The UP's "Cities" Trains - What Were They Like Riding?

[Los Angeles Rams Guy]

I have a lot of fond memories of the UP's "Cities" streamliners as a young boy when they operated on the MILW for the Chicago - Omaha segment but was never lucky enough to ever be able to take a trip on one.  Is there anyone out there who can share their experiences riding the "Cities" trains; particularly on the Chicago - Omaha segment on either MILW or CNW?   

[dabug]

Alex:

Had two occasions to ride the "City of 'Frisco/City of L.A." pair in their declining years, in the mid-60s and operating west from Chicago over the MILW by that time of course.  Though before the fleet was condensed into the "City of Everywhere", the aforementioned pair were combined Chicago to Ogden UT.  The first occurance was in late November 1965.  I was in the Navy and en route to my first schooling after boot camp - the government-run language school in Monterey CA.  I was ensconced in an SP coach.  I remember it was a smooth-sided gray car with the red letterboard, one of the few - possibly only - such painted car in the consist.  Do not recall, however, anything specific about that trip as far as Omaha.  The second occurance was the following summer, early July 1966, as I was returning to school from the summer break with my new bride.  During the summer peak season the two California trains were still combined - but as separate Pullman and coach sections.  We had a bedroom on the all-Pullman section.  I do recall one specific vignette of that first night out on the MILW.  That was eating dinner in the dome-diner and watching the semaphore blades drop from vertical to horizontal as we rushed past westbound.  The blades had a peculiar tendency to "bounce" as they hit the peg coming down, before they settled into their horizontal position.  Looking back in retrospect, that phenomenon seems to me to symbolize the entire MILW system that was beginning to come apart at the seams in that era.  Thanks for rekindling the memory.    

Dave        

[AgentKid]

dabug

The blades had a peculiar tendency to "bounce" as they hit the peg coming down, before they settled into their horizontal position. 

It wasn't just the Milwaukee Road! I can remember the sound the hand operated ones made when my Dad would lower them at Irricana. I hadn't thought of that in YEARS. Thanks for the memory.

AgentKid

 

[passengerfan]

I was lucky enough to ride the City of Portland between Omaha and Portland, The City of San Francisco between Omaha and Oakland, and the City of Los Angeles between Salt Lake City and Los Angeles.

All were clean comfotable and a pleasure to ride. I was fortunate to ride most of the western named trains of the Santa Fe, GN, NP, SP and UP and it would be very difficult to choose one over the other, The premier trains of each were superb, I rode the Empire Builder beginning in 1947 and it became a yearly trip on this train between Seattle and St. Paul. I sampled the North Coast Limited a couple of times and found it to be a delightful train as well. I give both high marks. If I had to choose a favorite train it would have to be the Super Chief, All Pullman and fast. I had the occasion to ride the Super Chief when it operated as a separate train and again when it was combined with the El Cap. Was there a difference not that I could tell the passengers from the El Cap were restricted to thre part of the train and the passengers of the Super Chief were kept in there part of the train. Although we did ask if we could take a tour of the EL Cap and feature cars and were allowed to do so about an hour before arrival in Alguquerque. We than got off in Albuquerque and returned to the Super Chief section. Never actually rode the El Cap except for that brief stint. The City trains were excellent and on the City of Portland it operated with three domes. A Dome coach, Dome Dining, and Dome Lounge car. The City of Los Angeles only had two domes and the City of San Francisco only had one SP 3/4 dome between Ogden and Oakland. It was hard to beat the Empire Builder for Domes with three dome coaches and the full dome lounge for sleeping car  passengers. On my first North Coast Limited trip there were two dome coaches and two dome sleepers. and a sleeper lounge observation. On my second North Coast Limited trip there were two dome coaches and only one dome sleeper the second dome sleeper had become a lounge in the sky as the observation cars were retired by that time. I also rode the Olympian Hiawatha on one occasion before it was discontinued. I was most impressed with the sleeper skytop longe Observation. The rest of the train including the Super Dome was not all that impressive. What Canasian National did to the Milwaukke Road domes after they purchased six of them was outstanding. They were renamed Sceneramic domes and were remodeled inside and ib the dome level and were great rode these on the Super Continenetal and Panorama. I also rode the Canadian before Action Red and again after. I also experienced the Canadian when it was operated by Via Rail when they still operated the Canadian on its original route via Calgary and also after it was switched to the CN route via Edmonton. I rode the CZ but only between Salt Lake City and Chicago as I had to try the RDC trip between Oakland and Salt Lake City before it was discontinued.Everyone looked at me like I was nuts to give up the CZ for the RDC. But today neither the CZ or the RDC operate over this route between Salt Lake City and Oakland. Another very enjoyable trip before it was discontinued was the RDC trip on the BCR between Vancouver and Prince George. I have always believed that the trip is part of the vacation and as long as trains run in the US and I am able to ride then that will be the vacation for me. I am waiting for confirmation for a cruise to Alaska in August with ARR side trip all of the way to Fairbanks and will experience the WP&Y as well on this trip.

Al - in - Stockton   

[tcox009]

My father was a Union Pacific employee and our pass was not good on City trains.  The cloest to a name train I rode was the Portland Rose from Kansas City to Portland and several other times to Denver to visit relatives.  Always a good ride.  The one time I was on the City of St Louis was in 1969 and it was in decline.  Later I worked for the Union Pacific as a clerk in 1970 I was working the team track on the Kansas Missouri state line in Kansas City when the UP pulled their last passenger train out of KC Union station and sent it to a double wide in the West Bottoms in Kansas City just west of the team track where I was working.  It was a sorry sight to see that train arrive.  Seeing long distance passenger trains in 1970 I was glad to see Amtrak arrive despite all it's well documented problems

[daveklepper]

Rode the City of LA StLake-LA in 1969 and LA - Elgin, IL in 1971, on its last eastbound trip.  Clean, comforable, and smooth, except for a bit of rockyness on the Milwaukee, but not bad/   Excellent food, cars in excellent shape, everything worked, good service.   844 ahead of the diesels on the last eastbound for part of the UP trip.  1969 had breakfast in the dome diner and it was a wonderful experience.  No dome diner on the last eastbound.  Roomettes on both trips.

[cnwfan51]

    While living in Kearney Nebraska Ialways would see the westbound city trains I would time my paper route to be on the 2nd Ave overpass to see them roll thru. It wasnt until this past May that My wife and I rode the train from Des Moines tio the High bridge and back to Boone that I got to ride in on a streamliner.  My wife Kim was impressed by the leg room of the seats and the smooth ride  To say the least it was great   Larry 

[newsmac]

Union Pacific service on its Cities trains was fantastic. I rode it with my mom, dad and sister in the 1960's.

We made an annual summer vacation trip from Philly to Denver. (Pennsy's GENERAL from North Philadelphia station to Chicago, then the City of Denver/City of Portland to Colorado.) Dad preferred Union Pacific to the Burlington. He enjoyed the extra leg room and felt the cars were cleaner and better serviced.

I will never forget nights in coach. The green upholstered seats reclined almost horizontal and leg rests pulled up from under the seat. Dad used string or a belt to secure the pull out leg rest to the foot rest which had the effect of elevating your legs. Like falling asleep in your own bed.

At night, when you looked toward the forward bulkhead, you saw the backlit MEN or WOMEN sign just above the passage way to the restrooms. The lettering was white, the background, black. And below the luggage rack, over every seat, were a pair of mounted lights. One was a reading light the passenger could turn on or off. The other was a blue nightlight that stayed lit. I would look into that cool blue light and think of the vacation on the family's ranch that lay ahead. The train rocked me to sleep.

I remember all the coaches had tile floors and the walls were done in a floral and butterfly print. Very pleasant. I also recall a number of college students working summers on the train as ATTENDANTS. I remember talking to one man at least two summers in a row.

We skipped the dining car. Mom packed food to save money on the two day trip. But sometimes dad would take us to the counter-lounge car to sit on the rotating stool and enjoy a cold carton of milk and a sweet roll.

The domes were wonderful. I do recall the crew closed the dome late in the evening. They strung a small rope with a sign on it across the stairway to the dome then took it down in the morning. I think it said no admittance.

About the summer of 1968 we began taking the ElCapitan from Chicago to LaJunta instead but still returned eastward on the City of Denver. I'll never forget my dad's shock as we climbed the steps to the platform at Denver Union Station in the summer of 1970 to be greeted by a City of Denver only a few cars long. It had a cafe/lounge car but no dome. He was so disappointed. The end was near.

What wonderful memories.