Product Description
The Inaugural
Union Pacific’s M-10000
On February 12, 1934, Union Pacific Railroad took delivery of and
introduced the world to the era of streamliners. A radically futuristic designed
locomotive with its articulated cars, the M-10000, the “Tin Worm” was unlike
anything ever to ride the rails.
The M-10000 was made of lightweight aluminum, which dramatically
reduced the weight of the locomotive and two cars to 85 tons. Compare that to
a typical steam engine and cars that weighed 1000 tons. The lighter the
weight, the less power needed to push it to its maximum speed of 100 mph.
The train was considered electric but was driven by a 600 hp distillate engine
which drove a generator… the forerunner of the diesel-electric motors that
drive trains today.
To show off their new, advanced train- Union Pacific put it on a 12 week
cross-country inaugural run. Beginning in Washington, DC., with the blessing
of President Roosevelt, the train embarked on a 13,000 mile, 22 state tour.
Tens of thousands came in mass to see this new, streamlined transportation
marvel. Impressive as it was, it opened the door to the Streamliner Era. Two
months later the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy railroad introduced its
streamlined Zephyr. It is estimated that 15 million people came out to view
these two trains.
The painting is set in Western Montana, and the train is adorned with wheel
pants- only used for the inaugural run. Since it didn’t produce smoke and
tinders normally seen with a steam engine, UP installed a spotlight which
pointed straight up that could be seen for miles. It became the talk of the
town- so much that toy train manufacturers like Lionel started producing
them in huge numbers. If you wanted to be in vogue- you had one of these
running on your train layout.
