The Sleeping Car is another important part of the railroad passenger train. It's the place where passengers sleep during longer overnight journeys. A variety of different sleeping accommodations were offered in different price ranges.  

This sleeping car was used on Union Pacific’s long-distance passenger trains and has beds for 26 passengers. The car has three different types of accommodations; 4 bedrooms (each with two beds), 6 roomettes (with one bed each), and 6 open sections (sleeping two in each section).

This car is one of 12 identical National-series cars built in 1956; they were among the last sleeping cars built in the U.S. (prior to the advent of Amtrak), and were also the last built with open sections. Although by this date the public preferred the more private roomettes, many businesses, including the Federal Government, would only reimburse travel expenses for lower berth (section) space. This provided an incentive for the railroad to include open sections in the National-series cars.

The 12 National-series sleepers were originally used on U.P.’s City of St. Louis train, and later saw service on the City of Portland and the City of Denver. Their final assignment was on UP’s ski trains between Los Angeles and Sun Valley, Idaho, which were operated until the advent of Amtrak in 1971. All 12 of the cars were resold to private owners, and several survive today.

In 2011-12, the car was repainted into its original Union Pacific yellow, red and gray colors so that it can join the museum's matched consist of Union Pacific passenger cars, pulled by our restored UP E-8 locomotive 942. 

Sister car National Forum is preserved by the Pacific Railroad Society. 

The National Scene was donated to OERM in 1997 by Charles and Mona Lowe. Repainting of the car was funded by a generous gift from Enrico Bianchini.

Additional Photos
In service 1979 for private owner Finlay Fun-Time Tours as the "Audubon Park". Don Ross photo.	National Scene, as received by the Museum in 1997	Sister car National Border
Repainting work in progress, November 2011	Repainted, April 2012. Marty Bernard photos
Links Union Pacific Historical Society  Union Pacific Passenger Cars on Utah Rails website

Union Pacific page

Page Updated 4/30/12