Santa Fe Super Chief by Richardphotos
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Description
In 1947 the Super Chief began daily service between Chicago and Los Angeles, and in 1951 the train was entirely re-equipped with new cars. The Super Chief was an all-room, first class, extra-fare train that ran on the fastest 39 ¾ hour schedule possible. Train number 17 was westbound, number 18 was eastbound. The latest cars purchased by the Santa Fe in 1950 and 1951 were preferred for the Super Chief, but cars were protected and supplemented by other new cars from the late 1940s. Santa Fe drew on all three major builders of light weight, stainless-steel cars: most of the cars for the 1937 and 1938 Super Chief came from Budd, Pullman Standard and Budd added cars in 1947 to make enough cars for daily service, and ACF and PS shared most of the construction of the 1951 Super Chief.
The 1951 Super Chief had a basic consist, but some substitutions and addition of extra sleepers for summer and holiday periods did occur.
Sleepers were usually the popular 4-bedroom/ 4-compartment/ 2-drawing-room or 10-roomette/ 6-bedroom types. Sectioned Pullman sleepers were very unpopular after the war. Cars during this time were owned by Santa Fe and labeled Santa Fe in the letterboards, but were operated by the Pullman company and had Pullman in smaller letters near the car doors. Most of the cars were initially delivered with side skirts. Later service crews removed them to gain easier access to battery boxes, brake cylinders, etc.
Santa Fe purchased the F units (normally for freight service) with high-speed passenger gearing. The war-bonnet paint scheme, introduced on the first E units with the first Super Chief, indicates these are passenger engines. The B-units had steam generators for passenger car heat and air conditioning. The A-B-B-A set of F3s generated 6,000 horsepower. Kato makes F3 and F7 locomotives ready to run out of the box, but diaphragms or close couplers can be added.
the local museum is restoring their huge collection for the move to a neighboring city Frisco
The RPO cars of the type carried on the Super Chief were usually those built by Budd in 1940, or by ACF in 1947. The RPO is a 60’ car. The RPO space rented by the Post Office was either 30’ or 60’, thus there was no mail storage space in this car. Postal workers had to pass into the mail storage car to get and return bags of mail as they were processed. The RPO was switched into the Super Chief in Kansas City for mail work on the way to Los Angeles.
A group of sleepers was in the consist in front of the central diner-lounge cars, and another group was behind. The basic consist leaving Chicago would have a 10-roomette/ 6-bedroom sleeper behind the storage mail car. On and just before weekends, a 4-bedroom/ 4-compartment/ 2-drawing-room sleeper would follow it. Then, in Kansas City, the RPO and another 10/6 would be cut in between the storage mail car and the first 10/6. The 10/6 sleepers were in the “Palm” series and were usually from a 13-car American Car and Foundry order from 1951.
thanks for viewing and any comments.dedicated to who ever loves trains
Comments (105)
mapps
you can barely see the tracks, at first I though it wasn't on any :-) Cool shot :-)
Darkwish
Great pic! Cool!
nfrocer
So did I :) Really great shot!
kenwas
Nice to see it so well cared for and restored. Fine shot.
RodolfoCiminelli
Fantastic and spectacular F7A, impressive POV an wonderful shot my friend.....!!!!
KenyaRose
Shes a beauty, Lucky you to have seen her whole up close! Trains are KooL! you got a great view
ralph49
Man what a classic image...Superb capture...love the POV.
Igolochka
Superb shot, very impressive, like it!
NekhbetSun
Thanks for the info and super cool shot Richard ! H u g s
Ravenlady
A very cool capture!!!!! Splendid shot Richard
timtripp
superb!!! EXCELLENT PHOTO and sooooooooooo informative.
Shirahime
Nice shot!
carlx
Wow!!! Superb POV and capture!!!
OrphanedSoul
I so want one of these! Ok O scale will work, I am setting up a train now to run around the top of my office! Great info and capture!
schonee
I also thought the tracks went missing lol...Beautiful shot and history...I learned something first thing this morning well done
tennesseecowgirl
Fantasic capture. Loved reading about this!
clam73
great POV and details!.......excellent capture!
Ra3vyn
Excellent capture! Amazing info too :)
VDH
Very interesting and beautiful shot!
Mousson
Impressive and beautiful perspective!!!
LBJ2
Fantastic shot there, Richard. Love the motif too. I had one of those for my Maerklin model railway when i was a kid. That model was my favorite locomotive.
skyla824
FANTASTIC WORK..... PURE PECFECTION
NytsMom
awesome
Anain
Incredible shot, superb!!! Hugs :)
evielouise
well perhaps I need and eye examine I still cannot see the tracks lol wow she is a beauty and the information on her is so interesting and you got that wonderful lens where I always think man I wish I could afford a wonderful camera to take these kinds of pics thanks for sharing all of it richard it's great: hugs ))
durleybeachbum
I remember this from old copies of the Natiopnal Geographic when I was little!!!
delaorden_ojeda
what a beautiful beauty, great find and superb capture, excelent ! thanks for the info !
MrsLubner
When I was riding Amtrak a few years ago, they had this or a very similar one on their history of the passenger trains series of posters...for a pretty penny, I assure you. Their poster shot of it was not nearly as wonderful as this.
iaacf
I like trains. I know the Santa Fe from my childhood when the German brand Fleischmann produced a H0 scale model of it (and also of a silver colored 'Burlington'. Anyway, I am impressed by this picture and your story of it.
ToniDunlap
Wonderful to see. I am such a lover of trains. I should take a picture of my models to show you Richard.