until 1983) Desert Wind; it connected to the Oakland–Chicago California Zephyr at its northern end, once again offering Chicago–Los Angeles through service. Timeline May 15, 1936: City of Los Angeles makes its first run between Chicago, Illinois and Los Angeles, California. One trainset (the M-10002) leaves each terminal five times a month. December 1937: 14-car 791-ton train powered by three EMC E2s replaces the older trainset, reassigned as City of Portland. July 1938: Former City of San Francisco trainset M-10004 joins service, allowing departures ten times a month. March 1939: New train powered by two unit EMC E3 set enters service, replacing M-10004; frequency remains ten departures per month. The Hollywood, a lounge car built for the City of Los Angeles, is the first passenger car with an interior built entirely of synthetic materials, including the newly invented formica (plastic) and naugahyde. July 1941: EMC E6 three unit set replaces E3 set; consist of train expanded to 14 cars. 1947: City of Los Angeles begins running daily. 1955: Astra Dome dome cars are added to the City of Los Angeles. The Milwaukee Road takes over operation of the City of Los Angeles from the Chicago and North Western Railway between Chicago and Omaha. 1956: Challenger and City of Los Angeles are combined and operate on the City of Los Angeles schedule. (The Challenger operated on its own schedule during a couple of summers thereafter.) 1970: Dome dining cars retired and replaced with standard flat top cars. 1971: Amtrak took over intercity passenger operations in the United States on May 1, 1971. The final City of Los Angeles trips left their terminals on April 30 and arrived on May 2, ending UP passenger service. Other railroad uses of the name City of Los Angeles The City of Los Angeles name has also been applied to a 48-seat diner built by the St. Louis Car Company in 1949. The car was originally UP No. 4808 and is currently owned and operated by the Union Pacific as part of their excursion fleet. Equipment The City of Los Angeles began running in 1936 using the articulated M-10002 trainset. Behind the two power units were an RPO-baggage car, a baggage-dormitory-kitchen, a diner-lounge, an 11-section sleeping car, a 7-double bedroom 2-compartment sleeper, two more 11-section sleepers, a 48-seat coach, and a 38-seat coach-buffet car. All the passenger-carrying cars were air-conditioned. The Union Pacific replaced it with