Union Pacific 1927 Exhibition Train
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This page was last updated on July 3, 2025.
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Overview
Union Pacific assembled a special "Historical & Exhibition" train in 1927 to initially take part of the opening of the new passenger depot in Topeka, Kansas, in late January 1927. The train was made up of a historic 4-4-0 steam locomotive, and four historic wooden passenger cars.
Over the following three years, the train took part in several other celebrations across the Union Pacific System. By that time, there was concern about the condition of the very old cars, and their continued safe operation. Research suggests that the locomotive, UP 943, was last fired in 1932.
Newspaper coverage of the movement of the "Old Time Train" was quite heavy in the 1927-1928 period, but slowed considerably in following years.
Some photos show that the historic train was displayed at the 1933 Chicago World's Fair from late May to early November, but research (including online newspapers) has not yet found reference to Union Pacific's participation in the 1933 version of the event. Union Pacific president William Jeffers attended the fair in late May 1933, with newspapers describing his trip, but no mention was made of a Union Pacific train. However, for the 1934 continuation of the event, Union Pacific sent its Streamliner M-10000, with some limited media coverage.
The Train
The train was made up of the following equipment.
- 4-4-0 steam locomotive (engine number 943 and 945)
- wooden Baggage Mail Passenger car (UP 03175) (displayed as Number 1)
- wooden Coach car (UP 03176) (displayed as Number 9)
- wooden Emmigrant sleeper car (UP 03177) (displayed as Number 97)
- wooden Business car (UP 03178) (displayed as Number X01)
Union Pacific equipment records show that the cars were officially renumbered to their "Historical & Exhibition" numbers in July 1927, and the entire train was retired "vacated" in January 1938.
The train was first operated in late January 1927 to participate in the opening of the new passenger station in Topeka, Kansas. The Marysville Advocate newspaper of January 27, 1927 gave the consist of the train as follows.
The train will consist of engine No. 945 with a diamond stack and cars Nos. 1, 9, 97 and 111 [sic: X01]. Car No. 1 is the first car on the Union Pacific, one of the others is an early-day immigrant car and another is a business car of the ’60s. All the equipment is original and has been rehabilitated for the occasion.
An incomplete list of display dates and locations, based on newspaper reports. The train operated on the following dates, passing and stopping briefly towns along the routes.
- Jan 27 to Jan 28, 1927 -- Omaha to Topeka, by way of Beatrice and Marysville
- Jan 28, 1927 -- Display at Topeka for opening of new depot
- Jan 29, 1927 -- Topeka to Omaha, by way of Hastings and Grand Island
- Jan 30, 1927 -- Display in Omaha
- Feb 15, 1927 -- Omaha to North Platte (overnight in North Platte)
- Feb 16, 1927 -- North Platte to Cheyenne
- Feb 17 to Feb 18, 1927 -- Display at Cheyenne
- Feb 21, 1927 -- Cheyenne to Omaha, by way of Valparaiso and Lincoln, stopping at Grand Island for two hours
- Jul 15, 1927 -- North Platte to Gering (Oregon Pioneer Days; displayed on temporary track)
- Jun 9, 1928 -- Display at Omaha (Old Timers Reunion)
- Jun 29, 1928 -- Columbus (westbound)
- Jul 29-30, 1928 -- Display in Kansas City
- Jul 31, 1928 -- Manhattan, Kan.
- Aug 1, 1928 -- Pawnee, Kan. (presentation to the state of the site of the first Kansas Territory capital building)
- Jun 16, 1929 -- Sidney, Neb., en route to Salt Lake City (Jun 16-29, 1929 was reported as the train's western tour; viewed by 53,000 people)
- Jun 19, 1929 -- Pocatello (from Green River, Wyo., en route to Blackfoot)
- Jun 20, 1929 -- Blackfoot, Idaho (Pioneer celebration)
- Jun 21-22, 1929 -- Salt Lake City (Old Timers Convention, 8,000 attendees)
- Jun 26, 1929 -- Colyer, Kan. (on Kansas Div.), returning from Salt Lake City
- Aug 29, 1929 -- Lincoln, Neb., (Nebraska State Fair)
- Oct 20 to Oct 27, 1929 -- Manhattan, Kan. (one week display as part of Manhattan's Diamond Jubilee)
- Jul 1, 1932 -- Grand Island (display; engine 943 not fired; other four cars very old; special movements only)
- May 27 to Nov 1, 1933 -- Chicago World's Fair (Century of Progress International Exposition - Chicago 1933)
The Locomotives
Photos show both UP 4-4-0 943 and 945 on the Historical & Exhibition train, with a fake diamond smoke stack. Both were coal burners.
UP 9
Photos of the Historical & Exhibition train at the 1933 Chicago World's Fair, show 4-4-0 number 9 at the head of the train. This engine is different than either UP 943 or 945 in other photos, and appears to retain more of its original appearance and its original diamond stack, and does not have the steam dynamo mounted between the sand dome and the steam dome seen on the other two engines.
During this time period of the 1930s, there were no UP 4-4-0s in service or retired with the number 9. There was a number 9, built in 1862, but it was renumbered to UP 300 in 1885, and sold to Kearney & Black Hills in 1890. It was reported as being condemned in 1894.
UP 940
UP 940 was purchased secondhand as UPRR 53 (2nd) in 1867 from contractor Casement, build date unknown; to UPRR 53 (2nd) in 1867, replacing wrecked UPRR 53 (1st); to UPRy 53 in 1880; to UPRy 302 in 1885; rebuilt to UPRy 826 in 1886; to UP 826 in 1898; to UP 940 in 1915; renumbered to Roadway service as Historical & Exhibition service 03196 in December 1935; retired by UP as 03197 in May 1940.
UP 943
UP 943 was built as KP 62 in 1870; to UPRy 405 in 1885; rebuilt to UPRy 829 (2nd) in 1893; to UP 829 in 1898; to UP 943 in 1915; vacated in 1926.
UP 943 was rebuilt with fake diamond stack and assigned to Historical & Exhibition service along with four retired passenger cars; renumbered to UP 03197 in July 1927; retired as UP 03197 in August 1935.
From William Kratville's "Motive Power of the Union Pacific" book published in 1959.
The 943 was dolled up in 1926 for the Kansas Centennial Days and sported a modified Diamond stack and pulled a train of wooden coaches. (page 30)
The 943 and train were taken off the active rosters and assigned to the Roadway Equipment as Historical and Exhibition equipment. The 943 became the 03197 and the cars 03175-03178 and were all scrapped in the thirties. (page 33)
UP 945
UP 945 was built as UPRy 770 in 1887; rebuilt to UPRy 837 in 1892; to UP 837 in 1898; to UP 945 in 1915; vacated in December 1933
From William Kratville's "Motive Power of the Union Pacific" book published in 1959.
945 had diamond stack, white driver tires, pulled oldest passenger equipment on line for Kansas Centennial days in 1926. Loco and equipment later listed on Maintenance of Way roster. (page 27)
The Cars
The four cars used as part of the Historical & Exhibition train were...
(from the UP Equipment Record, image r3-0307)
UP 03175
UP 03175, a wooden 40-foot former Baggage and Mail car 2205, built in June 1865 by Warren & Vinton, renumbered to Roadway Boarding 04868 in May 1927, renumbered to Historical & Exhibition 03175 in July 1927; vacated in January 1938.
The newspaper stories reported that this was the first railroad passenger car west of the Missouri river.
(This is the car numbered "1" in photos, immediately behind the locomotive.)
UP 03176
UP 03176, a wooden car (number and type not known) built in June 1886 by Harrisburg Car Co., renumbered to Roadway Boarding car 02752 in November 1886; renumbered to Roadway Boarding 06921 in May 1918; renumbered to Historical & Exhibition 03176 in July 1927; vacated in January 1938
UP 03177
UP 03177, a wooden car Emigrant car 909 built in April 1875 (builder not known); renumbered to Roadway Boarding car 02944 in February 1909; renumbered to Roadway Boarding 06926 in July 1919; renumbered to Historical & Exhibition 03177 in July 1927; vacated in January 1938.
(This is the car numbered "97" in photos.)
UP 03178
UP 03178, a wooden 34-foot former "caboose" 2399 built by UPRR in December 1886; renumbered to Historical & Exhibition 03178 in July 1927; vacated in January 1938
UP 2399 was a 30-foot car converted from Business Car 09 in August 1914; and converted again to Historical and Exhibition Car 03178 in July 1927.
(All the other wooden cabooses in the 2300 series were former box cars, converted to cabooses.)
There is some confusion concerning UP 03178 when it was Business car 09. Barger (page 23) says it was built in 1883 as a caboose; rebuilt as OSL Pay Car 10; renumbered to OSL Pay Car 020 in June 1885; rebuilt to UP Business car 09 in 1886, still on the roster in 1913. (photo in 1909)
There have been at least two photos of the Historical & Exhibition train of the late 1920s and early 1930s showing a very short car at the end of the train, very similar in appearance to the car shown in Ralph Barger's UP Business Car book on page 23.
Photos
UP 1927 Exhibition Train -- Photos of the Union Pacific 1927 Exhibition Train, as late as 1933.
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