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An internal Union Pacific letter recently came to light courtesy of Mark Amfahr and Union Pacific Historical Society:
Internal Union Pacific letter, E. A. Klippel to H. I. Norris; February 15, 1955
The first new Union Pacific Dome Observation Car will be cut into 16th CITY OF LOS ANGELES, Train 103 passing Omaha February 18th releasing Observation Car LA-901. Second Dome Observation Car will be cut into 9th CITY OF LOS ANGELES Train 103 passing Omaha February 19th releasing Room Observation Car Metropolitan View.
It will be necessary that magazine binders, Official Guide, etc., be transferred at Omaha and I am asking Mr. Conrey to have his Depot Representative assist your man in making the transfer at Omaha.
Will advise later as to when the remaining three Dome Observation Cars will be ready for service from Omaha.
These first two dome cars were UP 9000 and 9001.
Between February and April of 1955, the American Car & Foundry's St. Charles, Missouri plant near St. Louis completed a total of 15 (9000-9014) blunt-end observation-dome-lounge cars for the Union Pacific in Lot 4096. (Described in builder record as five bedroom-observation cars) The first five, 9000-9004, were delivered for service on the City of Los Angeles, operated over the rails of the Union Pacific and the Milwaukee Road between Los Angeles and Chicago.
UP 9000; to Auto Train 900 in June 1972; to Robert Snow in December 1981; displayed at Orlando, Florida, as part of Mr. Snow's Church Street Station, in new dark red paint, lettered as "Rosie 'O Grady's" (ROG 300); moved to Las Vegas, Nevada during 1985 for use at Mr. Snow's Main Street Station Casino; car renamed "Orlando Dawn"; car and complex sold in 1987 to Boyd Gaming Corporation; car retains "Church Street Station" title and name and number although the casino is now called "The Main Street Casino"
UP 9001; to Auto Train 901 in June 1972; to Merle Ervin, Kanakee, Illinois in December 1981; to Itel Corporation, in January 1982, in service as Green Bay & Western 901, "Trempealeau River" (initial name, "Cross Lake" was not applied); to Fox Valley Western Railway in 1983, a division of Wisconsin Central, car retained red/white colors and number with the later addition of "Wisconsin Central" title; car remodeled in 1997 as Algoma Central (also a division of Wisconsin Central), painted silver and named "Algoma Country"
LA-901 was named "Sun Valley" and was built in December 1937 as part of the 7th Train (COLA); stored from July 1942 to October 1945 because operation of Observation cars was not essential to the war effort; to UP ownership on December 1, 1948 when UP-C&NW joint ownership ended, car remained in City of Los Angeles service; renumbered to UP 1575 in May 1955; retired by UP in July 1961; sold for scrap to Aaron Ferer and Sons, Omaha, Nebraska.
Metropolitan View and Federal View were owned by Pennsylvania Railroad and leased to Pullman, who then leased the two cars to Union Pacific beginning in May 1954 to allow Hoover Dam and Baldy Mountain (both Sleeper Buffet Lounge) to be withdrawn from COLA assignment for shopping on May 17, 1954, and July 26, 1954, respectively, with Pennsylvania Railroad cars Metropolitan View and Federal View substituting in their place.
Both Metropolitan View and Federal View were built by Pullman and placed in service on May 26, 1938. They were sold to Pennsylvania on December 31, 1945, and leased back to Pullman. The Pullman lease ended in February 1958, and both cars were returned to PRR.
Wikipedia -- "Metropolitan View is a sleeper-buffet-lounge-observation car, with 2 master rooms and a double bedroom, built by Pullman-Standard for use on the Pennsylvania Railroad train the Broadway Limited. In 1938, the Broadway Limited was completely reequipped with lightweight steel cars to replace the heavyweight steel cars. The new equipment's industrial design was a product of Raymond Loewy. It had three sister cars built for the same order called Skyline View, Federal View, and Washington View; the latter two were built for the Liberty Limited, which operated between Washington and Chicago. The Metropolitan View is now located in the Railway Museum of Greater Cincinnati in Covington, Kentucky and has been the subject of numerous photographs over the years."
Railway Museum of Greater Cincinnati in Covington, Kentucky -- "Pullman observation sleeping car "Metropolitan View" for PRR Fleet of Modernism premier service. Features a round-end observation lounge, buffet lounge, 2 master rooms, and 1 double bedroom. Built by Pullman in 1938, owned and operated by Pullman under contract to the PRR. At 85-feet in length with only six beds, this car was the state-of-the-art in luxury travel. Eventually sold to the PRR, this car saw several more owners until being rescued by the museum in 1997. Awaiting major restoration."
Baldy Mountain was a Sleeper Buffet Lounge built in July 1941 as part of the 9th Train (COLA); sold to C&NW on December 31, 1945 and leased back to Pullman for operation; joint UP-C&NW operation of COLA ended on October 30, 1955, and the car was returned to Pullman; lease to Pullman ended and car returned to C&NW operation on February 17, 1956; retired by C&NW in 1958; sold for scrap to M. S. Kaplan, Chicago.
Hoover Dam was a Sleeper Buffet Lounge built in July 1941 as Russian Hill as part of the 9th Train (COLA); sold to C&NW on December 31, 1945 and leased back to Pullman for operation, car remained in City of San Francisco service until December 1946; changed to Hoover Dam on January 29, 1951 at the written request of Wisconsin Senator Joseph McCarthy; joint UP-C&NW operation of COLA ended on October 30, 1955, and the car was returned to Pullman; lease to Pullman ended and car returned to C&NW operation on March 26, 1956; retired by C&NW in 1958; sold for scrap to M. S. Kaplan, Chicago.
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