Union Pacific introduced the Challenger in mid-May 1935, about the same time as it inaugurated the City of Los Angeles. It followed the Los Angeles Limited by just five minutes all the way from Chicago to L.A. and back. While the latter train was all-Pullman, the Challenger consisted of reclining-seat coaches and tourist sleepers.

Click image to download a 46.3-MB PDF of this timetable. Thanks to Tim Zukas for providing the scans of this timetable.

As the ad in this timetable says, the Challenger‘s diner served dinners for as little as 35¢ — about $7.50 in today’s money. Page 45 was more explicit, describing the 35¢ dinner as a small dinner steak & mushrooms, potatoes, corn, dinner rolls, ice cream, and a beverage. That was a bargain considering that a small minute steak with mushrooms in a “regular” Union Pacific diner typically cost $1.35 (about $29 in today’s money) but also included soup, salad, and a wider range of breads and desserts.