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S u p e r C h i e f
Super Chief with E1A/B, helped by a 2-10-4 no.5000, climbing the Raton
Pass
near Wotton, Colorado, May 1946 (R.E. Kindig)
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Santa Fe's no. 3460 "Blue Goose" from 1937 (ATSF)
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Santa Fe number 2919 (Baldwin, coll. H.L. Broadbelt)
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Santa Fe Chief with Alco engines (ATSF, Otto Behrens)
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In 1892 ATSF, the "Santa Fe" started the California Limited Chicago - Los Angeles, with cars also from Saint Louis and for San Diego, from 1896 as an all-Pullman. On the mountain sections, huge Mallets were used. From 1911 once weekly also the exclusive "Santa Fe de-Luxe" did run. In 1926 once again an all-Pullman was introduced, the Chief. Later its mighty oil-fired 4-8-4s did run from Kansas City to L.A. without change of engine! In the East the Hudsons hauled the Chief, one of them streamlined, nicknamed the "Blue Goose". With its wheel diameter of 2.14m it was capable of running at 200km/h or 125mph.
All that was nothing compared to the sensational Super Chief or simply the "Super", as it was called. On May 12, 1936, three days before the competing "Cities", world's first diesel-hauled all-Pullman de-luxe started from Chicago to L.A., cutting 15 hours traveling time. But only in 1937 appeared the beautiful streamliner cars from Budd, designed by Cret, Harbeson, McDonald and Birdseye, and the nice streamlined E1 diesels, replacing "Mutt" and "Jeff". And the "Fred Harvey" restaurant offered things such as Malassol caviar, swordfish, salmon, roast beef, lamb steak ("extra thick"), lobster salad, Gruyere and Cheshire cheese. In 1938 a second train set, now built by Pullman, allowed two starts per week. On the Raton pass however, still a big 2-10-4 type steam engine had to help. In 1947 the F3 diesels (BoBo) replaced the E1, from 1948 additional Pullmans allowed a daily service and in 1951 came the "Pleasure Dome". Four F3 diesels with 12 cars still maintained the 39 ˝ hours traveling time from Chicago to L.A. (whilst the slower Chief temporarily was hauled by Alco diesels).
For the not quite so rich people in 1938 El Capitan was introduced, an "all-coach extra-fare streamliner" with 7 coaches and two E1 diesels, later F3, alternating with the "Super". In 1956 appeared the revolutionary "Hi-Level" coaches. Four F3 engines now hauled the 12 cars. In 1968 the Super Chief was combined with El Capitan and the Chief disappeared. On April 30, 1970, ATSF stopped the trains, now being hauled by a pair of clumsy FP45 diesels. Amtrak resumed the service, but then ATSF forced to change the name. It became the South West Limited, then the South West Chief - later with the fantastic "Superliner" hi-level cars.
Santa Fe de-Luxe
Chicago - Los Angeles
ATSF, Pullman, Dec. 1911:
Club Car (barbershop, baggage)
Dining Car
D Sleeping Car (drawing rooms)
C Sleeping Car (drawing rooms)
B Sleeping Car (compartments)
A Observation Car (sections)
Super Chief
Chicago - Los Angeles from May 18, 1937
(according to Arthur D. Dubin):
| E1 | Twin diesel (CoCo, GM/EMD), by ATSF |
| 3400 | Baggage Car |
| Isleta | Sleeping Car |
| Taos | Sleeping Car |
| Acoma | Lounge Car (with barber shop) |
| Cochiti | Dining Car |
| Oraibi | Sleeping Car |
| Laguna | Sleeping Car |
| Navajo | Sleeping, Observation Car. |
Colours: stainless, locomotives silver/red/yellow
Super Chief combined with El Capitan
Amtrak, 1973 (formation according to Dr. Stoeckl):
| Diesel 526, 505, 511 (SDP40F) | Kansas City - Los Angeles |
| 1 | Baggage Car 1023 | heritage | Chicago - Los Angeles |
| 1 | Dormitory Baggage 9984 | heritage | Chicago - Los Angeles |
| 3 | Coach 9920, 9946, 9952 | Hi - Level | Chicago - Los Angeles |
| 1 | Dining Car 9980 | Hi - Level | Chicago - Los Angeles |
| 1 | Lounge Car 9970 | Hi - Level | Chicago - Los Angeles |
| 2 | Coach 9942, 9911 | Hi - Level | Chicago - Los Angeles |
| 1 | Sleeping Car 2211 | Heritage | Chicago - Los Angeles |
| 1 | Sleeping Car "Pineleaf" | ex ATSF | Chicago - Los Angeles |
| 1 | Dining Car 8070 | heritage | Chicago - Los Angeles |
| 2 | Sleeping Cars 2351, 2751 | ex ATSF | Chicago - Los Angeles |
| 1 | Sleeping Car 2635 | ex UP | New York (National Ltd) - Kansas City L.A. |
| 1 | Sleeping Car 6633 | ex ACL | New York (National Ltd) - Kansas City L.A. |
| 1 | Baggage Car | heritage | Chicago - Los Angeles |
Southwest Chief
Los Angeles - Chicago, by Amtrak,
Departure Los Angeles May 1, 1987:
| 2 Diesel F40PH Amtrak | |
| 4 Mail | boxcars |
| 1 Coach Dormitory | Hi-Level |
| 1 Coach Baggage | Superliner |
| 1 Coach | Superliner |
| 1 Lounge Café | Superliner |
| 1 Dining Car | Superliner |
| 2 Sleeping Cars | Superliner |
| 1 Vista Dome 800157 | "Marion Mattison" (private, exceptionally) |
Colors: Amtrak cars stainless with blue/red ribbon, locomotives silver with ribbon, later silver/dark blue.
Three locomotives when there were more than 13 cars. Towards 1998 F40PH were replaced by P42DC diesels, temporarily due to the number of mail cars up to 4 engines. In 1996 Amtrak's Capitol Limited Washington - Chicago was equipped with Superliner cars and then temporarily it became combined with the South West Chief, connecting Washington with Los Angeles.
The Chief with five General Motors F7 engines on the Cajon Pass in 1965 (ATSF, R.C. Bradley)
Super Chief with E1A/B in California during the 40's (old postcard)
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Lounge Café, Hi-Level car ex-Santa Fe El Capitan, on a train Oakland - Bakersfield replacing the Coast Starlight on April 30, 1987
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Chief and Super Chief Chicago - Los Angeles, hauled by four E-7 engines, Chicago Dearborn Station in the 50's (coll. Heribert Schroepfer)
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Southwest Chief Los Angeles - Chicago with Amtrak Superliner cars and exceptionally private saloon "Marion Mattison" at Albuquerque, New Mexico, May 2, 1987 (WS)
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The historic Santa Fe station San Diego (WS)
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Pacific Surfliner, arriving in San Diego, 2016 (WS)
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Southwest Chief Los Angeles – Chicago with Amtrak engines 151 and 65, Los Angeles, April 2014 (WS)
South West Chief Los Angeles – Chicago, Raton Pass 1987 (WS)
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