Diners
City of Denver
The City of Denver was built in 1949 by the St. Louis Car Company as cafe lounge No. 5011. It was sold to Golden Wool Co. in 1972. Union Pacific reacquired the car in 1989, when it was rebuilt into a 36-seat dining car and named the City of Denver.
Settlement began in the area around Denver, Colorado, in 1858 when a prospecting party from Lawrence, Kansas, built cabins along the South Platte River. The Denver City Town Company was organized on November 17, 1858, by General William Larimer and named for General James W. Denver, territorial governor of Kansas.
In 1880, Union Pacific gained access to the Denver market with the acquisition of the Denver Pacific Railroad. This railroad, built from Cheyenne, Wyoming, to Denver, Colorado, and then east, in 1871 joined the Kansas Pacific Railroad coming west from Kansas City, Missouri.
The streamliner passenger train City of Denver made its inaugural trip between Chicago, Illinois, and Denver on June 18, 1936. This 12-car train covered the 1,048 miles in just 16 hours, making it the fastest regularly scheduled long-distance passenger train in the world. That record still stands. The lounge car, Frontier Shack, featured an Old West theme with pictures of cowboys and outlaws, wanted posters and other memorabilia of the frontier.
The City of Denver operated until Union Pacific ended its passenger service in 1971, when Amtrak began passenger train service.
City of Los Angeles
The City of Los Angeles was built in 1949 by American Car & Foundry as a 48-seat diner, No. 4808. The car still retains its original configuration and was named the City of Los Angeles in 1991.
The streamliner passenger train, City of Los Angeles, began weekly service between Chicago, Illinois, and Los Angeles, California, on May 15, 1936. As the popularity of the train grew and more passenger cars were built, the train operated every third day. In 1947, daily service was introduced.
The City of Los Angeles was the premier streamliner passenger train on Union Pacific. It was in direct competition with the Santa Fe Railroad’s Super Chief. Many of Hollywood's most widely known stars traveled on the City of Los Angeles. The train's Little Nugget car was the most elaborate lounge car Union Pacific ever used. The train's club lounge, Hollywood, built in 1941, was the first car whose interior decoration was devised with entirely synthetic material, including the newly invented Formica and Naugahyde.
The City of Los Angeles became the longest regularly scheduled passenger train. At the height of the train’s popularity, 17 cars made up the train, creating a bit of a controversy. Seventeen cars was considered a long train, and it was not known whether or not passengers would walk such great distances to get to the dining car.
In 1955, passenger cars with domes were added to the train’s consist, including a dome dining car, unique to Union Pacific. The dome diner's gold room, with intimate dining for no more than eight, featured a gold table service, instead of the usual silver.
The train remained in service until 1971, when Amtrak took over most of the nation's public passenger train business.
Overland
The Overland was built in 1949 by the St. Louis Car Company as cafe lounge No. 5015. It was rebuilt as a 36-seat diner in 1988.
When the Overland Flyer began service in 1887, Union Pacific included The Overland Route as part of its logo. “The Overland Route” was dropped from the UP logo in 1942. The Overland Flyer was renamed the Overland Limited in 1890, a first-class train that remained in service until 1963.
Copies of the inaugural run advertising, as well as promotions of The Overland Route, today decorate the walls of the Overland.
The Overland Mail Company began stage coach service in 1861 between Salt Lake City, Utah, and Virginia City, Nevada. The firm of Russell, Majors & Waddell operated the stage line east of Salt Lake City. Ben Holladay operated the stage service to Salt Lake between 1863 and 1866.
Wells, Fargo & Company operated the stage line from 1866 until 1869, when all overland stage mail contracts were cancelled with the completion of the transcontinental railroad.