# Union Pacific Passenger Train Questions (City of Los Angeles)



## Jerrys RR (Jun 28, 2010)

According to Wikipedia when Union Pacific ran the passenger train The City of Los Angeles "Between Omaha and Los Angeles, the train was operated by the Union Pacific Railroad. East of Omaha, the train was operated by the Chicago and North Western Railway until 1955, and by the Milwaukee Road thereafter."

1. I presume this means that UP provided the train (in UP yellow) and when C&NW or MW took over they pulled the same coaches with their own locomotives in their own colors. Is that correct?

2. Assuming that C&NW and MW provided their locomotives would these also have been E-9's or other EMD E Series?

3. Since UP owned ALCO PA's and PB's as well as EMD E-9's etc. did UP at times pull the City of Los Angeles with PA's and PB's? If not which passenger trains would UP have pulled with the PA/PB's?

Thanks,

Jerry


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## pfdx (Jan 2, 2008)

Jerry, 

If you can find a copy of "The Union Pacific Streamliners" by Ranks and Kratville it will answer most of you questions on both motive power assignments and car ownership. The book lists the PA's were assigned to the South Central district between Ogden and LA when new and finished their careers out of Denver. 

In most cases where a name train was operated over more than one railroad the locomotives operating on a particular section where supplied by the railroad. For example the Great Norther Empire Builder was pulled by CB&Q locomotives between Chicago and St. Paul 

Car ownership was split up proportionately between the operating railroads. The California Zephyr as built had five train sets: three were owned by the CB&Q, and one each by the Rio Grande and the Western Pacific. 

In the case of the CoLA The C&NW was involved in the original purchase of the train sets and owned whatever percentage. 

When the train shifted to the Milwaukee, the UP and the Milwaukee exchanged ownership of certain cars to establish the proper balance which resulted in the Milwaukee owning a handful of Pacific series sleepers and the UP owning cars with Nystrom trucks. It also resulted in the Milwaukee painting their entire passenger fleet Armour Yellow to match the UP and because some of the management liked it.


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## Santafe 2343 (Jan 2, 2008)

Jerry,[/b]
Milwaukee E-8's where painted to match the UP trains, I made a pair of Milwaukee E-8's in yellow, for a friend, I ended up with them and sold them to a guy in Chicago. Thanks, Rex [/b]


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## Jerrys RR (Jun 28, 2010)

Thanks Rex and pd,

Jerry


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## up9018 (Jan 4, 2008)

Jerry, 

The UP ran several joint trains with other railroads, most of the "City" trains included at least one car from a foreign railroad. One of the things UP required, was that the foreign road painted their cars to match UP's, including the lettering style. 

You could even board a UP yellow and gray Pennsylvania Railroad sleeper in New York City and ride it to Chicago, where you would be switched to the UP for the trip to LA, that's how Pennsy could sell coast to coast service. 

Chris


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## Jerrys RR (Jun 28, 2010)

Posted By up9018 on 04 Aug 2010 08:57 PM 
Jerry, 

The UP ran several joint trains with other railroads, most of the "City" trains included at least one car from a foreign railroad. One of the things UP required, was that the foreign road painted their cars to match UP's, including the lettering style. 

You could even board a UP yellow and gray Pennsylvania Railroad sleeper in New York City and ride it to Chicago, where you would be switched to the UP for the trip to LA, that's how Pennsy could sell coast to coast service. 

Chris 

Hi Chris,

Thanks for the info.

Your comment about the PRR gives me some ideas I can play with.

Jerry


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## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

C&NW ran run through trains with the UP and used E-8s with both hearlds on the units. However the units where in the C&NW paint. I watched many of these trains pass through Ames, Iowa back when I was a kid. I have numerous books on the C&NW and UP passenger trains. There were more than the City of LA run though trains that C&NW and UP ran. Later RJD


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## Polaris1 (Jan 22, 2010)

In the early days of the City of LA Passenger train...... Power was EMC E-2 A-B-B......
The engines were jointly owned by RRs involved and generally ran the entire Length..... LA to Chicago.


In 1952 July 4th in Rhinelander, WI the E-2 had been returned to C&NW (E2A).... & had a head on 20 mph wreck with a C&NW freight.

The South bound freight could not "park" due to a full siding..... & the 2 trains (Pass & Freight) met on a wooded curve about 3 miles North of the

Rhinelander depot. A rare EMC E2A was wrecked beyound repair. The two F3AA diesels were repaired..... 

A sad day in RR engine history.....


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## Jerrys RR (Jun 28, 2010)

Posted By Jerrys RR on 29 Jul 2010 06:00 PM 


3. Since UP owned ALCO PA's and PB's as well as EMD E-9's etc. did UP at times pull the City of Los Angeles with PA's and PB's? If not which passenger trains would UP have pulled with the PA/PB's?

Thanks,

Jerry


Anything about the PA/PB's?

Jerry


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## Richard Smith (Jan 2, 2008)

From *Union Pacific Streamliners*_ Kratville 1974_ 

Alco PA's came to the UP in 1947 and pulled their last passenger train in 1955 when they were regeared for freight ops. Nos. 600-607 and 600B-607B. Assigned to South Central District between Los Angeles and Ogden on the combined COStL and the Utahan. FM passenger cabs were also in this pool. 

Interesting because I didn't know these long nose Alcos had ever been regeared for freight service on the UP as they also used FA's which were intended for freight to begin with.


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## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

Never used on the city trains. Early trains used the M1001 of UP. Look very unusual when arriving in Chicago terminal. Later RJD


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## Jerrys RR (Jun 28, 2010)

Thanks guys,

Jerry


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