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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
The UP Pacific-class sleepers were delivered by the Budd Company in December 1949 through June 1950; 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. UP’s Pacific-class sleepers came in Armour Yellow (25 cars) and Two-Tone Gray (25 cars), the latter of which ran in the Limited until the system-wide repainting of passenger equipment into Armour Yellow beginning in 1952.
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.
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.
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 the 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 online.
Los Angels Limited, 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).
Robert Rogers then added:
Union Pacific's Los Angeles Limited -- Post 1949 Passenger Car Models
I referenced listings on eBay and came up with the following Walthers (styrene) & Soho (brass) UP models of Light Weight passenger car models:
Walthers stock # Car description
6831 UP 48 seat Diner
6731 UP 6-6-4 (American) sleeper
9051 ACF Baggage/RPO
9350 ACF Café Lounge UP #5000-6
9490 PS 4-4-2 (Imperial) sleeper
9500 UP 11 DBR 'Placid' class sleeper
9510 PS 5-2-2 'Ocean' class sleeper
9520 PS 5 DB-Buffet-Lounge
9530 ACF Coach
9540 ACF Diner UP # 4800-17
9560 ACF Baggage
15357 UP #5560 Diner
16343 UP Budd 10-6
17613 HWT UP # 1220 coach
17614 HWT UP # 1224 coach
17615 HWT UP # 1225 coach all in Yellow, not modernized.
17709 HWT UP diner in yellow
Soho stock # Car description
0452 PS LW Imperial class 4-4-2 (not 1941 version).
0456 UP Alpine Class 14 sec LW
0457 UP #5543 LW coach
0463 UP # 5631 LW baggage
0479 PS 6-6-4 (American)
0481 UP # 4004 LW Diner
0482 UP #5009 LW LCD
0485 PS Ocean sleeper
So, now you have my thoughts and notes on the matter. -- Robert Rogers
Thanks to Robert for his contributions!
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:
