This time we'll cover the Union Pacific's Los Angeles Limited passenger train in Victorville from l949 through 1951, and then we'll look at four weeks of work on locating flextracks to form the rest of the 10-track A Yard, where the tracks continue around the big curve at the end of the peninsula and then fill most of the other side of the peninsula.
For this third report on the LA Limited passenger train, I'll be using information kindly supplied again by UP researcher Jeff Koeller, as follows:
Los Angeles Limited 1949-1951
New Equipment for the “Cities” Trains Bring Changes to the LA Limited Consists
In planning for the post-WWII upgrading of the “Cities” streamliners to daily service, Union Pacific, along with operating partners Chicago & North Western and Southern Pacific, ordered various types of new passenger cars in 1946 as follows: UP 80 cars in February; C&NW 20 cars in March and May; and SP nine cars in June.
However, due to the car builders being overwhelmed by new passenger and freight car equipment orders, the cars intended for upgrading the “Cities” streamliners were going to be delayed for a minimum of two years. So it was that UP was forced to institute daily “Cities” service in 1947 by creating eight new consists with passenger equipment removed from secondary trains along with additional contributions by C&NW and SP from their existing car fleets.
EB LA Limited with FEF 820 Below Sherman 6-25-49
Drifting downhill about two miles below Sherman, Wyoming, train No. 2, the eastbound LA Limited, is shown essentially heading northeast while approaching Buford Curve on June 25, 1949. The late afternoon sun nicely illuminates UP Two-Tone Gray FEF 820 and its passenger cars arrayed in a variety of paint schemes. Note the photographer’s automobile in the lower right shadows.
The cars include a heavyweight Pullman Green dormitory, a heavyweight UP modernized 500-series coach in Armour Yellow, a pair of UP 5300-series coaches, one in yellow and another in TTG, a 1949 AC&F cafe-lounge in Armour Yellow, a pair of TTG lightweight sleepers, a heavyweight 12-1 in Pullman Green, a 1949 AC&F diner in yellow, a heavyweight TTG club-lounge, two more heavyweight sleepers, a TTG lightweight sleeper from Minneapolis-St. Paul, followed by two more heavyweight sleepers. RH Kindig photo.
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Union Pacific’s new post-war passenger cars arrived on the property in Armour Yellow and Harbor Mist Gray streamliner colors built by American Car & Foundry in 1949. The first cars were 4800-4816 series dining cars delivered in January-March 1949, with C&NW’s AC&F diners 6956-6959 coming in March-April.
These 21 new diners entered service on the City of San Francisco, City of Portland and the City of St. Louis. However, because the City of Los Angeles (COLA) had been operating with the 1937 articulated dormitory-kitchen/diners (DK/Diners) since May 1947, that train would have to wait until the new baggage-dormitory cars were delivered by AC&F in July-September 1949 before releasing the DK/Diners and installing the new AC&F diners.
Variations in equipment assignments resulted in some of the new AC&F diners showing up in LA Limited consists in early 1949. The cars are easily spotted in photographs due to their “Cities” Armour Yellow paint schemes, which contrasted greatly with the Limited’s standard Two-Tone Gray passenger car colors, along with heavyweight sleepers in Pullman Green and Pennsy Tuscan Red.
WB LA Limited FM Diesels at Green River 7-5-49
An ABA set of UP Fairbanks-Morse diesels are on the point of No. 1, the westbound LA Limited, at Green River on July 5, 1949. In back is the 1st East Street overhead footbridge where many classic train photos were taken from over the years. Delivered in April 1948, F-M 706 has the large windshield carbody and the ALCo PA-type trucks common to Erie-builts 704, 705, 706, and 707. Although the LA&SL route had been dieselized by this time, steam power generally ruled east of Salt Lake City, but not always, as in the case presented here.
The consist has a heavyweight Two-Tone Gray Pullman dorm on the head end, followed by a heavyweight UP 500-series modernized coach in Armour Yellow (as determined by the dark stripe above the side sill), then a pair of UP 5300-series coaches in TTG, a 1941 Cafe-Lounge in Armour Yellow (recently removed from the City of Portland), two Chicago to Los Angeles lightweight sleepers in TTG, a heavyweight Pullman Green sleeper, with another eight unidentifiable cars bringing up the rear end. Otto Perry OP-19224.
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After the AC&F baggage-dorms and diners went into service on the COLA, the DK/Diners were sent to UP’s Omaha Shops for refurbishing and repainting into Two-Tone Gray for service on the LA Limited. At this time the C&NW club-lounge cars, which had operated in conjunction with the DK/Diners on the COLA, also began showing up in the LA Limited, still painted in their “Cities” Armour Yellow colors.
As the new 1949 AC&F River-series club-lounge cars were placed in COLA service, the UP 1516-series club-lounge cars, converted from former women’s coaches in 1947, were repainted into Two-Tone Gray and assigned to the LA Limited, operating behind the DK/Diners, as had been done during their COLA assignment.
WB LA Limited at East LA Station
This down-on view of No. 1, the westbound LA Limited, at its 10:10 am East Los Angeles station stop provides a good view of mid-train cars, such as the 1949 AC&F diner at left in streamliner colors, followed by UP club-lounge 1523, recently repainted into Two-Tone Gray (after being taken off the City of Portland and having its blunt end removed for mid-train operation). Sleeper Imperial Bird in TTG does not have UNION PACIFIC sublettering at the ends of the letterboard, a practice that began with the delivery of new sleeping cars from AC&F and Budd in December 1949. This car will subsequently be painted into Armour Yellow at UP’s East Los Angeles yards on June 3, 1952.
This location was double-tracked in 1949, according a note in California Division Time Table No. 4, effective 6-12-49; “Double track between M.P. 5.64 and M.P. 7.72” (just west of Montebello station). The trackage from Pasadena Jct. to Riverside, governed by block signals, will be under full Centralized Traffic Control with the issuance of Time Table No. 6, effective 9-24-50. UPRR Photo.
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WB LA Limited FEF 841 and Helper at Sherman
Credit Ben Cutler for photographing these action shots of train No.1, the westbound LA Limited, at Sherman summit in Wyoming during the summer of 1950. This “going away” view shows a pair of UP’s Four-Eight-Four (FEF) steam locomotives in Two-Tone Gray colors. Road engine 841, closest to the camera, is equipped with “elephant ear” smoke lifters, while the helper engine does not have them. Race horses were still being transported by rail at this time, as evidenced by UP horse car 1759, built in 1924 by AC&F. The car is painted Dark Olive Green with “HORSE-BAGGAGE AUTOMOBILE” lettering just ahead of the side door.
WB LA Limited FEF 841, Rear End of Train at Sherman
After stopping at Sherman summit to allow the helper to be cut off, the LA Limited is just getting under way in this view showing the train’s rarely photographed rear end.
From right-to-left are two Pullman Green 14 section heavyweight sleeping cars, one of which is a “summer season” car. Next is a Two-Tone Gray American-class sleeper from Minneapolis-St. Paul, preceded by a pair of sleepers running in Coast-to-Coast service; the closest car is a Two-Tone Gray UP Pacific-class sleeper, then a Pennsylvania Railroad Rapids-class sleeper, undoubtedly in Pennsy Tuscan Red.
Ahead of these is a Western-class sleeper recently delivered by AC&F in the “Cities” Armour Yellow color scheme. Note the FEF helper engine backing up on the center siding in the left distance; the switch in the foreground is for the west leg of the wye, where the helper will be turned for its trip back to Cheyenne. Both photos by BF Cutler.
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Also, after the new 1949 AC&F baggage-dorm cars began service in the “Cities” trains, hand-me-down baggage-dorms began operating on the LA Limited, replacing the venerable heavyweight 13 section 5000-series dormitory cars. Now included in the Limited’s consists were former City of Portland cars 5601, 5602, CP-103, and C&NW 9301 (ex CP-101), as well as former City of San Francisco cars 5613 and SF-104, all of which retained their Amour Yellow colors.
The transition to the hand-me-down baggage-dorms was gradual, and a few photos during this period show LA Limited consists still operating with a heavyweight 13 section dormitory car. Also, at least one photo has been found of the Limited running with one of the new 1949 Armour Yellow AC&F baggage-dorm cars in its consist. However, the use of the hand-me-down baggage-dorms was interrupted with the assignment of the 1937 DK/Diners, which had crew dormitory facilities and precluded the need for a head-end dorm car.
Coach service continued to be “2 cars—all seats reserved” according to the UP public time tables. At this time the 1937 UP 5300-series cars were still operating along with the 1942 UP 5331-series cars. Occasionally one of UP’s modernized, heavyweight 44-seat 500-series coaches also shows up in photos.
These cars were upgraded at the Omaha Shops in 1948 and 1950 with large double-pane side windows, roller bearings, new Frigidaire electro-mechanical air conditioning, and “turtle back” roofs designed to better match the lightweight cars. C&NW’s contribution included 48-seat coaches from series 6132-6147 built in 1937. All of these cars would have been painted Two-Tone Gray.
UP Modernized Coach 526 in TTG
UP Two-Tone Gray coach 526 represents heavyweight cars 525-545 that were “modernized” at Omaha Shops in 1950-1951. Photographed on Track 6 at C&NW’s Chicago passenger terminal, the car is entrained in the LA Limited ahead of a C&NW heavyweight diner in TTG and behind C&NW coach-lounge 3428 in streamliner yellow. Empty seats indicate the train is backing in.
After receiving a “turtle-back” roof, large side windows, a single-vestibule, modified side sills, a new Frigidaire air conditioning system, and roller bearings in January 1950, this 44-seat car bears little resemblance to the original coach 426 as built in August 1925 by Pullman Car & Mfg. Corp. It’s not known how many of these modernized coaches came in TTG or Armour Yellow, so photos are the best resource for documenting paint schemes. JM Koeller Collection.
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In June through October 1950 the “Cities” trains were upgraded with new Pullman-Standard 44-seat leg-rest coaches in series 5400-5449, which resulted in the LA Limited receiving hand-me-down UP 5331-series cars, still in streamliner colors.
The operation of head-end equipment in the LA Limited during the late-1940s and early 1950s has been difficult to document, other than what can be ascertained from photographs. Consists can include a horse car, a baggage car, or one of UP’s Two-Tone Gray express box cars. On the C&NW between Chicago and Omaha, the railroad added head-end cars as-needed.
Sleeping Car Changes
New AC&F 12 Roomette-4 double bedroom Western-class sleeping cars were delivered to UP in streamliner colors in December 1949 and January 1950. As these cars arrived, they began to replace a 6-6-4 sleeper in each of the LA Limited’s consists then running in the Chicago to Los Angeles Line 4346, and by February 2, 1950, the transition had been completed. C&NW also received Western sleepers in January 1950, but these were assigned to the City of Portland.
By July 1, 1950, additional changes consisted of replacing the two Chicago to Los Angeles Line 337 heavyweight 12 section-1 drawing room sleepers with a single heavyweight 14 section car, but also included was a “summer season” 14 section car. At this time, the Chicago to Cedar City, Utah, summer season sleeper was discontinued, but the Chicago to Los Angeles Line 4345 2 drawing room-4 compartment-4 double bed room sleeper continued to operate, as did the Minneapolis-St. Paul to Los Angeles Line 4849 lightweight 6-6-4 sleeper, both in Two-Tone Gray colors.
Coast-to-Coast Sleepers
The LA Limited’s Washington to Los Angeles Line 4043 heavyweight 12 section-1 drawing room sleeping car was discontinued effective February 18, 1949, leaving just the two New York to Los Angeles heavyweight 6 section-6 double bedroom sleepers in Coast-to-Coast service.
Beginning in January 1950, the heavyweight Coast-to-Coast sleepers were replaced by new lightweight 10 roomette-6 double bedroom sleeping cars delivered to Union Pacific, New York Central, and the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1948-1950. The New York to Los Angeles Line 4048 was inaugurated on January 21, 1950, via the New York Central to/from Chicago; and the NY to LA Line 4049 was inaugurated on February 8, 1950, via the PRR to/from Chicago.
Cars for Coast-to-Coast service were drawn from larger sleeping car pools, with each New York to Los Angeles route requiring seven cars. Line 4048 included five UP sleepers and two NYC cars, while Line 4049 included five UP sleepers and two PRR cars.
UP Sleeper Pacific Ocean
The Budd Company delivered 50 fluted-side, stainless steel 10 Roomette-6 double bedroom Pacific-class sleeping cars to Union Pacific in December 1949 through June 1950. Twenty-five cars were painted in Armour Yellow and Harbor Mist Gray colors for the “Cities” streamliners, while 25 cars received the Two-Two Gray scheme for operating in secondary trains. This view of recently delivered TTG Pacific Ocean was taken in Denver on July 30, 1950, and represents such cars as assigned to Coast-to-Coast service in the LA Limited and San Francisco Overland. Otto Perry OP-19541.
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The NYC’s River-class sleepers were delivered by Pullman-Standard in September 1949 through March 1949; and the PRR’s Rapids-class sleepers were delivered by P-S in November 1948 through January 1949. Additional PRR Rapids-class cars came from AC&F in March 1949 and September-October 1950.
The Coast-to-Coast sleepers operated in the LA Limited in their as-delivered paint schemes. The NYC River-class sleepers were painted in “eastern” Two-Tone Gray, a scheme in which the dark gray and light gray color bands are reversed from the TTG scheme more commonly associated with western railroads such as UP and Southern Pacific. The PRR Rapids-class sleepers came in Pennsy Tuscan Red, which lasted until several of their Coast-to-Coast sleepers received UP colors in 1955.
EB LA Limited with ALCo PA 602 above Cajon 10-30-50
One of the best vantage points for viewing train consists is on Cajon Pass, as in this down-on example in the Pine Lodge area looking toward Cajon station (in the distant background). Note the westbound track, below, occupied by a UP Day Live-Stock train No. 299. In this view, UP ALCo PA 602 is in charge of an ABA lashup with the eastbound LA Limited after coming off Sullivan’s Curve.
The 12-car consist includes a baggage-dorm in streamliner colors (5601 or 5602), recently removed from the City of Portland, then a pair of UP 5300-series coaches in TTG, a C&NW coach-lounge in Armour Yellow, transferred from the COP or COLA, a heavyweight UP modernized diner in TTG, a UP 1516-series club-lounge off the COP or the COLA and re-painted into TTG, a lightweight 2-4-4 sleeper in Armour Yellow, a 1949 AC&F Western-class 12-4 sleeper in yellow, a NYC lightweight 10-6 sleeper in “eastern” Two-Tone Gray, a Pennsy 10-6 in Tuscan Red, a TTG lightweight sleeper from Minneapolis-St. Paul, and a Pullman Green heavyweight sleeper, probably a 14 section car, on the rear end. RH Kindig Photo.
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EB LA Limited with Helper 4-10-2 5093 and F-M Diesels
Another down-on view near Pine Lodge shows the eastbound LA Limited with UP 4-10-2 steam engine 5093 helping an ABA set of Fairbanks-Morse diesels with a varied consist that includes an express box car on the head end. This is followed by a UP 5331-series coach and a UP 5300-series coach, both in Armour Yellow, then a C&NW 3416-series coach-lounge in UP yellow. Next is a 1937 Dormitory-Kitchen/Diner recently painted in Two-Tone Gray after having been removed from COLA service. Trailing the diner is a UP 1516-series club-lounge in TTG, off the COP or the COLA, then a lightweight sleeper in TTG, and a 1949 AC&F Western-class sleeper in Armour Yellow. Robert O Hale Photo.
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WB LA Limited on Sherman Hill in August 1950
This photo of the westbound LA Limited on Sherman Hill’s Buford Curve in August 1950 provides a great look at most of the train’s consist. At the front is UP 4-8-2 helper 7039 with one of the 800-819 series FEFs running as the road engine, both in Two-Tone Gray.
The Pullman Green head-end car is a former RPO, now running as a storage-mail car. This is followed by four Armour Yellow cars, including baggage-dorm 5613, a UP 5331-series coach, C&NW coach 6148 (ex Montgomery Street), and a C&NW 3416-series coach-lounge. Next is a TTG heavyweight coffee shop diner, then the Minneapolis-St. Paul American-class sleeper in TTG, a Western-class sleeper in yellow, and an Imperial-class sleeper in yellow. The last two cars visible are a UP 1516-series TTG club-lounge and a 1949 AC&F diner in yellow. Out of the picture are several more sleepers including the two Coast-to-Coast cars. Jim Ady Photo.
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Motive Power
UP received five AB sets (10 units) of new EMD 2,250 hp model E8 diesels in May through August 1950, but these units were required to help power the “cities” trains, which were each expanded to five consists by March 31, 1950. Therefore, the LA Limited had to soldier on with existing EMD F3s, F-M “Erie-builts,” and ALCO PA/PB diesels. Steam locomotives continued to power the LA Limited east of Salt Lake City, while on the C&NW either EMD E7 diesels or the E-4 streamlined 4-6-4 Hudsons operated east of Omaha.
WB LA Limited F-M Diesels at West Victorville 8-19-51
UP Fairbanks-Morse 702 leads an ALCO PB-PA set with the westbound LA Limited at West Victorville, California, on August 19, 1951.
This interesting consist has a UP TTG express box car on the head end, followed by a UP TTG heavyweight coach (note the nearly full-length air conditioning duct above the paired windows), then two UP 5300-series coaches recently painted in Armour Yellow, and a C&NW 3416-series club lounge in UP yellow. Next is a UP TTG heavyweight diner running as a coffee shop-diner, a 5100-series articulated dorm-kitchen/diner in TTG, a UP TTG 1516-series club-lounge, and a TTG lightweight sleeper. Barely visible on the curve is a yellow Western-class sleeper. Stan Kistler Photo.
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Thanks to Jeff Koeller for all of the above text, photos with captions, and consist table!
I always like to look up what the train times through Victorville were. On Jan. 16, 1949, the westbound LA Limited (Train 201 in the Santa Fe employee timetable) still came through town without stopping at 7:07 a.m., but the eastbound train (202) changed from 3:17 to 3:12 p.m.. These times stayed constant until Sep. 30, 1951, when Train 202 changed to 3:08 p.m.
These were daytime train times, meaning that I should model and operate this train. We're still working on a list of HO models that could be used for this train. These will be added here later.
As for layout progress since last time, on April 12 I wrote this first bi-weekly report:
On the right in this view, we now have three turnouts along Track A1 instead of the four we had last time, but I still wasn't happy that Tracks A1 through A4 end so soon. I wanted them to extend as far as possible before ending in turnouts. So here was my next try:
And here's a view looking from the other direction, toward the truck garage built by Craig:
The curving track on the right represents one leg of the wye, and the spur track hidden behind the tanks is the Union Oil spur. I still need to add some catwalks to the tall tanks and some ladders to all of them. Here's a circa-1945 aerial view of this same scene:
And here's an opposite view, looking from the throats out to the many yard tracks:
When Jon got here at 5 p.m. that day, I gave him a tour of the layout, and then, before I took him out to dinner, I had him pose with the connected poster boards, showing the space he has to work within (those empty slots can also be filled in):
Later I sent him many views of the prototype switching station area, such as this one:
And here's one last view, from farther left, showing how the turnouts in the throat may be arranged:
