Category Archives: Santa Fe Super Chief

Fast Trains of the ’30s and Earlier

Posted on February 16, 2017 by Gary Garth McCann

The list above is from the Lucius Beebe book High Iron published in 1938. These 1930s records are a sad commentary on the lack of development of high-speed rail in the U.S. I couldn’t resist reproducing the photo below, also from High … Continue reading →

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Santa Fe “Travel the Chief Way” brochure, 1960

Posted on March 19, 2015 by Gary Garth McCann

Santa Fe didn’t produce lavish brochures for each of its streamliners, as Union Pacific did. Instead, Santa Fe published one color brochure for its Hi Level El Capitan and the brochure, shown below, which covers all of its trains. The … Continue reading →

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Chicago to LA streamliners in 1949: Super Chief, Chief, El Capitan, City of LA, Golden State

Posted on October 1, 2014 by Gary Garth McCann

Train service changed continually, so we can talk only about a moment in time. Travel back with me to June 1949. There were far less people in the world than there are today, and less had money to travel, and, … Continue reading →

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Santa Fe Super Chief dining car, sleeping car rooms

Posted on April 5, 2014 by Gary Garth McCann

Two photos above and two below from Santa Fe’s brochure, “Travel the Chief Way.” The Turquoise Room, second below, a dining room for private parties, was located on the lower level of the “pleasure dome” lounge car, which always ran … Continue reading →

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Super Chief “Welcome Aboard” brochure

Posted on April 5, 2014 by Gary Garth McCann

For reading, click to enlarge and then click on the enlargement to enlarge further.

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Super Chief observation Navajo and bar in lounge Acoma, 1937

Posted on April 5, 2014 by Gary Garth McCann

Both Santa Fe Railway photos are reproduced here from the beautiful Classic American Streamliners, Mike Schafer and Joe Welsh. There are many good books on specific streamliners but Classic American Streamliners has an impressive collection of  photographs, some new to my eyes, although the two … Continue reading →

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Super Chief, Dearborn Station, Chicago

Posted on April 5, 2014 by Gary Garth McCann

By the years (1960s) that I saw the train coming through Pomona, California, the observation was gone, although the lighted drumhead remained on the rear. In summer and during the Christmas season, the train regularly carried 8 sleepers, the pleasure dome lounge, and … Continue reading →

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Santa Fe Super Chief (today Amtrak Southwest Chief) en route

Posted on April 5, 2014 by Gary Garth McCann

Passing Devil’s Footstool near Los Cerrillos, NM. Santa Fe photo by R. Collins Bradley reproduced here from an Audio-Visual Designs postcard. Ascending Raton Pass, Fred Harvey postcard. These were sold aboard trains in packets of six varied scenes. In a field … Continue reading →

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Santa Fe Super Chief, competitor to the Union Pacific City of Los Angeles and ancestor of the Amtrak Southwest Chief

Posted on January 9, 2014 by Gary Garth McCann

For a few musings about the Super Chief and my recent Southwest Chief journey, see http://garygarthmccann.com/ The Fred Harvey post card above was sold in packets aboard Santa Fe trains. It’s captioned: “Raton Pass, the highest point on the Santa Fe … Continue reading →

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Santa Fe El Capitan and Super Chief in New Mexico

Posted on November 18, 2013 by Gary Garth McCann

A Fred Harvey postcard of El Capitan in Shoemaker Canyon. Click on the image to enlarge it.  In September 1967 I rode from Chicago to Los Angeles on El Capitan, the forerunner of today’s Superliners: 8 hi-level coaches, hi-level diner, and … Continue reading →

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