City of Los Angeles (train)

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City of Los Angeles
UP #932, an EMD E8, leads the City of Los Angeles into Union Station in Los Angeles in March 1971, just prior to discontinuance.
Overview
Service typeInter-city rail
StatusDiscontinued
LocaleWestern United States
First serviceMay 15, 1936
Last serviceMay 2, 1971
SuccessorDesert Wind
Former operator(s)
Route
Termini
Los Angeles, California
Stops20
Average journey time
  • 40 hours, 45 minutes (Chicago - Los Angeles)
  • 40 hours, 30 minutes (Los Angeles - Chicago)
Service frequencyDaily
Train number(s)
  • 103 (Chicago - Los Angeles)
  • 104 (Los Angeles - Chicago)
Line(s) usedOverland Route
On-board services
Class(es)Coach Class
Sleeping arrangements
  • Streamlined Sleeping cars
  • Double Bedrooms
  • Drawing Rooms
  • Compartments
  • Roommates
Catering facilities
  • Cafe Lounge Car
  • Dome Dining Car
Observation facilitiesDome lounge
Baggage facilitiesLimited handling
Technical
Track gauge4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Operating speed
  • 56.4 mph (Chicago - Los Angeles)
  • 56.8 mph (Los Angeles - Chicago)

The City of Los Angeles was a streamlined

Chicago and North Western Railway until October 1955 and on the Milwaukee Road
thereafter. The train had number 103 westbound and number 104 eastbound.

This train was the top-of-the-line for UP, which marketed it as a competitor to the

Southern Pacific
railroads. Many of the train's cars bore the names of locales in and around its namesake city.

History

City of Los Angeles service began in May 1936 using the diesel-powered custom

M-10004
. That set was replaced in March 1939 with a full-size train pulled by two-unit EMC E3 locomotive set. After World War II service was expanded with additional trains until daily service was achieved in 1947.

The UP scored a public relations coup in the mid-1950s when the City of Los Angeles was featured in two episodes of the popular

television series I Love Lucy. Starting in 1955 the Milwaukee Road tracks were used in place of the Chicago and North Western between Chicago and Omaha. Actor Ronald Reagan
often traveled on this train and even did a full-page print ad for it that appeared in the National Geographic magazine. In a cost-cutting move, the City of Los Angeles was combined with the City of San Francisco in 1960. City of Los Angeles service was terminated after Amtrak took over Union Pacific's passenger rail services on May 1, 1971.

Amtrak operated several excursion services on the Los Angeles–Las Vegas segment from 1972 to 1976, ending with the short-lived Las Vegas Limited. From 1979 to 1997, Amtrak operated the Salt Lake City–Los Angeles (Ogden–Los Angeles until 1983) Desert Wind; it connected to the Oakland–Chicago California Zephyr at its northern end, once again offering Chicago–Los Angeles through service.

Timeline

The E2-powered train circa 1941. Slate gray crudely painted over originally brown roof.
1944 advertisement. Winged emblem has replaced badge plates. Roof trim complete.
Circa 1955 westbound at Hermosa, WY.
  • May 15, 1936: City of Los Angeles makes its first run between Chicago, Illinois and Los Angeles, California. One trainset (the M-10002) leaves each terminal five times a month.
  • December 1937: 14-car 791-ton train powered by three EMC E2s replaces the older trainset, reassigned as City of Portland.
  • July 1938: Former
    M-10004
    joins service, allowing departures ten times a month.
  • March 1939: New train powered by two unit EMC E3 set enters service, replacing M-10004; frequency remains ten departures per month. The Hollywood, a lounge car built for the City of Los Angeles, is the first passenger car with an interior built entirely of synthetic materials, including the newly invented formica (plastic) and naugahyde.
  • July 1941:
    EMC E6
    three unit set replaces E3 set; consist of train expanded to 14 cars.
  • 1947: City of Los Angeles begins running daily.
  • 1955:
    Chicago and North Western Railway
    between Chicago and Omaha.
  • 1956: Challenger and City of Los Angeles are combined and operate on the City of Los Angeles schedule. (The Challenger operated on its own schedule during a couple of summers thereafter.)
  • 1970: Dome dining cars retired and replaced with standard flat top cars.
  • 1971: Amtrak took over intercity passenger operations in the United States on May 1, 1971. The final City of Los Angeles trips left their terminals on April 30 and arrived on May 2, ending UP passenger service.[1][2]

Other railroad uses of the name City of Los Angeles

The City of Los Angeles name has also been applied to a 48-seat diner built by the St. Louis Car Company in 1949. The car was originally UP No. 4808 and is currently owned and operated by the Union Pacific as part of their excursion fleet.

Equipment

The City of Los Angeles began running in 1936 using the articulated

M-10004. Its configuration was similar to the M-10002: two power units, a baggage-dormitory, 40- and 48-seat coaches, a coffee-shop kitchen, a diner, an 11-section sleeper, two 7-double bedroom 2-compartment sleepers, two more 11-section sleepers, and a buffet-lounge-observation car.[5] The second articulated trainset was replaced with an eleven car non-articulated train powered by an EMC E3 twin locomotive set in March 1939. In July 1941 the E3 locomotive set was replaced with a three unit E6 set and the consist expanded to 14 cars. The two three-locomotive, 14 car trains were joined after the end of the war by new E7
-powered trains, establishing daily service in 1947. The E2 locomotives were traded in 1953.

A typical City of Los Angeles train consist around 1955 included:

Gallery

  • Domeliner diner upper level.
    Domeliner diner upper level.
  • Domeliner diner lower level.
    Domeliner diner lower level.
  • The Gold Room, a private dining room available by reservation.
    The Gold Room, a private dining room available by reservation.
  • Astra Dome observation car.
    Astra Dome observation car.
  • Astra Dome lower level.
    Astra Dome lower level.
  • Observation car room for playing cards.
    Observation car room for playing cards.
  • The Redwood Lounge.
    The Redwood Lounge.
  • Pullman car in day mode.
    Pullman car in day mode.
  • Pullman private compartment.
    Pullman private compartment.
  • Seating in a coach car.
    Seating in a coach car.
  • "The Little Nugget"-one of the streamliner's club cars.
    "The Little Nugget"-one of the streamliner's club cars.

Station stops

Station stops, 1950

[6]

Time Table

Sample Time Tables, 1947 - 1953

Westbound
Read Down 		Condensed Schedules

All trains daily

Eastbound
Read Up
City of Los Angeles
103 		City of Los Angeles
104
Sep. 11, 1949 May, 1950 Sep. 27, 1953 Sep. 27, 1953 May, 1950 Sep. 11, 1949
7.15 7.15 7.15 Lv. Chicago   C.& N.W. Ar. 10.40 +2 10.40 +2 10.45 +2
3.00 +1 3.00 +1 3.00 +1 Ar. Omaha   C.& N.W. Lv. 2.50 +2 2.50 +2 2.50 +2
3.10 +1 3.10 +1 3.10 +1 Lv. Omaha   Un. Pac. Ar. 2.40 +2 2.40 +2 2.40 +2
9.25 +1 9.25 +1 9.25 +1 Ar. Cheyenne Lv. 6.30 +1 6.30 +1 6.30 +1
 
9.35 +1 9.35 +1 9.35 +1 Lv. Cheyenne Ar. 6.20 +1 6.20 +1 6.20 +1
6.20 +1 6.20 +1 6.15 +1 Ar. Ogden Lv. 9.45 +1 9.45 +1 9.40 +1
6.30 +1 6.30 +1 6.25 +1 Lv. Ogden Ar. 9.35 +1 9.35 +1 9.30 +1
7.10 +1 7.10 +1 7.10 +1 Ar. Salt Lake City Lv. 8.50 +1 8.50 +1 8.50 +1
 
7.20 +1 7.20 +1 7.20 +1 Lv. Salt Lake City Ar. 8.40 +1 8.40 +1 8.40 +1
9.00 +2 9.00 +2 9.00 +2 Ar. Los Angeles Lv. 5.00 5.00 5.00
39 h 45 m 39 h 45 m 39 h 45 m ---Elapsed Time--- 39 h 40 m 39 h 40 m 39 h 40 m

Notes:
Bold numbers indicate P.M.
+1 indicates the day after departure
+2 indicates two days after departure

Compare the run time to that of Amtrak's Desert Wind in 1979: Westbound (train 35) 48 hours and 30 minutes. Eastbound (train 36) 48 hours and 00 minutes.

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Haggett, John (May 2, 1971). "City of LA. Domeliner Making Retirement Trip". Valley News. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  2. ^ Lamb, David (May 3, 1971). "City of L.A. Pulls In, Ends Chapter of Rails". Los Angeles Times. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  3. ^ Wayner 1972, pp. 140–141
  4. ^ Wayner 1972, p. 148
  5. ^ Wayner 1972, p. 142
  6. ^ The Official Guide of the Railways, May 1950

References

External links

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