UP Summer Rail Travel, By Davis Seidel

The Mixed Train

Issue 2020 - 7

Summer Rail Travel

Let us turn the hands of the clock back 58 years for a study of eastbound Union Pacific passenger service to Omaha, Nebraska, on July 14, 1962. On that date the railroad had five passenger trains scheduled for the eastbound passenger business. The first train to arrive at 1:40 AM would have been train #112, the combined “City of Denver” (train 112) and “City of Portland” (train 106); this is the time that the “City of Portland” changed its routing to run via Denver:

* off Omaha

For the purpose of this study we will figure the space/seating of being one passenger per coach seat and one passenger for Pullman bed. For train #112 the inbound load would be 304 coach seats and 89 beds for a total of 393 spaces with 44 coach seats getting off at Omaha. For Commissary services the train would have 84 seats for meal services which would give a ratio for each dinning seat to 4.7 passengers - this would require 4 meal settings; for lounge space there was 72 seats which would make for a 1 lounge seat for every 5.5 passengers. For headend business there was a baggage car for through Chicago storage mail, a baggage car for through Chicago express and a bagg-dorm for supplies. The next train due would be at 3:30 AM, train #104, the “City of Los Angeles”. During the peak summer season the Streamliner would operate in two sections: 1st 104 would be the Pullman section, a combined “City of Los Angeles” (train 104) and “City of San Francisco” (train 102); the 2nd 104 would be the coach section, a combined “City of Los Angeles” (train 104), “Challenger” (train 108) and “City of San Francisco” (train 102):

* off Omaha

For train 1st #104 the inbound passenger load would have been 428 beds with 28 beds getting off at Omaha. Note the older “American” & “Imperial” sleepers, a “Western” sleeper (normally not assigned to the COLA), a “bowered” PRR sleeper and a Milwaukee Road sleeper being pressed into service to handle the summertime heavy loads. The two digit line numbers were summer time only usage. For Commissary services the train had 100 seats for meal service which would give a ratio for each dinning seat to 4.3 passengers - which would require four meal settings; for lounge space there would have been 57 seats in the dome lounge which would have each lounge seat for every 7.5 passengers. A bit high, but then many passenger preferred to have refreshments in their Pullman. For headend business there was through Chicago baggage car for storage mail, a working RPO, a baggage car for the passenger’s luggage and a bagg- dorm to handle the stored supplies.

* off Omaha

For train 2nd #104 that would have 780 seats inbound with 88 seats off at Omaha. A mix of UP, SP and Milwaukee equipment was required. Note for the summer time coach section the use of the Milwaukee Road “super dome” for lounge service. For the Commissary services only 64 seats were available for dinning in the two cafe-lounge cars which made a ratio of 1 dinning seat for every 12.2 passengers! The only saving grace for our dinning crew was that a number of coach passengers didn’t use the diner; maybe only eating one meal with many bringing food onboard. The addition of the “super dome” gave the train 120 seats for lounge space for a ratio of 1 seat for every 6.5 passengers. A high count, but again many coach passengers didn’t use the lounge services which helped out bartenders work load. The only headend equipment was a bagg-dorm which handled mainly supplies; most of the luggage was carry ons by the passengers. The next train to arrive was train

#28, a mail & express train with local coach passengers at 7:00 AM:

Train #28 had 88 coach seats for Omaha and served as an overnight train across Nebraska from Laramie (Wyoming); the train also had a “borrowed” Eire sleeper that was being deadheaded to Omaha. The radio car was a rebuilt HW bagg-dorm used to supply out laying points and was based out of the Omaha Stores Department. The rest of the equipment were cars being deadheaded to Omaha/Council Bluffs and mail for the Omaha Post Office. The reefer car would be forwarded to either the C&NW or Rock Island. Also, due to the summertime demand for the E units, a set of F units were pressed into service for this train. The next train was #6, a mail & express train, that arrived at 5:45 PM:

The train carried 44 seat for Omaha used mainly by “pass’ riders or local passengers. The train was combined with train #8 from Los Angles to Cheyenne, and then ran (not listed in the public timetables) to Omaha. The train was heavy will mail business with cars going to the Omaha Post Office; and through cars to the east would be divided up between the C&NW, Burlington and Rock Island. The St Paul car would go to the CGW and the St Louis cars to the Wabash. The next train to arrive was train #8, a mail & express train with daylight local passenger service across Nebraska:

[1] line 1987, from Portland, train #18

[2] line 68, from Los Angeles, train #6

Train #8 was combined with #6 from Los Angeles to Cheyenne; then ran as train #8 into Omaha with a bulk of the passenger equipment. Two of the early lightweight coach cars were in use this date with one being the through coach from Portland from train #18 added at Green River (Wyoming). The sleeper was a Los Angeles-Omaha service used mainly for reginal distance passengers. The block of reefers (berries) were added at Ogden being forwarded from the SP. The train handled 184 coach seats and 24 Pullman beds. The heavyweight 36 seat diner provided meal and lounge service with a ratio of 1 seat for every 5.8 passengers. For the headend business, as with train #6 it handled deadhead cars for Omaha/Council Bluffs with this train having one car of express for Omaha. The other two cars of express and the REA reefers of berries were divided between the C&NW, CGW, Burlington and Rock Island for movements. To get an overall view of service, here is a rundown of the grand totals for the six eastbound UP passenger trains. The total number of inbound coach seats was 1400, of which 448 seat were assigned to get off at Omaha making for a total of 952 coach seats bound for Chicago. The total number of Pullman beds inbound was 541, of which 52 were assigned to get off at Omaha making for 489 beds bound for Chicago. The grand totals would be 1941 in bound, 500 for Omaha and 1441 for Chicago. Between the six trains there were 2 cafe-lounge cars, 4 diners and 2 lounges. That would require 7 sets of Commissary crews: 3 smaller crews for the cafe-lounge, 2 “regular” sized crews for the standard diners and 2 large crews for the dome diners. The two dome lounges would require a bartender (and for summer service, a waiter). With some 1400 passengers, those crews would have to provide a lot of meals! And since we talking manpower, how about the Trainmen, Porters and Attendants. On the headend business for the six trains there was 18 cars of storage mail, 3 of which were off at Omaha; 2 RPO cars with 1 for Omaha; 7 cars of express with 1 for Omaha; 2 cars handling through baggage (mainly passenger luggage); 15 cars being deadheaded 10 of them for Omaha; and 14 cars of REA business (with a good block of seasonal berries traffic) running through to many locations. And this was only the UP eastbound business and for only one day out of the year; there was still the westbound passenger movements.

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