City of San Francisco (train)

City of San Francisco
Union Pacific train 101, the City of San Francisco, near Cheyenne, Wyoming on December 4, 1948
Overview
Service typeInter-city rail
StatusDiscontinued
LocaleWestern United States
First serviceJune 14, 1936; 88 years ago (1936-06-14)
Last serviceJune 10, 1972; 52 years ago (1972-06-10)
SuccessorSan Francisco Zephyr
Former operator(s)
Route
TerminiChicago, Illinois (pre-1971)
Denver, Colorado (post-1971)
Oakland, California
San Francisco, California
Stops
  • 37 (westbound)
  • 38 (eastbound)
Average journey time
  • 45 hours 45 minutes (westbound)
  • 43 hours 44 minutes (eastbound)
Train number(s)
  • 103-101 (westbound)
  • 102-104 (eastbound)
Line(s) usedOverland Route
Technical
Track gauge4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm)
Operating speed
  • 49.5 mph (westbound)
  • 51.8 mph (eastbound)

The City of San Francisco was a streamlined through passenger train which ran from 1936 to 1971 on the Overland Route between Chicago, Illinois and Oakland, California, with a ferry connection on to San Francisco. It was owned and operated jointly by the Chicago and North Western Railway (1936–55), Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad (1955–71), the Union Pacific Railroad, and the Southern Pacific Railroad. It provided premium extra fare service from Chicago to San Francisco when introduced in 1936 with a running time of 39 hours and 45 minutes each way.