Lines indicates that these Common Standard cars were built from 1909 (not counting the first experimentals of 1906/1907) to mid-1914. The last Common Standard cars ordered by the Associated Lines arrived in May 1914. The Associated Lines ceased to exist after that due to the Supreme Court finding. The SP and UP were then "unmergered". After that, SP and UP adopted their own Common Standards.
The Illinois Central received Common Standard cars up to mid-1911. Begining in August 1911 the IC cars appeared to be Common Standard, but in-fact had Pullman standard built-up fishbelly underframes. Central of Georgia received cars similar to the IC cars as they were controlled by IC. IC ordered more arch roof cars in the 1920s from ACF, and they had many Common Standard features, but again with fishbelly underframes. The roofs were also different at the ends than were Common Standard cars.
Rock Island received a number of cars in 1911 that appear to follow Common Standards, but on close inspection do not. They had belt rails and Pullman standard built-up fishbelly center sills. They did appear to have arch roofs that mimic Common Standard designs. Rock Island dinners built in the mid-1920s had arch roofs, but they were much flater than Common Standard designs.
By the mid-1920s UP was buying cars with clerestory roofs, not arch roofs. SP continued buying arch roof cars until 1927/1928. When SP switched to clerestory roofs on diners, they were built with Common Standard underframes, no fishbelly underframes. Also, it should be pointed out that the Associated Lines were still buying large numbers of wood smoker-observations and diners up untill 1910. These were Common Standard cars and logically should be referred to as "Harriman cars", but of course we don't because they didn't have arch roofs.
It is my contention that the term "Harriman" car should apply only to those cars ordered by the Associated Lines and built between 1906 and mid-1914. Any cars constructed after this date can fairly be referred to as arch roof cars or possibly "Harriman copies". Common Standard steel cars had cast steel bolsters, the double "I" beam centersill and neddle beams. The cars lacked raised belt rails and had door and window designs not used by other railroads. Also, as far as I can determine, all steel cars ordered by the Associated Lines between 1909 and mid-1914 were built by Pullman. (posted to Passenger Car List, March 28, 2006)
Bob Ayers adds:
One spotting feature I have been informed of is above the windows. On a Harriman car, the "lettering" strip between the top of the windows and the bottom edge of the roof continues full width across the top of the doors. On non-Harriman cars, this strip narrows across the top of the door. (posted to Passenger Car List, March 28, 2006)
Steve Bartlett adds:
On the Harriman cars (I won't say "all" the Harriman cars) the trap opened before the vestibule door. Since it was not possible to open the door first and stand on the unopened trap, there was no need for as tall a door. From a modeling standpoint, there is no trap "lip" showing at the bottom of the closed doors. (posted to Passenger Car List, March 29, 2006)
HW — Heavyweight — All-steel heavyweight cars delivered to UP and its subsidiaries in 1926-1935; all built by Pullman; all had clerestory roofs, with external air conditioning ducts added later; many heavyweight cars were rebuilt as "streamlined" heavyweight cars to allow their profuile to match the later Stremaliner and lightweight cars.
A heavyweight car is a steel car with clerestory roof, including those with external air copnditioning ducts. No heavyweight cars were built after 1935. The difference between a heavyweight car and lightweight car is more the era it was built rather than the metal it was built from. By that I mean the change of construction. The "streamlined" trains in the late 1930s were really the only true "lightweight" equipment. Passenger cars built after the streamlined traisn of the 1930s use the style and that makes them "lightweight". (information from Dave Seidel, September 14, 2004)
The last heavyweights built for UP received were built in 1931: 10 chair cars 1260-1269, 10 baggage cars 3076-85 and one RPO-Baggage 2270. (information from Larry Hocholter, September 15, 2004)
This description was written by Wayner in one of his books on Pullman Sleepers, titled "The Complete Roster of Heavyweight Pullman Cars"
...riveted carbon steel body-frame construction. These have been known as heavyweight cars since the 1940s to distinguish them from the lightweight cars of welded alloy steel...
ORER — Official Railway Equipment Register — Published from (?) to (?); included passenger equipment until 1940?
ORPTE — Official Register of Passenger Train Equipment — Published from March 1943 to March 1971
SHW — Streamlined Heavyweight — All-steel heavyweight cars originally built with clerestory roofs, and later modified by UP to include tapered roof ends to match UP's streamlined trains.
TST — Tapered Streamlined Train (1st to 4th trains) — All-aluminum cars delivered to UP as part of the 1st through 4th Streamliner trainsets; all cars articulated.
ST — Streamlined Train (5th and 6th trains) — All-aluminum cars delivered to UP as part of the 5th and 6th Streamliner trainsets; some cars articulated.
LW — Lightweight (13'-6" tall) — Cars delivered to UP in 1937-1964, with straight sides.
With the 1937 7th and 8th trains, the 13'-6" overall height (and corresponding floor height) was established for "lightweight" cars. Those cars had a variety of names and numbers over their life, but were pretty much freely intermixed with subsequent lightweight cars. Admittedly there were a lot of individual cars in the 7th through 10th trains that may warrant a separate group roster, but I believe the 1st through 6th train cars should be in a group by themselves. (Dick Harley)
>
>
> A Streamlined heavyweight is a steel car originally built as a hevayweight
> car, but modernized in the 1940s with Streamliner features. Yes?
YES
No? What
> features?
Mainly outside looks to match the newer lightweight cars.
>
> A Harriman heavyweight is a steel car with a full-width arch roof. Yes?
Would say for the most part yes. They have what some call a "bread loaf"
look to the roofline.
> No?
> Most were built between 1909 and 1925?
For the most part.
>
> A lightweight car is either an aluminum car or a steel car with
> non-opening
> windows, and full-width arch roof, most being built after 1935. Yes?
For the most part yes. See above on the subject.
Length — In the "Description" block for each car group, lengths are taken from the folio diagram books. Fractions less than 1/2 inch have been rounded down (60'-3/8" becomes 60'-0"), and fractions greater than (and including) 1/2 inch have been rounded up (60'-1/2" becomes 60'-1"). Where possible, measurements have been compared for accuracy and consistency with other available sources and listings, and in most cases lengths given are "length over buffers".
"Date To xxxx Series" — In the UP equipment register, the railroad recorded dates as "Converted Or Changed From" for cars with a previous class, number and date. These dates are used in this roster as the renumber dates.
"Date Vacated" — In the UP equipment register, the railroad recorded dates as "Mo. Vacated" in one column, and "Remarks" in another column for further disposition such as a new number, or "W.O." for "Worn Out" (scrapped). These dates are used in this roster for either dates of further disposition (renumbered, sold, scrapped, etc.), or for final retirement. "Date Vacated" is used only for dates of final retirement (sale or scrap)
