This page gives a chronological history of Union Pacific's streamlined passenger trains. Most of this information came from the book The Union Pacific Streamliners by Harold E. Ranks and William W. Kratville.
February 12, 1934
The 3-unit fully-articulated M-10000, the first streamlined internal-combustion passenger train, is delivered in Pullman, Illinois at a cost of $230,997, painted Armour Yellow and Leaf Brown
February 15, 1934
M-10000 exhibited at Union Station in Washington, D.C.
March 2, 1934
M-10000 begins touring the United States, covering 12,625 miles on 14 railroads and visiting 65 cities
May 12, 1934
Overland Trail, the first streamlined sleeping car, is delivered & is displayed with M-10000 at the Chicago Century of Progress
October 2, 1934
M-10001 is delivered as a 6-unit, fully-articulated train
October 22-25, 1934
M-10001 travels coast-to-coast from Los Angeles to New York in a record -breaking 56 hours and 55 minutes
January 1, 1935
M-10000 enters revenue service on the 187-mile Kansas City-Salina, Kansas route
June 4, 1935
After an exhibition period and a return to Pullman for improvements, including a larger engine and addition of the Overland Trail, M-10001 is christened in Portland as the "City of Portland" and enters revenue service the following day
March 13, 1936
M-10000 is named "City of Salina" in a letter from W. M. Jeffers
May 16, 1936
M-10002 enters revenue service as the "City of Los Angeles." This is the first train to have two power units, and to have power units that can be uncoupled from their 9-car fully-articulated train. M-10002 is also the last train to have M-10000 styling
June 14, 1936
M-10004 enters revenue service as the "City of San Francisco." The 9-car fully-articulated train is virtually identical to the M-10002, however the M-10004 locomotives are of the same design of the upcoming City of Denver trains
June 18, 1936
M-10005 & M-10006 enter revenue service as the "City of Denver," making the 1,048 mile trip between Chicago and Denver in 16 hours. These trains are the first to not be fully articulated, with a mix of single cars and 2-unit articulated cars
July 8, 1937
The Forty-Niner makes its initial run from Chicago to San Francisco. This train uses Union Pacific's only streamlined steam locomotives, 4-6-2 #2906 and 4-8-2 #7002
December 27, 1937
A new 14-car City of Los Angeles train, powered by the 3-unit set of EMD E2 locomotives LA-1-2-3, joins M-10002
January 2, 1938
A new 14-car City of San Francisco train, powered by the 3-unit set of EMD E2 locomotives SF-1-2-3, replaces M-10004
August 18, 1938
The remodeled 13-car M-10004, with locomotives renumbered as LA-4, replaces M-10002 on the City of Los Angeles route
March, 1939
The LA-4 locomotives are replaced with a pair of new EMD E3 locomotives numbered LA-5 and LA-6 & rebuilt into booster units CD-05-C & CD-06-C for the City of Denver trains
June, 1939
M-10002 replaces M-10001 as the City of Portland. M-10001's power unit is rebuilt later in the year as CD-07-C
August 12, 1939
The City of San Francisco derails on vandalized track near Harney, Nevada. A replacement train is put into service until the consist can be repaired. Five cars are completely destroyed and have to be replaced
August, 1940
Union Pacific takes delivery of three pairs of EMD E6A passenger locomotives, painted Armour Yellow with Harbor Mist Grey instead of Leaf Brown
February, 1941
E3 locomotives LA-5 & LA-6 are renumbered 5-M-1-A and 5-M-2-B
July, 1941
A new 14-car City of Los Angeles train, powered by the 3-unit set of EMD E6 locomotives LA 4-5-6, replaces M-10004 on the City of Los Angeles route. This is the first train to use Harbor Mist Grey instead of Leaf Brown
July, 1941
M-10004 replaces M-10002 as the City of Portland
August, 1941
A new 14-car City of San Francisco train, powered by the 3-unit set of EMD E6 locomotives SF 4-5-6, enters service
August 13, 1941
After being in storage since 1939, M-10001's cars are scrapped
December 16, 1941
M-10000 is retired after running over 899,000 miles in revenue service
February 13, 1942
M-10000 is sold for scrap
April 12, 1942
M-10002 goes into service between Portland and Seattle
March, 1943
M-10002 is taken out of service. Some of the cars are transferred to M-10004 while others are scrapped
December, 1944
Union Pacific receives its last new steam locomotive: FEF-3 Class 4-8-4 #844
June 2, 1946
Daily City of St. Louis service is established between St. Louis and Cheyenne in conjunction with the Wabash. This train is the only streamliner to be painted two-tone grey, due to its connections
February, 1947
M-10004 is taken out of service
February 15, 1947
Daily City of Portland service is established
May 14, 1947
Daily City of Los Angeles service is established
September 1, 1947
Daily City of San Francisco service is established
October, 1947
M-10004 substitutes for the City of Denver trains while they are renovated
February, 1948
The M-10004 cars are put into storage
April 1, 1950
Union Pacific purchases the Train of Tomorrow, getting its first dome cars, including the very first dome diner and dome sleeper
June 18, 1950
The Train of Tomorrow cars go into service between Portland and Seattle
April, 1951
The M-10004 cars are scrapped
April, 1951
The City of St. Louis begins running through to Los Angeles
March 26, 1952
Union Pacific announces that all passenger equipment will be painted in Streamliner colors of Armour yellow and Harbor Mist grey
1953
M-10005 & M-10006 are retired from City of Denver service and scrapped
1955
Union Pacific adds dome coaches, diners and observation lounges to the City of Los Angeles, City of Portland, and Challengers
October 30, 1955
Union Pacific terminates its arrangement with the Chicago & North Western for the streamliners to operate over the C&NW from Omaha to Chicago and begins operating over the Milwaukee Road
1956
The Dome Observation-Lounges are remodeled for mid-train use
December 18, 1956
The City of Las Vegas begins revenue service with the leased General Motors Aerotrain
September 15, 1957
The City of Las Vegas begins using conventional equipment
1958
Additional Dome Coaches are purchased and added to the City of St. Louis
January 11, 1959
The City of Denver and City of Portland are combined and operated via Denver
July, 1959
Union Pacific's last use of steam locomotives in regular service
September 25, 1960
The City of Los Angeles and City of San Francisco are combined between Chicago and Ogden
June, 1962
The City of Las Vegas is renamed the Las Vegas Holiday Special
April 12, 1964
The City of St. Louis is combined with the City of Los Angeles between Ogden and Los Angeles
November, 1964
The last two Train of Tomorrow cars are retired
January 27, 1967
Railway Post Office service ends between Ogden and Los Angeles
August 7, 1967
The Las Vegas Holiday Special is discontinued
September 24, 1967
The combined City of Portland/City of Denver stops operating through Denver, and a separate City is Denver is operated between Denver and North Platte
September 7, 1968
The City of St. Louis is combined with the City of Los Angeles between Cheyenne and Ogden
1969
The Wabash portion of the City of St. Louis is dropped and the Union Pacific renames the train the City of Kansas City
September 7, 1969
The City of Los Angeles is combined with the City of Denver from Chicago to North Platte and the City of Portland from Chicago to Green River, Wyoming and carried cars for the City of St. Louis from Chicago to Cheyenne
March, 1970
The City of San Francisco is reduced to tri-weekly operation
May 1, 1971
Amtrak begins operation. No Union Pacific trains are retained in the Amtrak schedule, however due to the Denver & Rio Grande Western choosing not to join Amtrak, the San Francisco Zephyr uses Union Pacific tracks between Denver and Ogden and is the only Amtrak train to be hosted by Union Pacific at the time.
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