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| Super Chief | |
|---|---|
.jpg) TheSuper Chief in March 1971 atLos Angeles | |
| Overview | |
| Service type | Inter-city rail |
| Status | Discontinued |
| Locale | Midwestern andSouthwestern United States |
| First service | May 18, 1937 |
| Last service | May 19, 1974 |
| Successor | Southwest Chief |
| Former operator(s) | Santa Fe Amtrak (1971–1974) |
| Route | |
| Termini | Chicago Los Angeles |
| Average journey time | 39 hrs 30 min |
| Service frequency | Daily (after 1948) |
| Train number(s) | 17 and 18 |
| Line(s) used | Southern Transcon |
| Technical | |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)standard gauge |
TheSuper Chief was one of thenamedpassenger trains and theflagship of theAtchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. The then-modernstreamliner was touted in its heyday as "The Train of the Stars" because it often carried celebrities betweenChicago, Illinois, andLos Angeles, California.
TheSuper Chief (Nos. 17 and 18) was the firstdiesel-electric powered cross-country passenger train in America.[1] The train eclipsed theChief as Santa Fe's standard bearer. The extra-fare ($10)Super Chief leftDearborn Station in Chicago for its first trip on May 12, 1936. Before starting scheduled service in May 1937, the lightweight version of theSuper Chief ran 2,227 miles (3,584 km) from Los Angeles over recently upgraded tracks in 36 hours and 49 minutes, averaging 60 mph (97 km/h) overall and reaching 100 mph (160 km/h).
With one set of equipment, the train initially operated once a week from both Chicago and Los Angeles. After more passenger cars were delivered in 1938, theSuper Chief ran twice weekly that year, and later (from 1948) trips were again increased, to offer daily service. Adding to the train's mystique were its gourmet meals andHollywood clientele.
Competitors to theSuper Chief were theCity of Los Angeles trains on theChicago and North Western Railway and theUnion Pacific Railroad, and (to a lesser extent) theGolden State on theRock Island andSouthern Pacific lines. The Santa FeSuper Chief was one of the last passenger trains in the United States to carry an all-Pullman consist; only thePennsylvania Railroad'sBroadway Limited and theIllinois Central'sPanama Limited outlasted it. TheSuper Chief maintained its high level of service until Santa Fe ceased all passenger operations on May 1, 1971.
WhenAmtrak took over operation of the nation's passenger rail service on May 1, 1971, it retained theSuper Chief. In 1974, due to a publicly perceived decline in quality of passenger service, the Santa Fe Railway withdrew permission to use the"Chief" trade name, so Amtrak renamed the train theSouthwest Limited. In 1984, after new Superliner equipment had replaced the aging original rolling stock, Santa Fe allowed Amtrak to rename its train to theSouthwest Chief.[1]
Santa Fe's marketing advantage for theSuper Chief lay in the geography of the route as well as its ownership. The Santa Fe began as a rail line along the oldSanta Fe andSpanish Trails, from the confluence of theMissouri andKansas rivers (atAtchison andTopeka, Kansas) to thePecos River andRio Grande in New Mexico. This initial route was eventually extended to Los Angeles.[2]: 173
The convenience of traveling "Santa Fe All the Way" was superior to anything that the competing jointly operated railroads could provide on their routes to the west coast. A single traffic and operating department managed all the divisions and districts of the Santa Fe route from Chicago to Los Angeles. Dining cars, the commissary supply chains, the on-board service crews and their management; all worked together from Chicago to Los Angeles.
TheSuper Chief ran throughKansas City, Missouri;Newton, Kansas;Dodge City, Kansas;La Junta, Colorado;Raton, New Mexico;Las Vegas, New Mexico;Albuquerque, New Mexico;Gallup, New Mexico;Winslow, Arizona;Seligman, Arizona;Needles, California;Barstow, California;San Bernardino, California; andPasadena, California.[3] During the pre-war years theSuper Chief did not allow passengers to board or disembark at any point between Kansas City and Barstow; intermediate stops were operating stops only, to change crews or to service the train.[4] During the war the rules were relaxed to carry passengers to and from Albuquerque and La Junta, but only when unsold space was available at train time.[5] Not until the postwar era could passengers travel to intermediate stations on theSuper Chief.
The Santa Fe intended theSuper Chief to be the latest in a long line of luxury Chicago–Los Angeles trains wedded to the latest in railroad technology. In the 1930s, these includedair conditioning, lightweight all-metal construction, anddiesel locomotion.[6] In August 1935, theGeneral Motors Electro-Motive Corporation (EMC) deliveredtwo blunt-nosed diesel-electric units Nos. 1 and 1A, intended to pull theSuper Chief. Aside from anALCO HH600switcher atDearborn Station inChicago, they were the Santa Fe's first diesel-electrics and the first such trains intended for passenger service.[7]: 114–115 The locomotives made their first test run with a set ofPullman cars and adynamometer car in September 1935.[1] The firstSuper Chief operated on May 12, 1936, with the diesels pulling air-conditioned heavyweight Pullman cars.[8] They were put into regular service on May 18, 1937.[1]
In 1937, Santa Fe purchased several of Electro-Motive’s new "Streamliner Series" diesel-electric locomotives and placed them in service on theSuper Chief line. These locomotives were the first to wear Santa Fe’s red, yellow, and silver "War bonnet" color scheme. EMC’s sleek and efficient streamlined locomotives became the standard on North American railroads.[1] Hollywood celebrities frequently rode the fashionableSuper Chief, making it known as "The Train of The Stars".[1][9]
By January 1954, theSuper Chief had inherited from the Santa Fe'sChief the service of running continuous Los Angeles-New York sleepers continuing from Chicago on theNew York Central Railroad's20th Century Limited and on thePennsylvania Railroad'sBroadway Limited.[9] TheBaltimore and Ohio Railroad offered a similar service with Los Angeles-Washington, D.C., sleepers on that company'sShenandoah westbound andCapitol Limited eastbound.[10][11] However, in October 1957 the PRR dropped itsBroadway Limited sleeper connection. Upon the April 1958 timetables, the cooperating railroads terminated their transcontinental sleeper operations. Declining ridership and delay from switching sleeping cars between Chicago terminals were factors in the through-car termination.[11][12]
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On May 1, 1971,Amtrak took over operation of intercity passenger rail service in the United States. Amtrak retained theSuper Chief/El Capitan names with Santa Fe's permission.[15]: 123 From June 11 to September 10, 1972, Amtrak operated theChief, a second Chicago–Los Angeles train along the same route. This was the only occasion on which Amtrak ran a second train to duplicate a long-distance service along its entire route outside the New York–Florida corridor.[15]: 123–124 Amtrak dropped theEl Capitan designation on April 19, 1973.[15]: 125 On March 7, 1974, the Santa Fe directed Amtrak to stop using theSuper Chief andTexas Chief names due to a perceived reduction in the quality of service. The trains were renamedSouthwest Limited andLone Star on May 19.[15]: 126 On November 30, 1980, Amtrak replaced the ex-Super Chief "Pleasure Dome" and "Hi-Level" cars on theSouthwest Limited with newSuperliners.[15]: 128
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The first motive power set onSuper Chief-1 consisted of a pair of blunt-nosed, Diesel-electric units (EMC 1800 hp B-B) designated as Nos. 1 and 1A. Santa Fe employees hung the nicknames "One-Spot Twins" and "Amos 'n' 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 theEMC E1, a new 3,600 hp (2.7 MW) streamlined Diesel-electric set (one 1800 hp hood unit and the other a cab-less booster unit, also 1800 hp) would be pulling theSuper Chief.
A variety of locomotives (includingALCO PAs,EMD E6s,FTs,F3s,F7s, andFP45s, along with Santa Fe's onlyALCO DL-107/108s andFM Erie-built units) would make their appearances over the years. All wore theWarbonnet paint scheme devised byLeland Knickerbocker of theGM "Art and Color Section" that debuted on theSuper Chief-2. Steam locomotives includingNo. 3751 and2926 were not uncommon for relief power in the event of the diesels experiencing problems or being unavailable.[16]
TheSuper Chief was a near-instant success among travelers who appreciated its modern,air-conditioned cars, private bedrooms, high amenity levels, and smooth ride.[19] The train was staffed with top-of-the-line crews ingrained with the best traditions of the railroad and drew passengers not only from other railroads but from other Santa Fe trains such as theChief.
TheSuper Chief quickly became "the" train to ride between Chicago and Los Angeles, much asNew York Central's20th 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 built seven signs marking such notable features as theContinental Divide andRaton Pass.[citation needed]
In the mid-1940s, company presidentFred G. Gurley went to great lengths to solicit business from California's motion picture industry. A passenger agent was located inHollywood specifically for the purpose of maintaining close contact with the movie studios. The train stopped atPasadena to allow celebrities to board 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 theSuper Chief, a press release was issued to allow the media to interview and photograph the star.[citation needed]
Legendary jazz pianistFats Waller died of pneumonia at the age of 39 on board theSuper Chief on December 15, 1943.
In time, the passenger list would include many Hollywood stars, such asRichard Burton andElizabeth Taylor,Humphrey Bogart andLauren Bacall,Dean Martin andJerry Lewis,Desi Arnaz andLucille Ball,James Cagney,Judy Garland andBing Crosby. The train's appeal was not limited to those in the entertainment industry, as it also played host to former presidentsHarry S. Truman andDwight D. Eisenhower, and their wives.[citation needed]
Several radio and TV episodes of theJack Benny Show had plotlines involving the cast travelling on theSuper Chief. In one, a tout at Los Angeles Union Station tried to convince Jack to take theEl Capitan instead.
In June 1952,Warner Bros. Pictures releasedThree for Bedroom "C", a romantic comedy starringGloria Swanson,James Warren,Fred Clark,Hans Conried, andSteve Brodie. In the film, an aging movie star (Swanson) hides out in a compartment during a cross-country journey from New York to Los Angeles aboard theSuper Chief.
Swanson's first color film was one of very few to be shot entirely aboard actual railroad equipment. Santa Fe transported cars from theSuper Chief to the production company's studio lot for filming. The film met with lukewarm reviews and was not a financial success, but did showcase the features of theSuper Chief.[citation needed]
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 thefirst transcontinental railroad.By the mid-1880s, dedicateddining cars were a normal part of all long-distance train consists departing fromChicago for points west[citation needed], save for those of the Santa Fe, who relied on America's first interstate network of restaurants to feed its passengers en route. The "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 ofKansas City.[citation needed]
TheSuper Chief included dining cars, staffed by Fred Harvey Company personnel, as part of its standard consist of the outset. In general, theSuper Chief operated 36-seat dining cars, although most of them were convertible to 48-seat dining cars with a flip-top (or change of) table and addition of chairs. Dining cars almost always operated with a lounge car coupled to them for bar-lounge service and a waiting area when the dining car was full. Unlike the Union Pacific "City" trains, theSuper Chief and other Santa Fe trains did not use the "twin-unit" dining cars. Santa Fe, in general, ran somewhat shorter trains that could be serviced with a single dining car (although the heavyweight trains frequently operated in severalsections, the streamlined trains generally did not). The height ofSuper Chief lounge and dining facilities came in 1951 with the new 600-series Dining Cars bracketed by the 500 series Pleasure Domes in front and a bar-lounge-dormitory unit in back (moved from the front of the trains). The train still operated with the Vista-series 4 Drawing Room, 1 double bedroom observation cars on the rear, albeit without any bar or buffet service.
The bar-lounge cars next to the diner always included dormitory space for the train crew (a staff of 3–4 cooks and 6–7 waiters) required for the two-night-and-one-day trip. The eight Pullmans on the train had a capacity of 150–200 passengers when full but often ran with single-occupancy rooms, making the passenger load less.
When Santa Fe rolled out its new "Pleasure Dome"-Lounge cars in 1951, the railroad introduced 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.[20] The room was often used by celebrities and dignitaries. As was the case on other railroads, dining car service was a losing proposition financially. Santa Fe, more than any of its competitors, took the concept of using on-board meal service as aloss leader to the highest level to attract and retain customers. The nameSuper Chief became synonymous with the finest fare available on wheels.
The Continental cuisine offered aboard theSuper Chief went beyond the American fare on other trains and often rivaled that served in many five-star restaurants. A "Wake-Up Cup" of coffee was brought to one's private bedroom each morning, on request, a service exclusive to theSuper Chief. Breakfast and lunch were servedà la carte, while dinner could be ordered eitherà la carte ortable d'hôte.[citation needed]
The elaborate dinner offerings generally includedcaviar and other delicacies, cold salads, grilled and sautéed fish, sirloin steaks and filet mignon, lamb chops, and the like. For discerning palates, elegantchampagne dinners were an option. One of theSuper Chief's most popular signature dishes was the AT&SF version ofpain perdu, simply and appropriately named "Santa Fe French Toast".[21]
The decor, linens, and other dining car accoutrements reflected the sameSouthwestern flair prevalent throughout the train.Mary Colter,architect, Indian art expert, and 35-year veteran of the Fred Harvey Company, designed the china and silverware used on theSuper Chief. Colter, who also designed the interiors of Fred Harvey's opulentLa Fonda,La Posada, andEl Tovar hotels, based her dinnerware motif on theNative Americanpictographs of animals and geometric patterns left behind on claypots by the ancient inhabitants of theRio Mimbres Valley in southwesternNew Mexico around 1100 AD. Colter drew specific inspiration from the 700 pen-and-ink drawings of Mimbres pottery recorded by archeologistHarriet Cosgrove from 1924 to 1927 while excavating theSwarts Ruin inNew Mexico with her husbandCornelius Cosgrove. Publication of the Swarts Ruin record created a sensation in 1932.[citation needed]
The "Mimbreño" pattern was produced between 1936 and 1970 by the Onondaga Pottery Co. ofSyracuse, 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 carCochiti in 1937. Used on theSuper Chief and other named trains until the end of Santa Fe passenger service in 1971, some original Mimbreño dinnerware can still be found today in service onBNSF Railway business cars.[22]
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 collector's market and led to the issuance of authorized reproductions in recent years.[22]
Until the late mid-1950s, going by train to Los Angeles from New York was the norm. .... You would be booked on through a Pullman car from New York to Los Angeles. You could occupy a drawing room, compartment or roomette. .... You would overnight to Chicago on the 20th Century Ltd. or the Broadway Ltd. to Chicago. You could stay aboard your through car as it was shuttled from Chicago station. .... Then you'd board that evening for the Super Chief's race "to the Coast" reaching speeds of 112 mph.
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Passenger trains of theAtchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway | ||
|---|---|---|
| Chiefs |  | |
| Other named trains | ||
| One-time specials | ||
| Rolling stock | ||
