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:
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.
Union Pacific’s first new post-war passenger cars arrived on the property in the form of American Car & Foundry-built 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 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 (also including heavyweight sleepers in Pullman Green and Pennsy Tuscan Red).
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.
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 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. At least one photo has been found of the LA Limited during this transition period with one of the new 1949 AC&F baggage-dorm cars in its consist.
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, stream-styled heavyweight 500-series coaches also shows up in photos. 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.
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 Armour Yellow streamliner colors.
Sleeping Car Changes
New AC&F 12 Roomette-4 double bedroom Armour Yellow Western-class sleeping cars were delivered to UP in December 1949 through January 1950. As these cars arrived, they began to replace 6-6-4 sleepers in the LA Limited’s Chicago to Los Angeles Line 4346, and by February 2, 1950, the transition had been completed. C&NW also received two Western sleepers in January, but these cars 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 a “summer season” 14 section car as well. At this time, the Chicago to Cedar City summer season sleeper was discontinued, but the Chicago to Los Angeles line 4345 lightweight 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 via the C&NW to and from Omaha.
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.
New lightweight 10 roomette-6 double bedroom sleeping cars delivered to Union Pacific, New York Central and the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1948-1950 replaced the heavyweight sleepers in Coast-to-Coast assignment as follows: New York to Los Angeles Line 4048 was inaugurated via the NYC to Chicago on January 21, 1950, and NY to LA Line 4049 was inaugurated via the PRR to Chicago effective February 8, 1950.
The new cars were withdrawn from larger sleeping car pools for Coast-to-Coast service, with each 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.
The UP Pacific-class sleepers were delivered by the Budd Company in December 1949 through June 1950 in Armour Yellow colors. The NYC’s River-class sleepers were delivered by Pullman-Standard in September 1949 through March 1949 in “eastern” Two-Tone Gray, and the PRR’s Rapids-class sleepers were delivered by P-S in November 1948 through January 1949 in Pennsy Tuscan Red. Additional PRR Rapids-class cars came from AC&F in March 1949 and September-October 1950. The Coast-to-Coast sleepers operated in their as-delivered paint schemes until 1955 when several PRR Rapids-class sleepers received UP colors.
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 expand 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.
Thanks to Jeff Koeller for all of the above text, photos with captions, and consist table.
Here are some notes on modeling this train in HO, thanks to Robert Rogers:
General Thoughts on Modeling UP Passenger Trains over Cajon Pass:
I've had an historical research interest on this subject for the last 45 years or so, and a fairly good image memory. I've maintained a Train Consist notebook with passenger car model notations, but I didn't worry much beyond my 'time of interest' which involved steam locomotives (1946) and thus overlapped into the desired 1948-1950 time frame. So, the following is a best guess based upon the passenger car generic consist provided, vs. the variability of railroads assigning the cars to an historic consist.
Head End Cars.
The head end cars end up on most of the railfan photos, since they are nearest the locomotive(s). They vary all over the place, even on UP. The MOST COMMON variation is that UP used 1900-1920 Harriman 60' RPO cars as 'Storage Mail' for cars that carried bagged mail but were NOT manned. So they LOOK like RPO cars, but they were USED as baggage cars. We model what we (should) SEE, not necessarily the car classification.
I take issue on Two Tone Gray time frame. It started with Pullman LW Pool Scheme cars (6-6-4 and 4-22) in 1942 delivered cars, was applied to pre-WWII Scout on the Santa Fe and Lark on the SP. UP was the third railroad (into LA) to use this scheme and they started in the middle of 1946 for passenger assigned steam locomotives (Pacifics, Mountains and Northerns—but NOT Challengers into LA—I've NEVER seen a So. Cal TTG Challenger photograph, and I have been looking for a LONG time) and then passenger rolling stock, owned by the UP and then, when UP was assigned their Pullman sleepers in 1948, their Heavyweight passenger cars. I was NOT there, so these statements are conclusions based upon the railfan photos I have seen in published materials in books and on line.
1948 LA LTD Consist
Locomotives: were assigned from newly formed Diesel Locomotive Pool of E-2's, E-6's and E-7's, all without dynamic brakes and no more train side board lettering. Models are: Oriental Ltd. and Overland brass E-2's, E-6's with slotted pilot (a UP distinctive found ONLY with brass, no China Plastic need apply). Broadway E-7's come close. I tend to have, but stay away from Proto 2000/Walthers because their coupler pocket deflects under load and Broadway's is body mounted, a problem only if you actually run historically accurate models.
1) Baggage car (not a mail car, even if it was a daily train). 1941 Pullman baggage car model by CY or Kumata (Balboa & Westside models have similar bodies, Westside is later and has common plastic floor, but both have 6 wheel trucks and they pop up in secondary market and come painted. I have the Yellow/silver UP scheme from the 1975 run, but of the 5 cars, only the baggage, dome and rear obs are near LIP cars, the coach and sleeper do not match any UP cars). Harriman baggage cars are difficult to find beyond brass and longer than MDC 60' cars, which were less likely to be found doing this work.
Golden Gate did a 69' Harriman car, no UP TTG, only Pullman Green (PG) and then no UP lettering. These Golden Gate cars were near $100 each upon entry, I see none on Ebay now.
WHAT HAPPENED HERE! There is ALWAYS a 12-1 as a 13 section dorm car in ALL the 1940's railfan photos that show PA's, Erie Built FM's and F-3's on this train. This is a 12-1 TTG Walthers model, the easiest to model in the entire train!
2 & 3) Coaches: Can run from remodeled HW cars by CY and NKP models (does the #700 series) with longer windows on the sides OR, '37/'38 older LW cars (CY and Brass Car Sides starter kit) in TTG and 1941 LW Chair cars (CY bare brass), all have custom UP only, trucks. CNW had similar cars, but with different lettering (which is NOT available) and different trucks, likely in pool service to Chicago.
4) Café Lounge: I only know of CY doing a HW Harriman version of this car, and I have two in stock, in bare brass. It is similar to a 79' Harriman coach, but with different end windows, fewer side windows.
5) Diner: Walthers does the HW diner in UP TTG and Yellow and if not correct, a close stand in and affordable. I bought the undecorated version to get a PG version and I will NEVER do that again. I will NOT kitbash a China Walters car due to the 'one way' assembly techniques utilized in these models.
6) 6-6-4 Sleeper: This is a LW Pullman Pool Scheme car, or repainted derivative. In 1948 still likely in TTG, with letterboard change from Pullman to UP. Walthers does this model in PPS, UP Yellow, CNW, NYC and PRR and is RTR. Other model & kits include: E&B Valley (1978 kits), Brass car sides, Soho, Great Brass Fleet.
7) 6-6-4 Sleeper: From CNW modeled as above.
8) 6-6-4 Sleeper: From NYC as above
9) 6-6-4 Sleeper: From PRR as above.
10) Diner: Walthers as # 5 above.
11) 4-4-2 Sleeper: A LW car, models by Soho, Walters (in TTG or Yellow), E&B Valley, Great Brass Fleet, Brass Car Sides.
12 & 13) Both 12-1 HW sleepers: Walthers (in TTG, Yellow, PG), Soho, Rivarossi (needs A/C), Lambert/Suydam and many other brass models, since this was the COMMON Pullman sleeper.
14) 10-2 HW sleeper (didn't make it west of Las Vegas)—a 10-1-2 is a stand in if you need two vestibules of a 10 section car (Atlas, BranchLine, Walthers) or Bachmann (single vestibule version).
15) 10-2 as above.
16) Buffet Lounge Observation: Likely a HW car, but not with a rear open platform (I've never seen a post WWII open observation car photo on Cajon). UP modified '37 LW coaches for the COLA into lounge cars with solid blunt ends, but never seen any models. I would expect, with NO photos, that this was not a special rear end car, but a HW with markers.
LA Ltd. 1950
Background. The Korean War started in May of 1950. Rail traffic increased in the middle of the year, that wasn't there before. UP passenger train photos show a mix of all three colors: PG, TTG and Yellow, so this IS the YEAR of mixed color consists that changed to all Yellow over the next several years. With the increase of traffic, steam locomotives could show up as helpers (head end for passenger trains drained of Diesels for Defense Freight trains). By 1950 a lot of NEW LW passenger cars had arrived and THEY went to the COSF/COLA, bumping older cars into the LA Ltd, painted in yellow and without train names.
1) Baggage: I've seen a Sep. 1946 EB Challenger photo of the 1941 LW baggage car in TTG, repainted from delivery in PG. So, both TTG and Yellow 1941 baggage cars could be used. Same models as 1948.
2 & 3) Storage Mail cars: May be a mix of 60' RPO and 70' Harriman cars. Both MDC for 60' cars in TTG or Yellow and Golden Gate cars (repaint as desired). Southern Car & Foundry did several Harriman roofed cars in resin, otherwise it is CY. This remains the largest 'hole' in modeling UP/SP passenger trains. Walthers does a 'turtle roofed' yellow 70' UP baggage car model.
4) Baggage Dormitory: This may be a COSF/COLA hand me down, but they were LIMITED, since ONLY the 1937 trains had head end power (2 cars). Without a car number/photo I don't know what kind of stand in or model to recommend. CY did the COSF/COLA cars.
5 & 6) Coaches: I've seen photos of '37 LWTTG coaches on this train in WY. There were two classes, CY did models of both and Brass Car Sides do the windows, just not the rivets and trucks.
7) Coach Lounge: UP remodeled the '37 LW coaches into lounge cars, a COLA/COSF daily need, so they would be handed down with the 1949 LW cars came to UP. Don't have any specific model.
8) Diner: Likely HW and yellow, Walthers does this car.
9) Club Lounge: Likely a HW car CY model, Likely in Yellow by this time frame.
10) 4-4-2 Sleeper: A post '37 Pullman sleeper: Soho (later car—no skirts), CY, E & B Valley, Eastern Car Works (both plastic kits) and Walthers Yellow.
11) 12-4 LW sleeper: I've never heard of this configuration in a LW car.
12) 10-6 LW sleeper: NYC run through. A post '48 LW car, Walthers does the Pullman 10-6 (smooth roof) version in NYC and PRR, but not UP, since UP had Budd 10-6 cars new in '49 and painted yellow.
13) 10-6 LW sleeper: PRR run through. Walthers does PRR in nearly everything.
14) 6-6-4 LW sleeper: CNW run through. Walthers car in CNW, but in 1950, that was yellow/gray, not green & yellow.
15) 14 section sleeper: This could be an old HW car, which Walthers does, or a newer LW UP Alpine series car in Yellow/gray (which Walthers also does, so does Soho).
So, now you have my 'thoughts' on the matter. -- Robert Rogers
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.
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:
