Union Pacific M-10000

At the 1934 Exposition the Union Pacific Railroad displayed its lightweight, streamlined train delivered that year by Pullman-Standard, the M-10000. The three-car articulated train was powered by a 600-horsepower distillate engine manufactured by the General Motors subsidiary, the Winton Engine Company of Cleveland. The engine powered only the first truck, via General Electric traction motors on each axle, on the power-and-baggage car. The train was painted Armour yellow (still the Union Pacific's trademark color) with leaf brown accent, separated by a red stripe.

The M-10000 made a 13,000-mile exhibition tour across the United States that included the Century of Progress Exposition, attracting considerable public attention as the first train of its kind to operate in North America. Afterward the M-10000 was placed in service between Kansas City and Salina, and renamed the City of Salina in conformity with the Union Pacific's fleet of "City" streamliners which it pioneered, beginning with the similar-appearing (with large front air intake grill and turret cab) but diesel-powered M-10001 that entered service later in 1934 as the City of Portland. As an articulated trainset, in which successive cars shared the same set of wheels, the M-10000 could not add extra cars to accommodate increased traffic or take on sleeping cars for overnight service. It was, therefore, assigned to the short daytime run through Kansas. Although the M-10000 was a groundbreaking idea, its fame was soon eclipsed by the Burlington Route's diesel-powered Pioneer Zephyr of 1935. Unlike the Zephyr it was not preserved; since it was made of aluminum it was scrapped in 1942 to contribute to the World War II arms effort.

Geron Marcom provided this photo of his father, William E. Marcom, posing with the M-10000 at the Century of Progress Exposition. The photographer was a fellow Greyhound bus driver with whom Mr. Marcom visited the Exposition. For a colorized version of this photo, click here. Of further interest, in the left background is the "Tower of Value" where Nash Motors displayed both Nash and LaFayette automobile models.