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Super Chief

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Railway transport

   A view of the Super Chief being serviced at the Albuquerque, New Mexico
   depot in March of 1943. Note the presence of a headlight "blackout
   shield" (a Civil Defense requirement as the train operated in the
   Pacific Coast region).
   Enlarge
   A view of the Super Chief being serviced at the Albuquerque, New Mexico
   depot in March of 1943. Note the presence of a headlight "blackout
   shield" (a Civil Defense requirement as the train operated in the
   Pacific Coast region).
   A quartet of EMD FT locomotives powers train No. 17, the Super Chief,
   west of Trinidad, Colorado on September 1, 1946.
   Enlarge
   A quartet of EMD FT locomotives powers train No. 17, the Super Chief,
   west of Trinidad, Colorado on September 1, 1946.

   The Super Chief was one of the named passenger trains and the flagship
   of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. It was often referred to
   as "The Train of the Stars" because of the many celebrities who
   traveled on the streamliner between Chicago, Illinois and Los Angeles,
   California.

   The streamlined Super Chief (assigned train Nos. 17 & 18) was the first
   diesel-powered, all- Pullman sleeping car train in America, and it
   eclipsed the Chief as Santa Fe's standard bearer. The extra-fare Super
   Chief-1 commenced its maiden run from Dearborn Station in Chicago on
   May 12, 1936. Just over a year later, on May 18, 1937 the much-improved
   Super Chief-2 traversed the 2,227.3 miles (3,584.5 kilometers) from Los
   Angeles over recently upgraded tracks in just 39 hours and 49 minutes
   (averaging 60.8 miles-per-hour (90.0 km/h), often exceeding 100
   miles-per-hour in the process).

   With only one set of equipment, the train initially operated but once a
   week from both Chicago and Los Angeles. From that day forward the Super
   Chief set a new standard for luxury rail travel in America. At the
   height of its popularity, the trains of the Super Chief would make
   daily departures from both ends of the line. Adding to the train's
   mystique were its gourmet meals and Hollywood clientele.

   Direct competitors to the Super Chief during its lifetime were the City
   of Los Angeles, a streamlined passenger train jointly operated by the
   Chicago and North Western Railway and the Union Pacific Railroad, and
   (to a lesser extent) the Golden State, a streamlined passenger train
   jointly operated by the Rock Island and Southern Pacific railroads.
   Santa Fe's route from Chicago to Los Angeles was the lengthiest of the
   high-speed, long distance trains of the day, making its way through
   mostly sparsely populated areas (which enhanced the train's already
   distinctive aura). The Santa Fe Super Chief was the last passenger
   train in the United States to carry an all-Pullman consist.

   When Amtrak took over operation of the nation's passenger service on
   May 1, 1971 it ended the 35-year run of the Super Chief on the Santa
   Fe, though Amtrak would continue to use the name for another three
   years. In 1974 the Santa Fe forced Amtrak to drop the trains name due
   to a perceived decline in service. Amtrak replaced the train over the
   same route with its Southwest Limited. Later the Santa Fe compromised
   with Amtrak and the train became the Southwest Chief in 1984.

History

Timeline

     * August 1935: General Motors Electro-Motive Division (EMD) delivers
       two blunt-nosed diesel-electric units Nos. 1 and 1A, which would
       ultimately power the Super Chief.
     * September 9, 1935: Nos. 1 and 1A make their first test run under
       load with eight heavyweight passenger cars and a dynamometer car.
     * May 12, 1936: The Santa Fe inaugurates the all-diesel powered Super
       Chief-1 amid much fanfare. Eleanor Powell, Hollywood's legendary
       dancer, christens it "The Train of the Stars."
     * May 10, 1937: The last of four "preview" runs of the Super Chief-2,
       which utilizes an improved 3,600 hp (2.7 MW), two-unit, streamlined
       diesel locomotive set built by EMD as motive power, concludes as
       the train pulls into Los Angeles. All heavyweight wood cars used on
       the Super Chief are replaced with lightweight stainless steel cars.
       The general public is invited to tour the new train at Santa Fe's
       La Grande Station on May 11 and 12.
     * May 15, 1937: The Super Chief-2 departs Los Angeles at 7:30 p.m.
       PST. The train completes its maiden run in just 36 hours and 49
       minutes (2 hours and 56 minutes ahead of schedule), setting a new
       Santa Fe speed record in the process, one that would never be
       broken. It would subsequently be determined that both of the new E1
       units suffered mechanical damage during the trip east, and they
       would be taken out of service for repairs.
     * May 18, 1937: The Super Chief-2 commences its first regular run,
       led by Unit 1A and EMD demonstrator Unit 512 (a.k.a. AT&SF Unit
       1C), as it departs Chicago's Dearborn Station. The passenger list
       includes ventriloquist Edgar Bergen and his "sidekick" Charlie
       McCarthy.
     * January 1938: E1 Units 3 and 3A are added to the Santa Fe roster
       and placed into service on the Super Chief-2.
     * February 26, 1938: A "borrowed" six-car Chief consist begins
       operating as the Super Chief-2½ due to production delays in order
       to provide twice-weekly service on the line.
     * July 2, 1938: A second, all-lightweight trainset built by
       Pullman-Standard enters service as the Super Chief-3 and officially
       replaces the Super Chief-2½.
     * 1941: The Santa Fe takes delivery of its only 2,000 hp (1.5 MW)
       ALCO DL-109/ 110 model locomotives, Units 50 and 50A respectively,
       which become the primary motive power for the Super Chief-3.
     * July 7, 1942: The Super Chief goes on a wartime schedule of 41
       hours, 45 minutes. Consist size expands to 12 cars, and each logs
       636 daily miles.
     * June 2, 1946: The line reverts to its prewar schedule of 39 hours
       and 45 minutes.
     * September 29, 1946: The Super Chief begins an every-other-day
       departure schedule from Chicago and Los Angeles.
     * January 25, 1948: Locomotive #19L, leading the Super Chief, loses
       braking ability while preparing to depart Los Angeles' Union
       Passenger Terminal ( LAUPT). The train crashes through a steel
       bumper post and then a concrete wall located at the end of the
       dead-end track, and ultimately comes to rest with the front half of
       the locomotive dangling 20 feet (6 m) above the street below.
       Although there are no injuries, the engineer loses his job over the
       incident.
     * February 29, 1948: The AT&SF receives the first post-War equipment
       order from Pullman-Standard and places these into service on the
       Super Chief. The railroad now has five Super Chief trainsets and
       the frequency of operation is upgraded to daily.
     * December 29, 1949: Train No. 17, led by locomotive set #37L/A/B/C,
       collides with a tanker truck in Azusa, California. All four
       locomotives, baggage car #3409, and railway post office #88 are
       damaged by fire.
     * 1950– 1951: The Super Chief is reequipped with new sleeping cars
       built by the Budd Company and the American Car and Foundry Company
       (ACF), and dining cars from Pullman-Standard. Santa Fe also adds
       the Pullman-built "Pleasure Dome"-Lounge car (one of the most
       luxurious ever made for any train) to its Super Chief consists,
       billing it as the "...only dome car between Chicago and Los
       Angeles." A speedometer located in the front of the car allowed
       passengers to monitor the train's velocity.
     * June 1952: The Super Chief is prominently featured in the Warner
       Bros. film Three for Bedroom C starring Gloria Swanson.
     * 1954: The General Tire and Rubber Company utilizes the Super Chief
       as the centerpiece of a print advertisement for its new "Nygen
       Cord" tire, in which the train is towed by an AT&SF switcher
       utilizing one of the tires as a connecting link.
     * January 10, 1954: The $15.00 extra-fare charge is reduced to $7.50;
       the barbershop, shower-bath, and coast-to-coast Pullman (which ran
       through to New York by way of The Broadway Limited and the 20th
       Century Limited) are all discontinued.
     * 1956: Santa Fe transfers Transcontinental Sleeping Car Service to
       the Chief. Round-end observation cars are removed from Super Chief
       service, blunt-ended at Pullman's Calumet, Illinois shops, and
       returned to train Nos. 17 and 18 until early 1958 (when they are
       permanently removed from Super Chief service).
     * January 12, 1957: The Super Chief and El Capitan are combined into
       one train during the off-peak travel season on a 39½-hour schedule.
     * 1958: All five Super Chief trainsets are refurbished and
       redecorated.
     * August 21, 1964: A rail from a passing train "spears" coach #2804
       in Kingman, Arizona.
     * January 6, 1969: Locomotives #46L, #39C, #310B, #45B, and #44A
       derail due to unknown causes in Holcomb, Kansas. Cars #2924, #2866,
       #1563, #539, #713, #714, #650, #578, #712, #716, #707, and #526
       leave the tracks as well.
     * May 1, 1971: Amtrak is formed and takes over operation of the
       nation's passenger service, thus ending 35 years of the Santa Fe
       Super Chief. Amtrak retains the use of the Super Chief / El Cap
       names, with the Santa Fe's concurrence.
     * 1973: Amtrak drops the El Capitan designation.
     * March 7, 1974: The Santa Fe directs Amtrak to discontinue use of
       the names Super Chief (which then becomes the Southwest Limited)
       and Texas Chief (which is renamed the Lone Star) due to a perceived
       reduction in the quality of service provided on the routes.
     * November 30, 1980: Amtrak's Superliners replace the "Pleasure Dome"
       and "Hi-Level" cars on the Southwest Limited.
     * October 28, 1984: Due to improvements in service, the Santa Fe
       allows Amtrak to change the name of the Southwest Limited to the
       Southwest Chief.
     * August 26, 1999: The United States Postal Service issues 33-cent
       All Aboard! 20th Century American Trains commemorative stamps
       featuring five celebrated American passenger trains from the 1930s
       and 1940s. One of the five stamps features an image of EMD E1 Unit
       No. 6 painted in the Super Chief's "warbonnet" livery.

Equipment used

   AT&SF diesel-electric units Nos. 1 and 1A are photographed at Los
   Angeles, California in May, 1936 in their original, as-delivered
   "golden olive" paint scheme.
   Enlarge
   AT&SF diesel-electric units Nos. 1 and 1A are photographed at Los
   Angeles, California in May, 1936 in their original, as-delivered
   "golden olive" paint scheme.

   The first motive power set on Super Chief-1 consisted of a pair of
   blunt-nosed, diesel-electric units ( EMD 1800 hp B-B) designated as
   Nos. 1 and 1A. Santa Fe employees quickly hung the nicknames "One-Spot
   Twins" and " Amos & Andy" (from the popular radio show of the day) on
   the units, which were always paired and ran back-to-back. In a little
   over a year the EMD E1, a new and improved 3,600 hp (2.7 MW)
   streamlined diesel-electric locomotive set (one hood unit and the other
   a cabless booster unit) would be pulling Super Chief consists.

   A variety of state-of-the-art locomotives (including ALCO PAs, EMD E6s,
   FTs, F3s, F7s, and FP45s, along with Santa Fe's only ALCO DL-109/ 110s
   and FM Erie-built units) would make their appearances on the line in
   the succeeding years. All wore the now-familiar Warbonnet paint scheme
   devised by Leland Knickerbocker of the GM "Art and Colour Section" that
   debuted on the Super Chief-2.

   The Super Chief-1's mostly- heavyweight original consist included:
     * EMD "Boxcab" Diesel Locomotive #1
     * EMD "Boxcab" Diesel Locomotive #1A
     * Baggage-Club- Lounge #1301 Chief Yellow Bear (also included a
       barber shop)
     * Sleeper (lightweight) (8 sections, 2 compartments, 2 double
       bedrooms)
     * Lounge General Hancock (10 sections)
     * Fred Harvey Company Diner #1468 (30 seats)
     * Sleeper Glen Frazer (6 compartments, 3 drawing rooms)
     * Sleeper Clover Knoll (8 sections, 5 double bedrooms)
     * Lounge- Observation Crystal View (3 compartments, 2 drawing rooms)

   In May 1937, the heavyweight equipment used on the Super Chief was
   replaced with all lightweight stainless steel cars built by the Budd
   Company (the heavyweight cars were placed back in service with the
   Chief). For the new lightweight train (the Super Chief-2), the
   equipment used was as follows:
   The cramped, yet efficient galley aboard former Santa Fe dining car
   #1474, the Cochiti. The car (now restored to its mid-1940s condition)
   made its debut as a part of the Super Chief-2's inaugural consist.
   Enlarge
   The cramped, yet efficient galley aboard former Santa Fe dining car
   #1474, the Cochiti. The car (now restored to its mid- 1940s condition)
   made its debut as a part of the Super Chief-2's inaugural consist.
     * EMD E1A Locomotive #2
     * EMD E1B Locomotive #2A
     * Railway Post Office-Mail Storage #3400 (transferred to the San
       Diegan prior to entering revenue service)
     * Baggage-Mail #3430
     * Sleeper Isleta (8 sections, 2 compartments, 1 drawing room)
     * Sleeper Laguna (8 sections, 2 compartments, 1 drawing room)
     * Dormitory- Lounge #1370 Acoma (also included a barber shop)
     * Fred Harvey Company Diner #1474 Cochiti (36 seats) – now on
       permanent display at the California State Railroad Museum in
       Sacramento, California
     * Sleeper Oraibi (2 compartments, 2 drawing rooms, 6 double bedrooms)
     * Sleeper Taos (2 compartments, 2 drawing rooms, 6 double bedrooms)
     * Sleeper-Lounge- Observation Navajo (3 compartments, 2 drawing
       rooms, 1 double bedroom)

   The sleeping cars in this consist were operated by Pullman but were
   owned by the Santa Fe. The car names were chosen to commemorate the
   Native American tribes, pueblos, and cities found along the railroad's
   route.

   On February 26, 1938 the consist was modified somewhat:
     * EMD E1A Locomotive #2
     * EMD E1B Locomotive #2A
     * Baggage-Dormitory-Buffet Lounge #1386 San Clemente
     * Sleeper Tuba (17 roomettes)
     * Sleeper Isleta (8 sections, 2 compartments, 1 drawing room)
     * Sleeper Taos (2 compartments, 2 drawing rooms, 6 double bedrooms)
     * Dormitory- Lounge #1370 Acoma (also included a barber shop)
     * Fred Harvey Company Diner #1474 Cochiti (36 seats)
     * Sleeper Oraibi (2 compartments, 2 drawing rooms, 6 double bedrooms)
     * Sleeper Laguna (8 sections, 2 compartments, 1 drawing room)
     * Sleeper-Lounge- Observation Navajo (3 compartments, 2 drawing
       rooms, 1 double bedroom)

   The railroad also added another trainset (the Super Chief-2½) utilizing
   sleeping cars borrowed from the Chief in order to handle the high
   demand for passage aboard the train. Its original consist was as
   follows:
     * EMD E1A Locomotive #3
     * EMD E1B Locomotive #3A
     * Baggage-Dormitory-Buffet Lounge car #1387 San Acacia
     * Sleeper Chinle (17 roomettes)
     * Sleeper Wupatki (8 sections, 2 compartments, 2 double bedrooms)
     * Sleeper Klethla (4 compartments, 2 drawing rooms, 4 double
       bedrooms)
     * Dormitory-Lounge #1377 Agathla (also included a barber shop)
     * Fred Harvey Company Diner #1485 Awatobi (36 seats)
     * Sleeper Polacca (4 compartments, 2 drawing rooms, 4 double
       bedrooms)
     * Sleeper Yampai (8 sections, 2 compartments, 2 double bedrooms)
     * Sleeper-Lounge-Observation Chaistla (4 drawing rooms, 1 double
       bedroom)

   On July 2 of that year the permanent Super Chief-3 consist was
   established:
     * EMD E1A Locomotive #3
     * EMD E1B Locomotive #3A
     * Baggage-Dormitory-Buffet-Lounge #1387 San Acacia
     * Sleeper Chimayo (17 roomettes)
     * Sleeper Talwiwi (8 sections, 2 compartments, 2 double bedrooms)
     * Sleeper Tchirge (4 compartments, 2 drawing rooms, 4 double
       bedrooms)
     * Dormitory-Lounge #1377 Agathla (also included a barber shop)
     * Fred Harvey Company Diner #1485 Awatobi (36 seats)
     * Sleeper Tsankawi (4 compartments, 2 drawing rooms, 4 double
       bedrooms)
     * Sleeper Tyuonyi (8 sections, 2 compartments, 2 double bedrooms)
     * Sleeper-Lounge-Observation Puye (4 drawing rooms, 1 double bedroom)

   Beginning in 1947, a typical Super Chief consist:
     * EMD FTA Locomotive #163L
     * EMD FTB Locomotive #163A
     * EMD FTB Locomotive #163B
     * EMD FTA Locomotive #163C
     * Baggage-Buffet- Lounge #1384 San Ignacio (also included a barber
       shop)
     * Sleeper Toroweap (8 sections, 2 compartments, 2 double bedrooms)
     * Sleeper Tonto (17 roomettes)
     * Sleeper Moencopi (4 compartments, 2 drawing rooms, 4 double
       bedrooms)
     * Sleeper Jadito (4 compartments, 2 drawing rooms, 4 double bedrooms)
     * Dormitory-Club-Lounge #1375 Moencopi
     * Fred Harvey Company Diner (36 seats) #1484
     * Sleeper Kietsiel (4 compartments, 2 drawing rooms, 4 double
       bedrooms)
     * Sleeper Hualapai (4 compartments, 2 drawing rooms, 4 double
       bedrooms)
     * Sleeper Segatoa (8 sections, 2 compartments, 2 double bedrooms)
     * Sleeper-Lounge- Observation Coconino (4 drawing rooms, 1 double
       bedroom)

   A typical Super Chief consist from 1948 to 1951:
     * EMD F3A Locomotive #17L
     * EMD F3B Locomotive #17A
     * EMD F3B Locomotive #17B
     * EMD F3A Locomotive #17C
     * Baggage #3446
     * Baggage-Buffet- Lounge #1383 San Simon (also included a barber
       shop)
     * Sleeper Blue Grove (10 roomettes, 2 compartments, 3 double
       bedrooms)*
     * Sleeper Blue Point (10 roomettes, 2 compartments, 3 double
       bedrooms)*
     * Sleeper Regal Town (4 compartments, 2 drawing rooms, 4 double
       bedrooms)
     * Dormitory-Club-Lounge #1392
     * Fred Harvey Company Diner (36 seats) #1493
     * Sleeper Regal Pass (4 compartments, 2 drawing rooms, 4 double
       bedrooms)
     * Sleeper Regal Centre (4 compartments, 2 drawing rooms, 4 double
       bedrooms)
     * Sleeper Blue Springs (10 roomettes, 2 compartments, 3 double
       bedrooms)*
     * Lounge- Observation Vista Canyon (4 drawing rooms, 1 double
       bedroom)

          *NOTE: The nineteen "10-2-3" sleepers in the Blue series had a
          floorplan configuration unique to the Santa Fe.

   In the 1940s and into the 50s, the Super Chief occasionally
   interchanged sleepers with other railroads in order to provide
   "coast-to-coast" sleeping car service. In those instances, sleepers
   from eastern connections would take the place of Regal– or Pine–series
   cars:
     * (Pine Leaf, Gem, Creek, Pass, Ring, Beach) — Baltimore and Ohio
       Railroad "10-6" from Washington, D.C. off the Capitol Limited via
       Chicago to San Diego (the longest Pullman run in the United
       States).
     * (Pine Arroyo, Brook, Dale, Island, Cove, Fern) — New York Central
       "10-6" from New York off the 20th Century Limited via Chicago to
       L.A.
     * (Regal Gate, Gulf, Arms, Creek, Town, Court) — New York Central
       "4-4-2" from New York off the 20th Century Limited via Chicago to
       L.A.
     * (Regal Ruby, River, Spa, City, Inn, Ring) — Pennsylvania Railroad
       "4-4-2" from New York off the Broadway Limited via Chicago to L.A.

   A typical Super Chief consist from 1951 to 1956:
     * EMD F7A Locomotive #38L
     * EMD F7B Locomotive #38A
     * EMD F7B Locomotive #38B
     * EMD F7A Locomotive #38C
     * Baggage #3415
     * Railway Post Office #83
     * Baggage-Buffet- Lounge (also included a barber shop) #1385 San
       Pascal
     * Sleeper Palm Top (10 roomettes, 6 double bedrooms)
     * Sleeper Pine Arroyo (10 roomettes, 6 double bedrooms)
     * Sleeper Regal Corps (4 compartments, 2 drawing rooms, 4 double
       bedrooms)

     * "Turquoise Room"-"Pleasure Dome"-Lounge #502
     * Fred Harvey Company Diner (48 seats) #605
     * Dormitory-Club-Lounge Car #1343
     * Sleeper Regal Hunt (4 compartments, 2 drawing rooms, 4 double
       bedrooms)
     * Sleeper Regal Manor (4 compartments, 2 drawing rooms, 4 double
       bedrooms)
     * Sleeper Palm Lore (10 roomettes, 6 double bedrooms)
     * Sleeper-Lounge- Observation Vista Club (4 drawing rooms, 1 double
       bedroom)

   A typical Super Chief consist from the early 1960s (all-Pullman
   section):
     * EMD F7A Locomotive #303L
     * EMD F7B Locomotive #303A
     * EMD F7B Locomotive #19A
     * EMD F7A Locomotive #44L
     * Baggage #3544
     * Sleeper Palm Summit (10 roomettes, 6 double bedrooms)
     * Sleeper Pine Lodge (10 Roomettes, 6 double bedrooms)
     * Sleeper Indian Drum (11 double bedrooms)
     * Sleeper Regal Isle (4 compartments, 2 drawing rooms, 4 double
       bedrooms)
     * "Turquoise Room"-"Pleasure Dome"- Lounge #501
     * Fred Harvey Company Diner (48 seats) #606
     * Sleeper Regal Crest (4 compartments, 2 drawing rooms, 4 double
       bedrooms)
     * Sleeper Indian Pony (11 double bedrooms)
     * Sleeper Palm Leaf (10 roomettes, 6 double bedrooms)
     * Sleeper Pine Range (10 roomettes, 6 double bedrooms)

   A typical Super Chief consist from the late 1960s (combined with El
   Capitan):
     * EMD FP45 Locomotive #104
     * EMD FP45 Locomotive #101

   The combined Super Chief / El Capitan, led by locomotive #44C (an EMD
   F7 sporting Santa Fe's classic Warbonnet paint scheme) pulls into Track
   10 at Los Angeles' Union Passenger Terminal (LAUPT) on September 24,
   1966.
   Enlarge
   The combined Super Chief / El Capitan, led by locomotive #44C (an EMD
   F7 sporting Santa Fe's classic Warbonnet paint scheme) pulls into Track
   10 at Los Angeles' Union Passenger Terminal ( LAUPT) on September 24,
   1966.
     * Baggage #3671
     * Baggage #3553
     * Baggage- Dormitory "Transition Car" #3478
     * Hi-Level "Chair car" / Coach (68 Seats) #549
     * Hi-Level "Chair car" / Coach (72 Seats) #731
     * Hi-Level Diner (80 seats) #654
     * Hi-Level Lounge (88 seats) #575
     * Hi-Level "Chair car" / Coach (72 Seats) #725
     * Hi-Level "Chair car" / Coach (68 Seats) #542
     * Sleeper Pine Cove (10 roomettes, 6 double bedrooms)
     * Sleeper Indian Mesa (11 double bedrooms)
     * "Turquoise Room"-"Pleasure Dome"-Lounge #504
     * Fred Harvey Company Diner (48 seats) #600
     * Sleeper Indian Flute (11 double bedrooms)
     * Sleeper Palm Leaf (10 roomettes, 6 double bedrooms)

The "Hollywood mystique"

   The world-famous Super Chief was an almost-instant success among
   travelers who appreciated its modern, air conditioned equipment, high
   amenity levels, and smooth ride, all of which lent the train a certain
   "snob appeal." The train was staffed with top-of-the-line crews who
   were engrained in the best traditions of the railroad, and not only
   drew passengers from competing railroads but from other Santa Fe trains
   such as the Chief as well. Patrons took pleasure in the ability to
   "...Travel Santa Fe — all the way" to their destinations without the
   need to change trains, or at least railroads, en route.

   The Super Chief quickly became "the" train to ride between Chicago and
   Los Angeles, much as New York Central's 20th Century Limited was the
   favored travel option of the time for the East Coast-bound. To acquaint
   passengers with the various points-of-interest located along the route,
   Santa Fe constructed a series of seven signs marking such notable
   features as the Continental Divide and Raton Pass.
   Ventriloquist Edgar Bergen and his "sidekick" Mortimer Snerd pose in
   the cab of Santa Fe #51L, lead locomotive on the Super Chief, in 1946.
   The unit was one of several placed on public display at Los Angeles'
   Exposition Park prior to entering regular service.
   Enlarge
   Ventriloquist Edgar Bergen and his "sidekick" Mortimer Snerd pose in
   the cab of Santa Fe #51L, lead locomotive on the Super Chief, in 1946.
   The unit was one of several placed on public display at Los Angeles'
   Exposition Park prior to entering regular service.

   In the mid- 1940s, company president Fred G. Gurley went to great
   lengths to solicit business from California's motion picture industry.
   To that end, a passenger agent was located in Hollywood specifically
   for the purpose of maintaining close contact with the movie studios.
   Furthermore, the train stopped at the Pasadena station solely for the
   purpose of allowing celebrities the opportunity to board or disembark
   away from the "hustle and bustle" of Los Angeles' Union Passenger
   Terminal ( LAUPT). When the Santa Fe was notified that a particular
   celebrity was going to be traveling on board the Super Chief, a press
   release was issued to allow the media the opportunity to interview and
   photograph the star.

   In time, the passenger list would resemble a veritable "who's who" of
   Hollywood stars: Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor, Humphrey Bogart
   and Lauren Bacall, Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, Desi Arnaz and Lucille
   Ball, James Cagney, Judy Garland, and Bing Crosby (to name but a few)
   all rode the Super Chief. The train's appeal was not limited to those
   in the entertainment industry, though, as it also played host to Ronald
   Reagan, former presidents Harry S. Truman and Dwight D. Eisenhower, and
   their wives.

Three for Bedroom C

   In June, 1952 Warner Bros. Pictures released Three for Bedroom C, a
   romantic comedy starring Gloria Swanson, James Warren, Fred Clark, Hans
   Conried, and Steve Brodie. In the film, an aging movie star (Swanson)
   and her precocious daughter hide out in the compartment of a scientist
   (Warren) during a cross-country journey from New York to Los Angeles
   aboard the Super Chief.

   Swanson's first colour film also bears the distinction of being one of
   very few to be shot entirely aboard actual railroad equipment. Santa Fe
   transported actual passenger cars from the Super Chief to the
   production company's studio lot for filming. The film met with lukewarm
   reviews and did not, as had been hoped, revitalize Swanson's career. It
   did, however, nicely showcase the many features of the Super Chief,
   which many train buffs feel is the real star of the motion picture.

Playback

   The Super Chief is mentioned in the second chapter of Playback (1958),
   the final, complete novel by Raymond Chandler to feature his iconic
   creation Philip Marlowe.

Dining aboard the Super Chief

   The pantry aboard former Santa Fe dining car #1474, the Cochiti. Over a
   million meals were served in the car, which remained in service through
   the late 1960s.
   Enlarge
   The pantry aboard former Santa Fe dining car #1474, the Cochiti. Over a
   million meals were served in the car, which remained in service through
   the late 1960s.

   Most railroads began offering some form of meal service on their trains
   as an alternate to the poor fare typically found at trackside
   establishments even before the completion of the First Transcontinental
   Railroad. By the mid- 1880s, dedicated dining cars were a normal part
   of all long-distance train consists departing from Chicago for points
   westward, save for those of the Santa Fe, who relied on America's first
   interstate network of restaurants to feed its passengers en route. The
   legendary " Harvey Houses," located strategically along the line,
   served top-quality meals to railroad patrons during water stops and
   other planned layovers and were favored over in-transit facilities for
   all trains operating west of Kansas City.

   Nevertheless, the Super Chief included dining cars, staffed by Fred
   Harvey Company personnel, as part of its standard passenger car
   complement right from the outset. The units typically operated as
   "semi-permanent" two-car sets, one containing 36 seats at 12 tables in
   four-and-two seating arrangements, and the other equipped with a
   slightly larger galley, a passenger lounge, and dormitory facilities
   for the train crew (a staff of 3-4 cooks and 6-7 stewards was required
   for a three-day trip). With upwards of 300 passengers traveling at any
   given time, as many as eight or ten dinner seatings were required to
   feed everyone on board; when the 600-series dining cars were introduced
   in the 1950s, the seating capacity was increased to 48 at 16 tables in
   an effort to reduce wait times.

   When Santa Fe rolled out its new "Pleasure Dome"-Lounge cars in 1951,
   the railroad introduced the traveling public to the Turquoise Room,
   promoted as "The only private dining room in the world on rails." The
   room accommodated 12 guests, and could be reserved anytime for private
   dinner or cocktail parties, or other special functions. The room was
   often used by the era's celebrities and dignitaries while traveling on
   the Super Chief. As was the case on other railroads, dining car service
   proved to be a losing proposition financially. Santa Fe, more than any
   of its competitors, took the concept of using onboard meal service as a
   "loss leader" to the highest level in order to attract and retain
   customers. Consequently, the name Super Chief became synonymous with
   the finest fare available on wheels.

Menu

   The Continental cuisine offered aboard the Super Chief went beyond the
   typical American fare found on other trains, and often rivaled that
   served in many five-star restaurants, befitting the train's upscale
   clientele. A "Wake-Up Cup" of coffee was brought to one's private
   bedroom each morning, on request, a service exclusive to the Super
   Chief. Breakfast and lunch were served à la carte, while dinner could
   be ordered either à la carte or table d'hôte.

   The elaborate dinner offerings generally included caviar and other
   gourmet delicacies, cold salads, grilled and sauteéd fish, sirloin
   steaks and filet mignon, lamb chops, and the like. For the truly
   discerning palates, elegant champagne dinners were also an option.
   Ironically, one of the Super Chief's most popular signature dishes was
   the AT&SF version of pain perdue, simply and appropriately named Santa
   Fe French Toast.

Mimbreño china

   The decor, linens, and other dining car accoutrements reflected the
   same Southwestern flair that was prevalent throughout the rest of the
   train. Mary Colter ( architect, Indian art expert, and 35-year veteran
   of the Fred Harvey Company) designed the china and silverware used on
   the Super Chief. Colter, who also designed the interiors of Fred
   Harvey’s opulent La Fonda, La Posada, and El Tovar hotels, based her
   dinnerware motif on the Native American pictographs of animals and
   geometric patterns left behind on clay pots by the ancient inhabitants
   of the Rio Mimbres Valley in southwestern New Mexico, around 1100 A.D..

   The "Mimbreño" pattern was produced between 1936 and 1970 by the
   Onondaga Pottery Co. of Syracuse, New York under its better-known trade
   name, Syracuse China. The bottoms carried the inscription "Made
   expressly for Santa Fe Dining Car Service." These distinctive pieces
   made their debut on the dining car Cochiti in 1937. Used on the Super
   Chief and other named trains until the end of Santa Fe passenger
   service in 1971, original Mimbreño dinnerware can still be found today
   in service on BNSF Railway business cars.

   Mimbreño has been dubbed "the oldest of all railroad china" as its
   design concept dates back nearly ten centuries. Demand for surviving
   original pieces has created a substantial collector's market, and led
   to the issuance of authorized reproductions in recent years.

Trivia

     * Ford Motor Company unveiled a show truck called the F-250 Super
       Chief at the 2006 North American International Auto Show. The
       designers credited the Super Chief trains as the inspiration for
       the truck's design, especially the large grille.

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