UP's 1946 Transcon Train in Victorville & More Revisions to Staging Yards

This time we'll cover the Union Pacific's short-lived Transcon passenger train in Victorville during 1946, and then we'll look at several weeks of revisions for how to lay out the main staging yards on my layout.

My friend and UP researcher Jeff Koeller has put together some detailed notes and photos to document the UP Transcon train of 1946, probably more thoroughly than anyone has done before.  He was going to start covering the Los Angeles Limited instead, but it turns out the the Transcon is an important part of that story.

Here is his report, along with some photos and his captions.

Union Pacific’s Transcontinental Train of 1946

Due to greatly increased patronage, particularly regarding military and supply personnel, World War II passenger train schedules were generally lengthened to allow more time for heavy passenger loading and car switching operations.  After the end of hostilities, effective June 2, 1946, the wartime train schedules reverted to their pre-war times, or, in many cases, the schedules were reduced well beyond their pre-war times. This date is generally known as the great nationwide speed-up of passenger train schedules.

Union Pacific was one of several railroads that inaugurated new train services to help accommodate the increased post-war passenger traffic; this included unnamed train Nos. 43 and 44 running between Omaha and Los Angeles, as well as Chicago to Los Angeles Nos. 3 and 4, the Transcontinental, also known as the Transcon.

The lifespan for the Transcon was relatively short, just over five months; thus, little is known about the specific cars assigned to the train beyond the general car types that can be ascertained from the UP public timetables issued 6-2-46 and the monthly Official Guide of The Railways.  Passenger train photos provide a wealth of consist information, but few photos are available from 1946, and those who study the Transcon don’t have much to choose from, although the consists appear to agree with the public timetables.

The elusive Transcon is probably best remembered for its horrific derailment, due to excessive speed on a 40 mph curve on September 26, 1946, on the AT&SF between Oro Grande and Victorville, Calif., in which six people were killed and 132 injured.  The locomotive was UP 4-8-4 #835, the first one in the new FEF-3 class.

 

Author Jeff Asay covered this wreck extensively in an article published in the Fall 2006 issue of the UP Historical Society magazine, The Streamliner.  A number of excellent photos were included in which the paint schemes of several cars can be determined.  The article also had a detailed list of individual car numbers and names.  However, the last five cars, all sleepers, did not derail and had already been pulled back by wrecking crews before the accident pictures were taken. 

The incident can be further researched through ICC Report 3025, available online through the Library of Congress website.

 

The Transcon began service on June 2, 1946, as a through daily train between Chicago and Los Angeles on a 49 hour, 20 minute schedule westbound, and a 48 hour, 15 minute schedule eastbound.  These times were nearly 12 hours faster than the pre-war schedule of the formerly all-Pullman Los Angeles Limited between the same cities.

 

Train No. 4 Arriving at East LA Station

 

 

Mountain-type engine 7850 is shown arriving at the East Los Angeles station stop with train No. 4, the eastbound Transcon, on August 5, 1946.  The locomotive's paint scheme is traditional black with a graphite smoke box, not the Two-Tone Gray scheme introduced in 1946. 

 

Trailing the 7850 is a typical 11-car train consisting of a heavyweight baggage-express car, three UP Two-Tone Gray 5331-5365-series lightweight coaches, then a pair of heavyweight dining cars (the first one running as a Coffee Shop diner), followed by five heavyweight cars, most likely sleepers of various floor plans.  Union Pacific Railroad photo.

 

 

In addition to its fast schedule, the Transcon was UP’s representative flagship train designed to handle the newly inaugurated daily coast-to-coast sleeping car services, which provided through cars operating the entire distance between New York City and Los Angeles in an effort to minimize discomfort and anxiety for passengers who would otherwise be forced to transfer to other cars on different railroads at different stations in Chicago.

The through New York to Los Angeles coast-to-coast sleeping cars actually began running on March 31, 1946, via the Los Angeles Limited, which had been combined during the war with the San Francisco Overland Limited between Chicago and Ogden, Utah, and with the Pony Express between Ogden and Los Angeles.  However, these sleepers were transferred to the new Transcon on June 2, 1946, along with a newly inaugurated coast-to-coast sleeper running between Washington, DC, and Los Angeles.

One of the daily through sleepers between NY and LA was handled east of Chicago by the New York Central out of LaSalle Street Station, while a second daily through sleeper was handled by the Pennsy out of Chicago Union Station. The Washington to Los Angeles sleeper was also handled by the PRR east of Chicago.  These coast-to-coast sleepers were all heavyweight cars that were owned and staffed by the Pullman Company.  

It may be surprising that these sleepers were not the new-type lightweight cars, but the post-war passenger car deliveries were back-logged for up to two full years, so the participating railroads had to work directly with Pullman representatives to provide with best available cars until which time the service could be upgraded with lightweight equipment.

Other cars in the Transcon’s consist included three Chicago to LA 48-seat lightweight coaches, a pair of heavyweight dining cars (one running as a Coffee Shop Diner for the coach passengers), a Salt Lake to LA heavyweight sleeper, and a Chicago to LA heavyweight 10 section observation- lounge car on the tail end, perhaps one of the last open-platform cars to operate in regular service.

A little-known operation included two Chicago to Denver cars (a coach and a heavyweight sleeper) that were handled by the westbound Transcon to North Platte, Nebraska, where the cars were switched into UP No. 53, the Columbine, to Denver via Sterling.  Interestingly, the eastbound cars ran in train No. 51 from Denver to Cheyenne, where they were transferred to the LA Limited to Chicago.  

Resources used for research include UP public timetables for June 2, 1946 (condensed and revised), the C&NW public timetable for the same date, and the June 1946 Official Guide.  Also helpful is William Kratville’s softcover book, Passenger Car Catalog (1968).  Note that small discrepancies exist between the various sources, and cross-referencing is very important.  

 

UP FEF 836 with the WB Transcon near Frost

 

 

Master railroad photographer Dick Kindig recorded this exceptional photo of the westbound Transcon on the Santa Fe ascending the grade near Frost, Calif., heading toward the flyover in mid-1946.  Santa Fe Los Angeles Division employee timetables listed train numbers 223 (WB) and 224 (EB) for UP train Nos. 3 and 4 to eliminate potential confusion between trains having like or similar numbers on the Santa Fe.  UP also conformed to Santa Fe operating practice by displaying the engine number in the indicator boxes instead of the train numbers, as was typical on the UP. 

Oil-burning FEF 836 is resplendent in its Two-Tone Gray paint scheme with “elephant ear” smoke lifters.  The 12-car consist includes a C&NW heavyweight baggage car, then three Two-Tone Gray lightweight coaches, the first two of which are 1942 UP 5331-5365 series cars (identified by the short height, louvered center skirting, and lacking end skirts).  The third coach is a 1937 UP 5300-5327 series car (identified by its full center skirting and end skirts).  Following the coaches is a pair of UP heavyweight 3600-series dining cars running kitchen-to-kitchen (the first car as a Coffee Shop diner).  Six heavyweight cars bring up the last half of the train, all probably sleeping cars.  Richard H. Kindig photo.

 

In addition, studying the various sleeping car routes (known as Pullman Lines) is best accomplished by utilizing the History of the Pullman Lines books available at the Newberry Library in Chicago.  These ledger books contain a wealth of information, including Line numbers, Line routes, dates inaugurated, dates discontinued, dates resumed, and route mileage over each participating railroad.

In the heavyweight sleeping car era, the car types are not well documented, and research requires access to numerous public timetables to help unlock the mysteries of assigned car capacities.  Fortunately, the lightweight car capacities (and oftentimes car names) are nicely recorded.

The Pullman Company also issued several comprehensive sleeping car lists; Descriptive List of Cars (Sep. 1, 1942), and List of Standard and Tourist Cars (Nov. 15, 1950). These are rather hard to find but include valuable information such as Plan and Diagram numbers, air conditioning types, and railroad ownership (in the 1950 book only).

AT&SF employee timetables for the Coast Lines Los Angeles Division (#127 effective 6-2-46 and #128 effective 9-29-46) were also consulted for arrival and departure times at points along the route.

 

The Transcon's Consist:

 

Using photos for research is extremely helpful, and images published in various books and magazine articles should be examined for any relevant information they can provide.  A good friend regularly instructed your author that “a train can be identified by its consist,” and to this end it will be helpful for anyone interested in the Transcon to understand how to correctly determine what train is being pictured.

The Transcon is often mistaken for the Utahn because they both used train Nos. 3 and 4 at different times.  If the photo has a (reliable) 1946 date, it is the Transcon, but any photos of Nos. 3 and 4 after May 14, 1947 depict the Utahn, which was inaugurated on that date as a connecting train for the City of St. Louis.  Also, the Transcon normally had a single baggage-express car behind the engine, followed by three lightweight coaches, whereas the Utahn always had four head-end cars, including an RPO, so it is relatively easy to differentiate the two trains.

Several trains in Donald Duke’s book, Union Pacific in Southern California 1890-1990, have been mis-identified.  On page 59 (bottom) train No. 4 leaving LAUPT may be the Transcon since the Utahn usually had an RPO behind the locomotive, but it’s hard to say for sure without a date or more of the consist visible.  On page 63, due to the four head-end cars and lack of lightweight coaches, this train is clearly the Utahn (not the Transcon).  Note the similarity between this consist and No. 4 shown at Spadra on page 64 (bottom), which is correctly said to be the Utahn. 

On page 94 (bottom right), No. 4 is powered by a three-unit set of FM diesels and is obviously the Utahn.  Note that the photo caption says the “Transcontinental was sort of a milk train,” but this high-class operation was anything but that!  On page 105, No. 4 is powered by a 4500 hp set of EMD F3s and, again, it’s the Utahn (not the Transcontinental).

The Los Angeles Limited sometimes gets mistaken for the Transcon (or other UP trains), but the Limited typically had a heavyweight 13-section Tourist sleeper running as a dormitory car, either trailing the engine or just behind the baggage-express car; if this sleeper is present, the train is not the Transcon or the Utahn. In Chard Walker’s book, Cajon - Rail Passage To The Pacific, on page 41 (bottom), the train is not the eastbound Transcon, but most likely the LA Limited due the the HW sleeping car (dormitory) just behind the head-end car.

 

Transcon with 4-8-2 7859 helping 4-8-4 836 Approaching Summit

 

Running as train No. 224 on the Santa Fe, the Transcon is below Summit, Calif., on June 21, 1946.  Powered by UP helper engine 7859 and UP FEF road engine 836, this nice down-on photo provides the opportunity to view a typical 11-car consist ideally stretched out on a curve: a UP Harriman-type BE car, three UP 5300-series coaches in TTG, a pair of UP 3600-series heavyweight diners in TTG (the first car running kitchen rearward as the Coffee Shop diner for coach passengers), and five heavyweight sleepers. Richard H. Kindig photo.

Lastly, the Transcon has undeservedly acquired a bit of notoriety due to various authors stating that the train was discontinued after the wreck near Oro Grande on 9-26-46.  This is not the case. as the Transcon continued to operate daily until November 10, 1946, when it was consolidated with the Los Angeles Limited in a cost-saving measure.  UP advertisements announced the changes and new schedule in the Los Angeles Times and the Ogden Standard-Examiner, for example. Also, newly-issued UP public and employee timetables for 11-10-46 do not mention the Transcon nor Train Nos. 3 and 4. 

After just 23 weeks of service, the Coast-To-Coast sleepers were transferred to the Los Angeles Limited, and the Transcontinental became a part of history.

 

Transcon Leaving Ogden, by Emil Albrecht

Accentuated by the late afternoon sunlight, the westbound Transcon is shown heading west on the wye at Ogden, Utah, on September 21, 1946.  Scheduled to leave at 4:30 pm, the train initially pulled directly into Union Station, then after all station work was completed, the entire consist was pulled backwards until the engine was clear of the crossover switches located near the Bamberger Railroad overhead bridge. Then the train proceeded under its own power through several crossovers and onto the wye, where it is shown. The TTG coaches include a C&NW car and two UP 5300s. Emil Albrecht Photo (from Utahrails.net website).

 

Motive Power

According to what can be identified in photographs, the Transcon was powered by UP Mountain-type 7800-class 4-8-2 steam engines and the larger UP 4-8-4 (FEF) Northern-type steam locomotives, the latter of which were painted in Two-Tone Gray colors.  

On the C&NW east of Omaha, the train would have been handled by their large E-2 Pacific-type 4-6-2 steam engines or the streamlined class E-4 4-6-4 Hudsons.  C&NW class H-1 4-8-4s could also be used, but they were more likely to be used on longer, heavier passenger trains. 

Diesel locomotives could have potentially operated when being broken in after delivery or as a result of a power transfer move, but the Transcon was generally steam powered.

 

Passenger Car Paint Schemes 

The following list provides an evaluation of the paint schemes used on the Transcon passenger equipment.  Note that the sleeping cars were still Pullman-owned at this time and were painted in Pullman Green, except for cars running in Pennsylvania Railroad service, which were generally painted in Pennsy Tuscan Red.  All of these sleepers should have PULLMAN on the letterboard.

UP HW Harriman-type baggage-express — UP Dark Olive.

LW coaches (3 cars) from UP 5300-5327 or 5331-5365 or C&NW 6132-6147 — Two Tone Gray with railroad name spelled out on the letterboard.

UP HW diners (2 cars) from series 3600 — TTG with UNION PACIFIC spelled out on the letterboard.

Pullman HW 6 Sec-6 DBR Plan 4086 sleepers assigned the NYC — Pullman Green.

Pullman HW 6 Sec-6 DBR Plan 4060 sleepers assigned the PRR — Pennsy Tuscan Red.

Pullman HW 12 Sec-1 DR (Wash to LA car) — probably Pennsy Tuscan Red.

Pullman HW 12 Sec-1 DR (Salt Lake City or Ogden car) — Pullman Green.

Pullman HW 10 Sec-Obs-Lounge — Pullman Green.

Modeling Notes for HO

UP 4-8-4 steam loco — Athearn FEF-3 (use TTG with smoke lifters).

UP 4-8-2 steam loco ---- Broadway Limited, Soho, and various brass imports

UP HW Harriman baggage-express — Southern Foundries resin model or brass import.

UP LW coach, 5300-5327 — The Coach Yard brass import.

UP LW coach, 5331-5365 — The Coach Yard brass import.

C&NW LW coach, 6132-6147 — The Coach Yard brass import.

UP HW diner — The Coach Yard brass import (Walthers HW diner is close).

Pullman HW 6 Sec-6 DBR — Oriental Limited brass import.

Pullman HW 12 Sec-1 DR — Walthers styrene or Precision Scale Co. brass import.

Pullman HW 10 Sec-Obs-Lounge — Soho brass import.

 

This concludes Jeff Koeller's excellent report, so thanks to Jeff!

 

This train came through Victorville every day, without stopping, at 7:00 A.M. going westbound to LA, and at 1:09 P.M. going eastbound to Barstow and Chicago.  So, when I'm operating my layout in 1946, I should model this train (with great difficulty) or avoid operating in the June though early Nov. months when it was running.

Next, I'll share with you the two bi-weekly layout progress reports that I've sent to friends during the month of October, 2025.  On Oct. 6 I wrote: 

I'm a day late with my bi-weekly layout report, as I was busy all weekend watching my Seattle Mariners baseball playoff games and my UW Huskies and Seattle Seahawks football games.  It's that time of year!

On my layout, I spent a fair amount of time sorting through several dozen used Atlas code 100 #6 turnouts that I got from eBay a couple of years ago.  I added powered switch machines to those that needed them, and I attached manual machines to four that are close to the aisle along Track A1.

I pinned down all the turnouts for the ladder tracks leading into the 10-track A Yard and the 8-track B Yard, following the pencil outlines I had made the week before.  Here's a photo I shot of the results:

 

Some of the too-long throw bars will have to be cut back to keep from hitting the adjacent tracks.

My next step will be to cut and fit all the short connecting tracks between the turnouts, using insulated rail joiners on many of them to create the blocks for the storage tracks.  The first goal is to work on the ladder that runs along Track A1, which includes turnouts into tracks A1 through A5.  That's the third track from the left in the photo above, including a double-slip switch.

On Friday, Oct. 3, I visited Bill Messecar at his home.  He has begun working on a model of the Victorville Boiler House for me, following the drawings that my architect friend Jim Coady created for us, as seen here:

 

Bill showed me the four walls he has prepared on his workbench, plus a package of shingles for the roof:

 

I was excited to see this progress, and then we went out to talk about model trains during brunch together.

Back on Sep. 24 my wife and I drove up to Mukilteo to visit Gary Jordan and to pick up and pay for the PFM brass Santa Fe 2-10-2 that he had painted for me as #3895.  And this past week I received a box from Craig Wisch in Victorville with his completed cardstock model of the Standard Oil dealer's truck garage.  I posed them side-by-side on my layout's staging deck:

 

I'll keep plugging away on installing all those turnouts and tracks for the staging yards.

 

On Oct. 26 I wrote that I was a week late with my bi-weekly report, thanks to more sports interruptions.  My Seattle Mariners made it into the baseball playoffs for the first time in 24 years, but they missed making it into the World Series for the first time ever by just one run in the final playoff game.  So there went two weeks of lost layout progress!

In memory of my lost time, here's a photo of my Mariners train, made by Hawthorne Village, which I collected in recent years:

 

And here's a going-away shot, showing the half-dozen full-length dome cars in the train:

 

I have a longer Seahawks train too, but that's another story.

I wasn't happy with my temporary arrangement of turnouts into the A and B Yards, so I tried new arrangements that compressed the ladder tracks into the 8-track B Yard, but try as I might, they just would not fit the way I hoped for.  So I went back to another arrangement, as seen here from the throat:

 

The unfortunate result that I'm stuck with is that tracks B7 and B8 do not split apart until their ladder track rounds the final bend, as seen near the bottom-left of this photo I shot from inside the pop-up area:

 

The result is that track B7 or B8 will only hold a shorter train, but the other train on B7 or B8 can extend along the curving ladder track leading into the problem turnout.  The entire B Yard will be just one block, as the locos for these trains will be stored in the adjacent C Yard (to the left, as seen from this angle).

Here's one final shot, showing the tracks of the A and B Yards as seen from the middle of the 10-track A Yard::

 

Now I need to actually cut and fit all these track sections and turnouts together, as I had planned to do the last time I wrote.

My only other news is that Bill Messecar has been working almost every day on his scratch-built model of the Victorville boiler house, which will sit within the wye on the upper deck.

If you can visit me or help me in any way, please let me know.