Although this July 1939 booklet says “new,” the train it describes was introduced in December 1937. This train included the Little Nugget car, a parabolic-tailed observation car, two coaches, seven sleepers, and a two-car coffee shop/diner (with the kitchen occupying half of the coffee shop car). These cars, plus a baggage car, were hauled by General Motors’ bulbous-nosed E2 locomotives.
Click image to download a 10.4-MB PDF of this 36-page booklet.
Unmentioned in this booklet is the fact that, in March, 1939, four months before the booklet was published, UP had introduced a second streamliner to the Chicago-Los Angeles route, this one featuring an ultra-modern lounge car called the Hollywood and a blunt-end observation car. This train is featured in the July 1941 City of Los Angeles booklet shown here previously. It is strange that UP publicists were so late with the issuance of both booklets.
The 1937 City of Los Angeles. Click image for a larger view.
In addition to the Hollywood, the 1941 booklet does mention the Little Nugget car, but the color illustrations in the booklet show the 1939 feature cars. The color illustrations of the revenue cars on pages 4, 6, and 18 of the 1941 booklet appear to be based on the black-and-white photos on page 4, 6, and 16 of the 1939 booklet, minus the people.