Nostalgia & History > Chicago Union Station Files - 1965 UP 2nd sections for Christmas

1 and 2.Milwaukee Road internal memo concerning two sections of UP 103 and 104 commencing from Chicago and L.A. on Dec. 13, 1965.

We have come a long way in 60 years.
I believe 1965 was around the time the UP ordered the last E-units and the last new passenger cars.

In 1965 there were probably some gray beards that could remember what passenger trains were like 60 years prior in 1905.
I bet in their wildest dreams, try as they might, the could not imagine what it would look like 60 years in the future.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/07/25 09:41 by Englewood.

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3 and 4.  Milwaukee Road press release announcing schedule changes and equipment additions for the 1965 Holiday Season 
because of heavy seasonal travel.

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Englewood Wrote:
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>
> In 1965 there were probably some gray beards that
> could remember what passenger trains were like 60
> years prior in 1905.
> I bet in their wildest dreams, try as they might,
> the could not imagine what it would look like 60
> years in the future.

In 1967, I couldn't imagine what it would be like 58 years into the future (or five for that matter), but their experience of the future and mine were substantially different.


TAW

if my memory is correct, the first section of 103 during the 1963 period was actually numbered as 2nd 109 (City of Denver) whose actual train was scheduled 2 hours earlier.  The explanation from the MILW crew on the Arrow (stopped wjere II was in college) was in case it got in trouble the actual 2nd 103 could proceedaround it.  
As these trains in midwest winters encontered serious cold, the consist included a heater car at the rear.

BrynMawr Wrote:
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> if my memory is correct, the first section of 103
> during the 1963 period was actually numbered as
> 2nd 109 (City of Denver) whose actual train was
> scheduled 2 hours earlier.  The explanation from
> the MILW crew on the Arrow (stopped wjere II was
> in college) was in case it got in trouble the
> actual 2nd 103 could proceedaround it.  
> As these trains in midwest winters encontered
> serious cold, the consist included a heater car at
> the rear.

Your memory is correct.
The all-pullman section, with the mail, was normally the first section.
If the pullman section was to be delayed for connections or some other reason,
the coach section, operating as No. 103, could depart first without having to exchange
train orders.
 

E9 production ended in January 1964 if Wikipedia is correct.

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Thanks for the confirmation.   The RRs were serious back then about operating rather than shutting down 
if any snow actually stuck.   Looking out a dorm window seeing 18+/- cars pulled by maybe 4 Es impressed me.