Union Pacific Streamliner City of Portland

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This page was last updated on March 2, 2025.

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City Of Portland

Dates Train Motive Power
June 5, 1935 to June 1939 2nd train M-10001
June 1939 to July 1941 3rd Train M-10002
July 1941 to February 15, 1947 4th Train LA 4A and LA 4B
February 15, 1947 to May 1, 1971 (daily)   general service pool

The following comes from Kratville's Union Pacific Streamliners, page 98:

In July, 1941 the second 17-car City of Los Angeles (COLA) with units LA 4-5-6 was delivered and replaced the M-10004 on the Los Angeles run. The displaced M-10004 in turn humped the M-l0002 (the original City of Los Angeles) from its Portland-Chicago run. The M-10002 was stored until April 12, 1942 when it became the 5-times a month Portland-Seattle connection of the City of Portland (M-10004). The seats in the section sleepers Cinema and Boulder Canyon were sold as parlor car seats on this daylight run. The M-10002 went into storage again in March, 1943 except for the 12201, 10404, 12760 which were scrapped and the sleeper Cinema which was transferred to the M-10004. In February, 1946, the chair car 10403 was renumbered CP-408 and with the sleeper Boulder Canyon was transferred to the M-10004. The M-10002 was stricken from the equipment register in 1947 when the diner-lounge 10301 was scrapped and the two power units were sold to Northrup-Hendy Co.

The 15 Dome Observation Lounge cars in the 9000 series that were delivered in 1955. Five were were assigned to the City of Portland. The blind, blunt end of these cars caused some operations difficulties as the train had to be switched at the various locations. In October 1956, all were rebuilt to allow mid-train use, which included an end diaphram.

After that 9000-series Dome Observation cars were changed to mid-train operation, the City of Portland had a standard sleeper as the end car, with a simple gate across the diaphram, and the tail light as protection against following trains. This last sleeper was usually an "American" series in the 1950s and a "Pacific" series in the 1960s.

The Union Pacific public timetable dated January 1, 1969 showed the following train consist.

A photo of the City of Portland, departing westward from Cheyenne on February 12, 1969, showed a reduced consist. But the City of Portland, Train 105, still ran separately from the "City of Everywhere" and left Cheyenne westbound in mid-morning. The consist of the six-car train was usually as follows:

By April 24, 1969, the City of Portland the dome lounge had been removed from the regular consist, and a cafe-lounge had replaced the full diner in every consist.

The Union Pacific public timetable dated June 2, 1969 showed the following train consist.

The Union Pacific public timetables dated September 7, 1969, and December 7, 1969, both show the City of Portland as part of the combined trains between Chicago and North Platte (where the City of Denver was separated), then from North Platte to Green River (where the City of Portland was separated). The Dome Lounge car and the Dining car were both restored as part of the combined train's consist.

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