Union Pacific Streamliner City of Los Angeles

Effective September 29, 1946, Union Pacific expanded the two COLA train sets from two to four, on a triweekly schedule that departed Chicago on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, arriving in Los Angeles on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. The same new schedule departed Los Angeles on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, arriving in Chicago on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. This was done by reducing the car count of the two train sets and moving those cars to the new two train sets along with reassigned "pool" cars.

The result was that two of the train sets would not have rear end lounge cars and that one train set would have three "American" series sleepers as the last cars of the train. On the rear sleeper, the railroad added a temporary blunt end that covered the end of the car and draped around the diaphragm. The reason for this cover was that the railroad felt it added to the "prestige of a Streamliner" in appearance and to match standards of design with the other train sets that had rear end lounges.

When the COLA became a daily service on May 14, 1947, two coach cars were rebuilt to rear end lounge cars (#1522 & #1523) which were added to the two train sets that had no rear end lounge. The #1522 replaced the "American Falls" with its temporary blunt end removed and the car returned to regular service.

Which of the COLA cars were lettered "City of Los Angeles" on the letterboard, and until what dates? -- All of the [original] COLA passenger cars were lettered for that train. By the time Daily Service was inaugurated in May 1947 (perhaps Spring 1947), the non-sleepers were jointly lettered for UP and C&NW, while the sleepers were lettered PULLMAN. No COLA lettering on any of the cars (or engines) after May 1947. One exception though: in 1949, the four obs cars got COLA lettering (two COLA cars and both COSF cars now operating on the COLA).

Which of the COLA cars had raised strips below and/or above the windows? -- All of the 1937 cars assigned to the "revised" COLA 7th Train received the "Aluminum Trim Molding" to match the new 1941 cars which were all fitted with the same molding as delivered. Another aspect to consider is that the 1937 sleepers also received "Louver Skirting" in 1941 when they were converted to self-contained cars (not dependent on head end generators for electrical power).

If the COLA trains ever had full-width diaphragms, when were they changed to normal ones? -- All of the 1937 and 1941 COLA cars had full width diaphragms. These were removed in the early 1950s at about the same time the skirting was removed and replaced with 4" skirting (which essentially matched the new cars delivered in 1949 by AC&F).

Finally, there would not be enough E8's in 1950 to create ABB sets. These first sets were delivered in matching AB sets (Nos. 926, 926B through 930, 930B). Photos typically show an E8 AB set along with an E7 B-unit. Or there could be an E8 leading with a couple of E7's trailing, depending on what was available that day. The 1950-built E8's were the only such UP E-units with the F7 style grills. The 1952-1953 units all had the distinctive Farr Air grills (as did all the E9's). After the 1953-built E8's came, all the units were pooled and ran intermixed with the earlier units.

Concerning the COLA E2s, they were renumbered in August 1946 to 921A, 922B, 923B. In March 1948 they were renumbered again to 984J, 984BJ, 984CJ. Finally, in December 1948 they became C&NW 5003A, and UP 984B, UP 984C.

When the COLA E7s were delivered in 8/46, they displaced the E2s in one of the two COLA consists, although not entirely. I have a Stan Kistler photo dated 10-18-46 showing E2 921A with E6 925B and E7 928B.

Beginning with daily COLA service in May 1947, the COLA consists were reduced to 12 cars and powered with a pair of 4000 HP units. At this point, the E2s with only 1800 HP each were operating regularly in the COStL and LA Limited diesel pools. In early 1949, a third unit was added to the COLA consists, usually a UP F3 B-unit, and the E2 B-units began showing up on the City of Portland. After the E2 cab unit became C&NW 5003A, it did not operate west of Omaha.

In 1941, the E2 cab unit lost its chrome pilot trim and acquired slots. In late 1946, the B-units got a third intake grill, similar to the E6 B-units. In mid-1947, the E2 cab unit acquired a second headlight in the nose, plus large train indicator boards.

Locomotive power for the COLA over Cajon pass in 1946 is relatively simple. The two consists began the year with power already having been balanced late in the war:

1) COLA 7th Train had E6A LA-4(2nd), E2B LA-2, E2B LA-3 (5600 HP)

2) COLA 9th Train had E2A LA-1, E6B LA-5(2nd), E6B LA-6(2nd) (5800 HP)

The three E6s delivered in 1941 used engine numbers that had previously been used on the renumbered M-10004 two-unit engine set (LA-4) and the E3 AB set (LA-5, LA-6)

In August 1946, the three-unit E7s were delivered and the 1937 E2s and the 1941 E6s were renumbered. The E7s took over on one of the COLA consists, while the E6s operated on the other consist. The E2s were relegated to pool service on the COStL and the LA LIMITED. The power for the COLA consists would have looked like this:

1) One COLA consist had E7s 927A, 928B, 929B (6000 HP)

2) The other COLA consist had E6s 924A, 925B, 926B (6000 HP)

At this point, with 6000 HP available for both COLA consists, the E7s and E6s could be pooled with the result that there could be some mixing of units.