Union Pacific Streamliners, The City Trains
Index For This Page
This page was last updated on March 2, 2025.
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City Of Salina
| Train | Dates | Motive Power |
| 1st Train | Jan 31, 1935 to Dec 16, 1941 | M-10000 |
Built in 1934, UP's M-10000 was a three-car version of Pullman's "Railplane," a single car self-propelled streamlined test vehicle, built in 1933.
Roster information for M-10000.
City Of Portland
| Train | Dates | Motive Power |
| 2nd train | June 5, 1935 to June 1939 | M-10001 |
| 3rd Train | June 1939 to July 1941 | M-10002 |
| 4th Train | July 1941 to February 15, 1947 | LA 4A and LA 4B |
| February 15, 1947 to May 1, 1971 (daily) | general service pool |
(Read more about the UP's City of Portland train)
City Of Los Angeles
| Train | Dates | Motive Power |
| 3rd Train | May 15, 1936 to December 25, 1937 | M-10002 (renumbered to LA-4-A and LA-4-B) |
| 4th Train | August 1938 to July 1941 | LA-4-A and LA-4-B |
| 7th Train | December 22, 1937 to January 28, 1947 | LA 1-2-3 (to 900 series, August 1946) |
| 9th Train | July 1941 to January 28, 1947 | LA 4-5-6 (to 900 series, August 1946) |
| January 28, 1947 to May 1, 1971 (daily) | general service pool |
(Read more about UP's City of Los Angeles train)
City Of San Francisco
| Train | Dates | Motive Power |
| 4th Train | June 14, 1936 to January 1938 | M-10004 (to LA 4A and LA-4B in July 1938) |
| 8th Train | January 1938 to January 28, 1947 (substitute train, August 1939 to August 1941) |
SF 1-2-3 (to 900 series, August 1946) |
| 10th Train | August 1941 to January 28, 1947 | SF 4-5-6 (to 900 series, August 1946) |
| January 28, 1947 to May 1, 1971 (daily) | general service pool |
City Of Denver
| Train | Dates | Motive Power |
| 5th Train 6th Train |
June 18, 1936 to January 10, 1954 (second section added, June 1939) |
M-10005 (to CD-05 series, June 1937) M-10006 (to CD-06 series, June 1937) |
| July 1937 | 3rd train set added (CD-07) | |
| July 1939 to August 1941 | CD-05 substituted for COLA, which was temporarily assigned to fill in for the wrecked COSF | |
| December 1939 | all three trains expanded (3rd locomotive unit added to each train) | |
| October 1947 to February 1948 | Cars from the 4th Train, with M-10002 motive power were used in place of one of the three CD train sets as each was refurbished | |
| December 1953 to May 1, 1971 | Streamliner train sets retired; general service pool (other sources say January 10, 1954) (CD-05, CD-06 and CD-07 locomotives retired in March 1953) |
The City of Denver trainsets were replaced by a pool of general service cars in December 1953. The following cars were part of the pool for less than a year before being replaced.
CD-05 POOL
| Dream Lake | 4 compartment/1 drawing room/4 bedroom; from COSF |
| Boulder | 12 section; from COSF |
| 1501 | club/lounge |
CD-06 POOL
| Bear Lake | 4 compartment/1 drawing room/4 bedroom; from COSF |
| Greeley | 12 section; from COSF |
| 1500 | club/lounge |
"City Of Seattle" Portland-Seattle Connection, Train 457/458
| Train | Dates | Motive Power |
| April 12, 1942 to March 1943 | M-10002 | |
| June 18, 1950 to May 1, 1971 | general service pool (Train of Tomorrow) |
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 M-10002 was the motive power of what was known as UP's "Third Train," being the third Streamliner train that UP received. Besides the brief note above, the Third Train had an interesting history that included the brief note above.
(Read more about UP's Third Train, with M-10002 as its motive power)
Research has not yet found information about the equipment used on UP's Trains 457/458 between Portland and Seattle, between March 1943 and when the Train of Tomorrow trainset arrived in June 1950.
(Read more about the Train of Tomorrow)
City Of Las Vegas
December 18, 1956 -- City of Las Vegas service started, using the experimental Aerotrain leased from General Motors
September 15, 1957 -- City of Las Vegas was changed to conventional lightweight passenger equipment
August 7, 1967 -- City of Las Vegas service ended
When the City of Las Vegas was changed in 1957 from the experimental GM Aerotrain equipment, to conventional lightweight passenger equipment, the conventional equipment included a Lounge Car that was configured as a "Pub Car" like the car assigned to the City of Denver. This Pub car offered addditional-charge bar service, and Union Pacific continued offering free buffet meals en route.
City of St. Louis
Trains 9 and 10
The new Union Pacific-Wabash Streamliner City of St. Louis began daily operations June 2,1946. Operating between St. Louis, Kansas City, Denver and Cheyenne, the new City of St. Louis carried through cars for Los Angeles, San Francisco and Portland for transfer to UP's fast UP transcontinental trains at Cheyenne, Wyoming. The new schedule reduced running times to Los Angeles by 17-3/4 hours, to San Francisco by 18-3/4 hours and to Portland by 14-1/4 hours.
The City of St. Louis had come about in answer to competitive pressures from other carriers in the St. Louis-Kansas City-Denver corridor. Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific's "Rock Island Express" and "Denver Limited" were tow of those competive trains, as was Missouri Pacific's "Colorado Eagle" and CB&Q's "General Pershing Zephyr" and the combined CB&Q-D&RGW-WP "Exposition Flyer."
Operating as train Nos. 9 and 10 on both the Union Pacific and Wabash, the City of St. Louis replaced the un-named UP Trains 23 and 24, and train Nos. 2 and 9 on the Wabash. At Cheyenne, the Los Angeles cars in the City of St. Louis were then added to train No. l, the "Los Angeles Limited." The San Francisco cars were added train No. 27, the "Overland Limited" and the Portland cars were added to train No.11, the "Portland Rose."
Timeline
- June 2, 1946 -- City of St. Louis service started; St. Louis, Missouri, to Cheyenne, Wyoming, by way of Denver, Colorado
- At Cheyenne; cars were added to other UP trains to continue west to Los Angeles.
- Between St. Louis and Kansas City, the train was operated by Wabash Railroad, and after 1964, by Norfolk & Western
- April 1951 -- City of St. Louis began operating through to Los Angeles.
- April 12, 1964 -- combined with the City of Los Angeles west of Ogden, Utah
- January 28, 1967 -- Kansas City-Denver RPO service ended; replaced by State of Kansas-mandated Kansas-only RPO service to Sharon Springs, the last station before Colorado
- September 10, 1967 -- St. Louis-Kansas City RPO service on N&W ended
- September 24, 1967 -- combined with the City of San Francisco from Cheyenne to Ogden
- October 12, 1967 -- U. S. Postal Service stopped all RPO service
- April 28-29, 1968 -- N&W ended through-Pullman sleepers between St. Louis and West Coast cities
- June 19-20, 1968 -- N&W ended through-coaches between St. Louis and West Coast cities
- June 30, 1968 -- UP changed the name from City of St. Louis, to City of Kansas City
- N&W continued operating a St. Louis-Kansas City train until April 17, 1969; passengers were responsible for cross-platform connections
- April 30, 1971 -- City of Kansas City service ended, with the start of Amtrak
Art Gibson writes that the City of St. Louis was not steam powered. However, there were always some steam powered helpers (such as Sherman Hill) and for sick diesels. There were some regular steam runs, such as the 800s (4-8-4) being used Denver-Cheyenne when the Wabash diesels were turned back at Denver to return to St. Louis on #10. Also, the Wabash 700s (4-6-4) were used from Mobeley, Missouri, to St. Louis, when the UP power (on #10) was turned back at Mobeley to go back on #9. But the first and the last runs of #9 and #10 were diesel powered. (Art Gibson email dated June 16, 2013)
During the years it was known as the City of Kansas City (1968 to 1971), the train ran west from Cheyenne combined with the combined City of San Francisco and City of Los Angeles, a 20-24-car train running as Train 103. The City of Kanasa City ran east (timetable east, but westward out of Cheyenne station, then south to Denver) in late afternoon. The eastbound City of Kansas City's cars ran backward to Denver with its 10-6 sleeper right behind the diesels. The City of Kansas City had no domes.
Here is the consist of the last No. 9 through Topeka, Kansas, on April 30, 1971, the day before Amtrak. Recorded by Bill Gibson, and presented here through the courtesy of Lance Garrels and Art Gibson.
UP 940 (E9)
UP 959 (E9, to Amtrak as #432)
UP 6300 (Baggage)
UP 5474 (Chair)
UP 1409, "Pacific Cove" (6-10 Sleeper, to Amtrak as #2607)
UP 5417 (Chair)
UP 6103 (Dormitory Club)
UP 5007 (Cafe Lounge)
(See also: "The Streamliner" Union Pacific Historical Society, Volume 13, Number 4, Fall 1999; 14 pages)
(See Also: the Wikipedia article for City of St. Louis passenger train)
Sources
Research by David Seidel, including portions originally presented in a different format in his book, "Union Pacific Passenger Equipment".
Additional information came from "The Official Pullman-Standard Library, Volume 13, Union Pacific 1933-1937", published in 1993 by RPC Publications.
More Information
The Numbered Trains (1st Train through 10th Train)
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