My Wish Lists
My Wish Lists
Each of the three roads handling the City of San Francisco used their own motive power on home rails – but some traveled well beyond the occasion. Between Oakland and Ogden, Southern Pacific Alco PA-PBs in Daylight colors led the way.
Electro-Motive Division E9 A-B-A sets hauled the City of San Francisco over much of its route. Union Pacific E9 A-B sets handled the run between Ogden and Omaha. Starting in late 1955, Milwaukee Road E9 A-B-A sets built and painted to UP specifications raced the train between Omaha and Chicago.
Assigned cars from each of the three operating roads, the City of San Francisco offered one of the most unique travel experiences in all of American railroading. As the primary partner, UP insisted all cars be painted to match its standard Armour Yellow and Harbor Mist Gray, but each carried the owner's name in red in the letterboard. Each of the 14 cars in the train are available in standard versions with car name and number decals for easy customizing.
Typical of the era, the train offered something for every traveler. For businessmen and budget-minded folks, lower-priced long-distance coaches and more relaxed food service were available. For those who wanted more privacy or space to stretch out a full-service diner, lounge and a variety of spacious sleeping car spaces were available. All 14 cars model a typical day's consist and are also available while supplies last with factory-printed names and car numbers.
For modeling busy travel times, add a three-car Holiday Season Expansion Set to your City of San Francisco consist! Painted to match other cars in the series, they're available while supplies last in a standard version with decals, with unique factory-printed names and numbers, or the railroad-ready Deluxe Edition with different names and numbers, LED interior lighting and 26 Preiser figures as appropriate. Each set consists of a 75' Milwaukee Road Express Car, an 85' ACF 44-Seat UP Coach and an 85' Pullman-Standard 4-4-2 UP Imperial series Sleeper.
Whether you're an operator or collector, these limited-edition sets of City of San Francisco equipment will be the stars of your railroad! Fully assembled and ready to enjoy, sets feature unique names and numbers from all other cars in the series, so they're easily mixed and matched. Two 12-car Deluxe Edition sets are available, with UP or MILW dining and lounge cars, reflecting the mix of equipment on the prototype. Cars in these sets feature LED interior lighting as appropriate, with a total of 130 Preiser figures throughout the cars.
Extend your City of San Francisco train or expand your Union Pacific, Southern Pacific, or Milwaukee Road streamliner fleets with these WalthersProto passenger cars.
Expand your City of San Francisco and other streamliners in minutes with these cars! Featuring additional car types, names, numbers and paint schemes for Union Pacific, Southern Pacific and Milwaukee Road equipment, they're easily mixed and matched to add realistic variety to operations or collections.
CORNERSTONE UP-STYLE DEPOT KIT
A must-have detail for any Union Pacific themed layout. It's the perfect complement alongside your new City of San Francisco consist. Based on a standard UP plan used throughout the steam- and diesel-eras, this combination station includes space for both passengers and express freight shipments. Designed for easy construction, the kit comes molded in appropriate colors with clear glazing.
Add the romance of travel by train to your WalthersProto City of San Francisco day or night with these drop-in lighting kits. Fully assembled with bright LEDs, they're an easy upgrade for equipment operating on DCC or DC layouts.
Continuing a tradition of luxury service that dated to the late 1880s, Union Pacific, Southern Pacific and the Chicago and North Western launched a new luxury streamliner, the City of San Francisco in 1936. Accorded the best equipment, daily service began after WWII with a pool of assigned cars contributed by each of the three roads, but as the major partner, UP insisted that all were painted in its signature yellow and gray. Typical of the era, the train offered long-distance coach and sleepers, including transcontinental service from New York City aboard Pennsylvania and New York Central cars on alternate days from 1954 to 1958. Major changes came in the fall of 1955 when the Milwaukee Road took over the Chicago-Omaha portion of the route.
On the eve of Amtrak when all UP trains were combined into a single massive 20-plus car consist with five engines (known to railfans as the "City of Everywhere"), the City of San Francisco operated as a small block of cars handled to and from Oakland three times each week. Although the train rolled into history in 1971, Amtrak continued to use the name for its three-times-weekly Denver-Oakland service until 1972, when the San Francisco Zephyr replaced it.
Each member road handled the train across its own rails with its own power, however units sometimes ran well beyond their end terminals. In the late fall of 1955, the Milwaukee Road took over the Chicago-Omaha portion of each trip, Union Pacific handled the train between Omaha and Ogden, Utah, and Southern Pacific completed the runs between Ogden and Oakland, California. From the 1950s onward, Union Pacific and Milwaukee Road assigned matching E9A-B power (Milwaukee units were built and painted to UP specifications), while Southern Pacific used its Alco PA-PB sets in Daylight colors.
Operating with a pool of cars supplied by each member railroad, the City of San Francisco offered travelers, railfans and modelers an amazing variety of equipment. Two Deluxe Edition consists, each with 12 signature cars will be offered, with Union Pacific or Milwaukee Road diner and lounge, reflecting the variety of cars on any given day.
All models in these sets feature unique names and numbers, LED interior lights and 130 Preiser figures as appropriate throughout the train. Reserve yours now - production will be strictly limited to the number of preorders received by the November 30, 2022 deadline!
By the late 1950s, daily service required five complete train sets, drawn from a pool of 77 assigned cars from each of the three member railroads. This included a variety of baggage and mail cars up front, along with a baggage-dormitory that allowed the dining car crew to stay on board for the entire run. Long-distance coaches and an informal café-lounge provided affordable options, while those willing to spend more could enjoy a full-service diner and lounge, along with a variety of sleeping car accommodations. All were painted to match UP's standard scheme with gray trucks (later changed to silver) and the owner's name in the letterboard in red. From 1954 to 1957, the train handled transcontinental service to New York City on alternating days with Pennsylvania and New York Central sleepers, however the Central's cars remained in their gray scheme.
Pool Car Assignments - Summer 1956
Baggage-Express - UP #5700-5710
Railway Post Office - UP #5900, #5901, #5902, SP #5003, 5004, MILW #2175
Baggage - Dormitory: UP #6005, #6006, #6010, SP #3101, #3107,
Coach
MILW 40-Seat Cars: #517, #518, #531, #538, #546;
SP 40-Seat Cars: #2362, #2363, #2379, #2380, #2424, #2426, #2432, #2434, #2435, #2436
SP 36-Seat Cars #2489, #2490, #2491
Coffee Shop: UP #5004, SP #10405, #10406, MILW #170, #171
Diner: UP #4805, SP #10205, #10209, MILW #126, #124
Club-Lounge: UP #6200, #6201, #6202, #6204, SP #2986
Sleeping Cars:
10-6 Cars
SP #9036, #9037, #9102, #9103, #9156, - Oakland - New York; Blunt-End (handled as last car) #9040, #9041, #9042, #9043, #9042 - Oakland - Chicago
NYC: Connecticut River - Oakland - New York
PRR: Buffalo Rapids - Oakland - New York
UP: Pacific Lodge, Pacific Forum, Pacific Union - Oakland - New York
6-6-4 Cars
UP: American Shores, American Escort, American Rapids, American Falls - Oakland - New York
4-4-2 Cars
SP #9100, #9103
4-4-2 Sleeper: UP Imperial, SP #9100-series
August 1956
Eastbound, all cars Oakland - Chicago unless noted
Mail-Storage - UP #5710 (Oakland - Ogden)
Railway Post Office - Mail Storage - MILW #2175 (Oakland - Omaha)
Storage Mail-Express - MILW #1328
Baggage-Dormitory - SP #3107
Coach - MILW #534
Coach - SP #2494
Coach - UP #5430
Coffee Shop-Lounge - SP #10406
Diner - SP #10209
Club-Lounge - SP #2986
4-4-2 Sleeper - SP #9100
4-4-2 Sleeper - UP Imperial Palm
12-5 Sleeper - SP #9251
6-6-4 Sleeper - SP #9156
10-5 Sleeper - SP #9201 (Oakland - New York)
10-6 Blunt-End Sleeper - SP #9044
June 1958
Storage-Mail
60' Railway Post Office-Storage Mail
Baggage - Dormitory
Coach: SP/MILW Pool
Coach: SP/MILW Pool
Coach: SP/MILW Pool
Coach: SP/MILW Pool
Coach: SP/MILW Pool
Café-Lounge
Diner
Club-Lounge
4-4-2 Sleeper
4-4-2 Sleeper
6-6-4 Sleeper
Blunt-end 10-6 Sleeper
Summer 1965 = First & Second Sections
In 1960, the City of San Francisco and the City of Los Angeles were combined between Chicago and Ogden, where the trains were split and transferred to the Southern Pacific. In 1964, Wabash equipment could be seen as the City of St. Louis was also added to this combined train.
Westward, first section
Railway Post-Office-Mail Storage: UP #5801
Coach: UP #5664
Baggage: UP #6316
Baggage: up #6321
Baggage-Dormitory: UP #6005
10-6 Sleeper: UP Pacific Beauty
11-Bedroom Sleeper: UP Placid Waters
11-Bedroom Sleeper: UP Placid Sea
5-5-2 Sleeper: Ocean Scene
Dome Diner: UP #8009
Dome Lounge: UP #9009
10-6 Sleeper: UP Pacific Domain
4-4-2 Sleeper: UP Imperial Flower
6-6-4 Sleeper: UP National Homes
10-6 Sleeper: UP Pacific Forest
Second Section
Baggage-Dormitory: MILW #1353
Coach: UP #5531
Coach: UP #5456
Dome Coach: Wabash #203
Coach: Wabash #1431
Lunch-Counter Café Lounge: UP #5016
Coach: UP #5539
Coach: UP #5512
Coach: UP #5504
Club Lounge: UP #5009
Dome Coach: UP #7000
Coach: UP #5538
Coach: UP #5488
Lunch Counter Café Lounge: UP #5009
Coach: MILW #625
Coach: MILW #636
Coach: UP #5402
Coach: UP #5462
Coach: UP #5431
Coach: UP #5476
February 1966 Westbound #103
Railway Post Office-Mail Storage: UP #5812
Baggage: UP #6316
Baggage: UP #6334
Coach: UP #5453
Dome Coach: UP #7013
Coach: UP #5540
Lunch Counter Café Lounge: UP #5009
Club Lounge: UP #6206
Dome Coach: UP #7004
Coach: UP #5518
Coach: UP #5522
Coach: UP #5519
10-6 Sleeper: UP Pacific Emblem
10-6 Sleeper: UP Pacific Skies
Dome Diner: UP #8001
Dome Lounge: UP #9005
11-Bedroom Sleeper: UP Placid Scene
5-5-2 Sleeper: UP Ocean Sands
6-6-4 Sleeper: UP American Home
10-6 Sleeper: UP Pacific Range
Boiler Car: UP #303
March 25, 1971 - City of San Francisco section
Nicknamed by railfans as the "City of Everywhere," Union Pacific had earlier combined the City of Los Angeles, City of Portland, City of Denver and City of San Francisco as one, running with 20-plus cars and five diesels. Although no longer a separate train, cars for the City of San Francisco service were handled three times weekly to and from Oakland as shown here.
Baggage: SP #6799 - Oakland
Baggage: UP #6302 - Portland
Baggage: MILW #1322 - Oakland
Baggage: UP #6310 - Los Angeles
Dormitory: UP Pacific Mist 10-6 Sleeper - Los Angeles
Dome Coach: UP #7000 - Los Angeles
Coach: UP #5465 - Los Angeles
Coach: UP #5410 - Oakland
Dome Lounge: UP #9011 - Los Angeles
Diner: UP #4810 - Los Angeles
11-Bedroom Sleeper: UP Placid Vale - Los Angeles
10-6 Sleeper: UP Pacific Crest - LA
10-6 Sleeper: UP Pacific View - Oakland
10-6 Sleeper Pacific Island - Portland
Dome Coach: UP #7001 - Portland
Coach: UP #5540 - Portland
Coach: UP #5411 - Denver
Boiler Car : UP #106 - Ogden
Business Car: UP #302 - Grand Island
Business Car: UP #302 - Grand Island