M-10001

The Union Pacific Railroad's M-10001 was a record breaking diesel-electric streamliner train built in late 1934 by Pullman-Standard with an engine from General Motors Electro-Motive Corporation and General Electric generator, control equipment and traction motors. It was the UP's second streamliner after the pioneering M-10000, the first equipped with a diesel engine and was a much longer train (six cars) than its three-car predecessor. All cars were articulated—trucks were shared between each car. It was delivered on October 2, 1934, and was used for display, test and record-setting runs for the next two months before being returned to Pullman-Standard for an increase in its power and capacity, following which it was placed into service as the City of Portland train.

In October 1934 the M-10001, known as the "Canary Bolt" and still in its original 900 hp (670 kW) incarnation, set an as-yet unbroken record of 57 hours from coast to coast of the United States, leaving Los Angeles at 10 PM on the 22nd and arriving Grand Central Terminal at 9:55 AM on the 25th. When placed in service as the City of Portland the train reduced the Chicago, Illinois to Portland, Oregon schedule from 58 hours to 40 hours without any upgrades to track or other facilities.

When built, the M-10001 was a fully articulated six-car train, 376 ft (115 m) in length, comprising a 48 ft (15 m) turret-cab power car, a Railway Post Office/baggage car, three Pullman sleeping cars, and a rounded-tail coach/buffet/observation car. It was powered by a 900 hp (670 kW) V12 version of the Winton 201-A engine, driving the first two trucks of the train. Pre-service testing revealed that the original engine was overtaxed under its operating conditions, and that the truck design resulted in unstable oscillations at high speeds. Those problems were remedied with a larger engine and lengthened trucks.Martin P. Blomberg carried that experience with truck design to the Electro-Motive Corporation, reflected in the design of their E series locomotives.

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