Even in the 21st Century, the Union Pacific Railroad can still put together the most impressive passenger trains of any railroad in North America. And here is where it all happens – The Union Pacific Passenger Car Shops in Council Bluffs, Iowa. It is here that the UP maintains a large fleet of classic passenger cars, office cars and business cars that are unmatched by any other railroad. In this photo alone one can see 4 dome cars! UPP 9009 was built in 1955 by American Car & Foundry as dome-lounge 9009 and, in 1993, was named City of San Francisco to commemorate the jointly-owned Union Pacific, Southern Pacific, and Chicago & North Western train that ran between Chicago and Oakland, California, from June 1936 to April 1971. It is the only dome lounge in the Union Pacific Heritage Passenger Fleet that is still configured for end-of-train service. The car still has windows in the back wall, and the necessary exterior lighting so it can be used as the last car of a train. In 1972 this car was sold to Auto Train, becoming that carrier’s number 908. From 1981 until May 1993, this car passed through a variety of other owners before being sold again to the UP for their Heritage Fleet of business cars. (Council Bluffs, Iowa – September 21, 2010). Photographed on railroad property with permission and full Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
