Monday, May 10, 2010

Union Pacific Train - The City of Portland

This card shows the interior of Union Pacific's City of Portland train, which was put into service in 1935. Besides looking very inviting,  City of Portland was important for two reasons:

1. It was the first streamlined transcontinental passenger train.
2. It was the first to offer a dining car and sleeping cars.

The train was elegant and popular, providing a high level of service. However, with the advent of Amtrak in 1971, service was discontinued for the City of Portland and the other high-end trains (City of Salina, City of Los Angeles, City of San Francisco, and City of Denver.)

Here's the text of the card. (Both the Hotel White Plaza and the Titche-Goettinger store mentioned here are now registered historic landmarks.)

Room #317 - Hotel White Plaza Main + Harwood Streets, Dallas 1, Texas - Jan. 8th 1958
My darling daughter Lana J.
It was nice to see you at Xmas-New Years time and enjoyed being with you sweet. The trip to Dallas was okay with friends from Denver and Colorado Springs meeting me at the depots. Honey-child, the Titche-Goettinger Store in Dallas is right alongside of this fine hotel on Main Street side, the hotel taking up corner. Will ship you the dress when new supply comes in. More later. Lots of Love (?)
at

5 comments:

  1. Alan BurnettMay 10, 2010 at 8:32 AM

    Great card - full of interest on both sides! What surprised this particular non-American was the use of Air Mail for what is internal mail. We forget how big your country is.

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  2. Beth NiquetteMay 10, 2010 at 9:48 AM

    What an amazing postcard. I love Portland with its eclectic mix of artists and bohemian eccentricities.

    My great great grandfather was one of the designers of Portland's lighting system WAY back when. I've always loved Portland--when I was a little girl I called it "Bridge City" and wanted to live under a bridge. (grin) Seemed like a GREAT idea!

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  3. Chicken BoysMay 10, 2010 at 12:28 PM

    What's up with that red-head's hair? They should have been embarrassed to have such hair-do's!
    ~Randy

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  4. Christine H.May 10, 2010 at 4:23 PM

    Randy,
    That's not hair, it sculpture!

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  5. AnonymousJune 27, 2011 at 7:41 PM

    I remember as a kid staying in a hotel in Portland across the river from Union Station and next to Steel Bridge. I vividly recall all the Armour Yellow UP passenger cars alongside the river waiting to be assembled into a train going somewhere. Good memories of a city that had so much for a kid to look at. Boats, trains, bridges and sirens from cadillac ambulances is what I remember.

    This is a cool card in many ways, but I especially like seeing Honey-child written out. You hear it in films, but don't see it written often.

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