Fortunately, I was blessed to ride "Amtrak's Super Chief" in October 1973. It was fabulous. Currently, Amtrak doesn't even come close to the service it provided on this train. Was up to 2am in the dining car talking trains with the Stewart (a man with 30+ years of experience with the Santa Fe), my Father and Brother! They still had the Champagne Dinner and wake-up coffee delivered to your room, among other delights. I Thank God for the wonderful blessing! Nathan in Chicago 🇺🇸
That is so cool! Were they still using all of Santa Fe’s Super Chief equipment when you rode? Or had pieces from their “rainbow era” started creeping in from elsewhere in the system?
@RailWeekly Well, my friend, the Menu, had a Santa Fe F-7 Warbonnet emblazoned (raised/pressed) on the cover, but NO Santa Fe script. The wake-up coffee (dining car waiters brought me and my brother 9 hot chocolates) request slips were still Santa Fe with Chico's image. Wish I could have saved one. I was only 13. The coke I had while train#4 was waiting in LAUPT to depart was Amtrak cardboard with a plastic lid, but you also got the whole can to pour over the ice. The knapkins in the pleasure dome lounge were printed Amtrak. Everything else was a blend, say 60% Amtrak 40% Santa Fe! The best thing, of course, was nightime in the pleasure dome watching the semaphores fall as we raced past. A true blessing. Equipment was all original Santa Fe, even the transcontinental sleeper, which was attached/detached in Kansas City, but by then was totally in the phase 1 scheme. Three of Amtrak's new FP-45's lead us both ways. If I can think of anything else, I'll let you know! Sincerely, Nathan in Chicago 🇺🇸
my late parents took my siblings and , I on vacation to Los Angeles , and we took the Super Chief of Santa Fae R R in early June of 1964, it was a great time .
I rode the Lake Shore Limited from Grand Central to Chicago, then Southwest Limited in 1980 round trip. Returned to NY Penn on the Broadway Limited. I will cherish that memory as an 11-yo forever.
What a great adventure! Too bad the Broadway Limited no longer exists. I only rode on the short-lived "Three Rivers". And I also rode the Capitol Limited back when they were still running a few through-cars on the Pennsylvanian. What was Amtrak's Broadway Limited like? Did they keep a high standard of service?
Got to ride the Super Chief in 1967 from Lamar CO to Chicago IL. I was a young boy and thought it was grand. Had a Pullman berth. Remember traveling though Kanas during most of the day and into Missouri. Remember waking up to next morning in Illinois, and rolling into the station at Chicago. Fun times with my parents.
That is wonderful! I have fond memories of riding overnight trains growing up as well. Unfortunately, not on the super chief though. Thank you for watching!
Travelled aboard the "Super Chief" during a major airline strike [in the late 1960s]. The train was split into two sections, with mostly original single-level Budd and Pullman-Standard equipment assigned to the "Super Chief". Superb service in the diner, with traditional Fred Harvey cuisine. The train was "chockers" ["full" as we say in Australia].
Yes, the coach-only section, which used to be its own separate train, was called the El Capitan. Amtrak still used some of those original cars on the Coast Starlight until semi recently.
Worked on ATSF 17-18 that summer in the Kachina Room (El Capitan). Left Chicago with 11 Hi-Levels @ 72 coach and 1 transition with 68 passengers total 850 passengers biggest El-Cap ever.
I rode the Southern Crescent in 1972 from Charlottesville VA to NYC. What a great train! The dining car had white linen tablecloths, real china and silver plate flatware. Cooked to order breakfast while rolling through the Virginia Piedmont. Fast forward to 1990 and I took the Amtrak Crescent from Lynchburg VA to New Orleans. Not at all comparable. Inferior equipment and accommodations.
You are so correct! My father used to work for Southern Railway and has told me plenty of amazing stories about the Crescent. He said that one of the first things that the president of Southern expected on his desk first thing in the morning was a report of the on-time performance of the previous day’s Crescent. And if the train was late, he would want to know exactly who was responsible. Could you imagine that on Amtrak!? Haha
Had reservation for the PV trip. Was going to join them on the CZ at Fort Morgan to Emeryville. Then down the coast on the Starlight then the Chief back to Chicago. Finally grab Amtrak back to FMG. The fare for the trip was exceptionally reasonable for private car service. Regretfully physical health issues prevented me from going and I had to cancel. Would've been a trip of lifetime. Thanx for the great video.
I’m so sorry to hear that! I think they are trying to do it again next year. Hopefully you will be able to join for that one? Fingers crossed! Thank you for watching! :-)
Luv it - I can remember riding on the Santa Fe Super Chief before the birth of Amtrak. I have since riden on the Southwest Chief as well. A good experience, but I do really miss the old days. Thanks for your video production 👍 Papa Geoff - UP Spring Subdivision / Houston Texas - Here we go on a clear 🚦🚦
Thanks for this perhaps obscure footnote about one of our favorite trains. Fun Fact: During the Santa Fe/Amtrak objection/discussion/etc. concerning the train's name, their was a brief mention of using "Golden State." Now, us Rock Island passengers/fans objected to that amongst ourselves and I don't know if there was ever a formal point raised to Amtrak management about it then, but train names did mean something to us then.
Love seeing the chief going through Raton Pass when im driving to Colorado for camping trips, its a neat highlight/mile marker of sorts for the yearly pilgrimage to the Rockies....As a kid, it was my first time seeing a passenger train, or really any non BNSF/UP or non freight train. I actually didn't know passenger trains still ran outside of NYC/chicago until i saw the chief outside of Trinidad when I was 12 or so...
Looove your video, I'm a Model Railroader and I have a beautiful HO Scale Model of the head Locomotive, I love the Chief, keep making more Amtrak videos
Rode the El Capitan from Chicago to Los Angeles and back in 1967 as a 12 year old. Dad took us on that trip as Mom had a fear of flying. It was the best trip of my life filled with wonderful memories (mainly the crew, passengers, train and scenery)!
I believe so, but I had to look at photos to remember. Very strange thing….I remember many details of the westbound trip and can’t remember anything about the eastbound trip. Ditto for my sister.
I miss the Southern route through Illinois. It used to pass through Streator and that was our final stop where we'd get off when I was a kid back in the 80's. It would then continue on to Chicago from there. Now it passes through Galesburg.
I really wish that Amtrak would still use the original Santa Fe route out of Chicago as well. They apparently did this for a short period of time in the 70s. For a while, there were actually TWO Amtrak stations in Galesburg. Here's a cool Wikipedia page I found talking about it... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galesburg_station_(Atchison,_Topeka_and_Santa_Fe_Railway)
Living in the headquarters of the Frisco, Springfield, Missouri, we had the Frisco Meteor line that used to go from St. Louis to Oklahoma City via Tulsa. While not the Super Chief, it was a very fine train.
What a wonderful production; very professionally done. It must have taken many hours to edit all of this. Great job, Mike, and a nice souvenir of our trip!
Nice video, i work for BNSF in the Chicago division and i work both freight and passenger (bnsf metra). I see the Southwest Cheif and the California Zephyr every time i work. Whether it's leaving or coming in.
In the beginning AMTRAK was allowed to use the Super Chief named. Under one condition. They had to maintain the Super Chief standards. When the Santa Fe railroad found out that AMTRAK was cutting corners and allowing the standards of the Super Chief to slip Santa Fe took back the Super Chief name. That's when Amtrak was forced to change the name.
It should be noted that the Southwest Chief is the only long distance train going west out of Chicago that can surpass the 79mph speed limit as the BNSF main is rigged for 90mph running.
I was fortunate enough to have ridden the Super Chief the summer of 72 to and from the Philmont Scout Ranch deboarding the train at Raton. I was lucky enough to sneak into the dome car for an hour of crossing the plains of Kansas . Amtrak has been convinced by many former scout congressmen and senators to keep the Raton station open to service the large number of scouts passing through every summer.
I have been aboard many times where large groups of scouts were headed to the ranch. It has been quite the tradition. This was threatened in the brief period when Amtrak considered re-routing the chief to the south via the BSNF transcon. It would have missed Raton, Albuquerque and a lot of the iconic Super Chief scenery!
I rode the Super Chief/El Capitan early in its operation by Amtrak. The equipment hadn’t been refurbished or painted in Amtrak livery yet. The front portion of the train-El Captain-was made up of Santa Fe’s hi-level equipment of 1956 that inspired Amtrak’s Superliners. All of Santa Fe’s Native American motifs were in place, including the Kachina Coffee Shop on the lower level of the Hi-Level lounge that had same windows rising into the roof that Amtrak’s Superliner lounges have. I took a walk the length of the train and regret that I didn’t record the name or number of every.car.number.or.name in the consist. In the rear section of the two-trains-in-one, the Super Chief (first class) section, there was a separate dining car and the Super Chief’s hallmark, the Pleasure Dome. I rode in the dome for a while, I spoke to a steward briefly, and as I recall, I noticed that the turquoise medallion was missing from the wall of the Turquoise Room. The diner and Pleasure Dome’s interiors did still feature the sand paintings that were a part of their original decor. That a coach passenger (and a young one, at that) could wander through the first class section of the train may have been a small example of Amtrak’s failure to maintain Santa Fe’s standards.
Very nice!! I'm old enough to say that I have been on The Super Chief & El Capitan during the '60's & they lived up to all the hype. I've made reservations for the Westbound Southwest Chief for next month & was contacted last week by Amtrak & informed there would be no sleeper car accommodations on that run due to equipment issues. I have been rescheduled to take the Westbound TX Eagle instead at no extra cost. Was looking forward to ride the SWC, but can't endure sitting in coach for 48+ hours.
Oh man! Yes, Amtrak has certainly had its issues with sidelined equipment this summer! The Capitol Limited has only been running with a total of 3 cars!! Hope you enjoy your ride on the Eagle! I’ll be riding the Sunset Limited portion of that route for the first time ever this spring!
One of the biggest blights on Amtrak's history is Anderson's decision to forbid private car passengers from using open air observation platforms when the train is moving. It's especially ridiculous when trains are climbing mountain passes at low speeds. Most passengers wouldn't choose to go outside when the train's hurtling along at 79 MPH anyway. :P As a somewhat frequent SWC passenger, it was lovely reliving my own trips over Raton Pass, Cajon Pass, and texting friendly greetings to my ABQ relatives as the train lays over there. I'm surprised at the lack of Kansas City Union Station footage though. It's a spectacular station, though shooting it from inside an approaching train can be tricky.
I couldn’t agree more! I didn’t know about the back platform rule until after the trip was already booked. That was one of the things I was most excited about! And yes, KC Union is absolutely beautiful. You can’t see any of it from platform level. But I do have a broader video on Union Stations in the works for some point in the future!
Just found you! I 'liked' and subscribed. Am a train nut! Have ridden, usually more than once, all long distance trains in US and four years ago---pre-COVID---rode the Canadian. Love the experience. Its a hotel on wheels. But Amtrak could do so many little things to improve service---why don't they!!?? And, its expensive if you travel first class! Thanks.
I rode the SW Chief between Albuquerque and Chicago a couple of times over 20 years ago, great memories! Check out the restored Castañeda Hotel in Las Vegas, NM, and La Posada in Winslow, AZ. Two Harvey House gems!
@@RailWeekly Go for it! Albuquerque's Alvarado Station (the Amtrak Station) takes its name and design from the demolished Alvarado Hotel, which was the largest of all the Harvey House Hotels. So few still survive, which makes the restored hotels all the more amazing.
I'm gonna be on the westbound Southwest Chief this March. I'm travelling in coach so with any luck, I should be able to get some nice shots of glorietta pass and (maybe) some semaphore signals if there's still any left
@@RailWeeklyI counted 11 semaphores on the Raton Sub between Raton and Las Vegas (Wagon Mound being the westernmost semaphores on Raton Sub) and 5 on the Glorietta Sub between Lamy and where the Rail Runner branches off toward Santa Fe. amazing trip and beautiful scenery all 3 days!
Great Video Mike. Years ago, the Salisbury Beach was part of the 5 car LA Rail car group, headquartered at LA Union Station. Previously owned by Tom Pearson, my wife and I were able to travel on her from Washington, DC thru thru New Orleans and onto LA behind the Sunset Limited, along with 2 other cars, Union Pacific Sleeper, Pacific Sands and Dome Silver Splendor. We also traveled in the Lamberts Point from Emeryville behind the Coast Starlight to Seattle then on to St. Paul, where the 5 private cars of the 261 group had to make the cut. That was also a great trip with Steve Sandburg and crew. I think that your video was just the right length and informative as well. It's too bad that when Richard Anderson was appointed President of Amtrak, he made it so miserable for private car owners, that many were sold, moved to tourist railroads, or found new homes where it was more cost effective to keep. Very sad. I look forward to more videos, and let's hope Amtrak stays with us for the long term. We travel on train 49 and 48 to and from Central NY to Chicago a number of times per year. Thanks again. Great Job, well done!!
Thank you so much! And thank you for sharing your experiences. Yes, I remember when Anderson took over, there was a brief period where it looked like Amtrak wouldn’t be allowing private cars at all! Unfortunately, since this trip, Amtrak has increased their private car tariffs quite a bit. The future of these excursions (or at least their frequency) is uncertain at best.
Thank you for watching! I’m still planning out my filming for the year. So far I’ve got Colorado, Illinois, New York and Vermont on the list. Maybe I’ll board “Track 29” lol
I just watched a video on the California Zypher. And I enjoyed this video. How is this for a couple of trips? The Blue Train of South Africa. And the train from Perth to Sydney Australia. And Thailand express from Burma to Bangkok. Where the railway of death was made. Or the Bridge on the River Kwai
@@RailWeekly Well Thailand would be easy but hot. And if you go. I recommend wearing jungle boots. When you get to Hellfire pass. That's what my dad said.
Great video thank you for posting - never rode the Super Chief but did make it aboard El Capitan. Quick question just came to mind. Where do the passengers in private cars dine? Does Amtrak let them use the dining car?
Thank you! No, the private cars were completely separate from Amtrak. One member of our party was a professional chef and provided all of our meals for us. Our ticket price also included all of the provisions and drinks. Each private car trip is unique and has its own arrangements.
Yes that is correct! We were told on our trip that the interiors were not original N&W though. Instead, the car interior was completely remodeled for the music artist Prince to use on an upcoming tour. Apparently that tour never happened though. :-/
"You will only see this scenery in daylight if the train is on time" ... gives grumpy Germans who keep complaining about the delay of their trains a bit of a global perspective: At least there is more than one train on the line.
Haha oh yeah! If Amtrak is less than 3 hours late, I definitely consider that to be “on time.” Europeans have it so good compared to us in terms of on-time long distance trains.
I actually have the full story behind why amtrak had to change the name... It's a little bit more than "AT&SF's management was so concerned with protecting the legacy of their once proud flagship train, that they forced Amtrak to name the train on their old route" ... Maybe one day I can utilize this information.
The only way I'll ever get on a plane again is if I have a chance to go to Europe to ride trains over there. Flying is just too much hassle and too uncomfortable. If there's no train, I'll just drive my usual 250 miles a day, and I'll get there when I get there. My informal rule of thumb is that an overnight train trip (say, Washington-Chicago) translates to a two-day drive.
The words 'Amtrak' and luxury/luxurious DO NOT belong in the same sentence. In addition, it was wonderful to see all of the vistas and stops on the route - but, although you mentioned travelling in 3 private cars, we never got to see the interiors.
The rear three cars (including the red car) were placed on the back of the Amtrak train. But they were not booked through Amtrak. They were part of a private tour. There are lots of opportunities to try riding in a private car! The AAPRCO site is a good place to look! www.aaprco.com/
Gotta say that’s a jerk move by Santa Fe to not let Amtrak use the name. Railroads didn’t want the burden of passenger trains and infrastructure, everything should have been at Amtrak’s disposal.
Even if Amtrak was able to keep the "Super Chief" name, they would've had to give it up in recent years as did the Cleveland Indians and Washington Redskins abandon their Native American kitschy names
I agree. Indigenous peoples and their language should not be used as mascots and marketing gimmicks. I’m glad this is starting to change. Maybe Amtrak can go back to using “Southwest Limited” after all!
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I rode the super chief from Chicago to Los Angeles in 1948. I was eight years old at the time. It was lots of fun.
What an awesome experience that must have been!
Fortunately, I was blessed to ride "Amtrak's Super Chief" in October 1973. It was fabulous. Currently, Amtrak doesn't even come close to the service it provided on this train. Was up to 2am in the dining car talking trains with the Stewart (a man with 30+ years of experience with the Santa Fe), my Father and Brother! They still had the Champagne Dinner and wake-up coffee delivered to your room, among other delights. I Thank God for the wonderful blessing! Nathan in Chicago 🇺🇸
That is so cool! Were they still using all of Santa Fe’s Super Chief equipment when you rode? Or had pieces from their “rainbow era” started creeping in from elsewhere in the system?
@RailWeekly Well, my friend, the Menu, had a Santa Fe F-7 Warbonnet emblazoned (raised/pressed) on the cover, but NO Santa Fe script. The wake-up coffee (dining car waiters brought me and my brother 9 hot chocolates) request slips were still Santa Fe with Chico's image. Wish I could have saved one. I was only 13. The coke I had while train#4 was waiting in LAUPT to depart was Amtrak cardboard with a plastic lid, but you also got the whole can to pour over the ice. The knapkins in the pleasure dome lounge were printed Amtrak. Everything else was a blend, say 60% Amtrak 40% Santa Fe! The best thing, of course, was nightime in the pleasure dome watching the semaphores fall as we raced past. A true blessing. Equipment was all original Santa Fe, even the transcontinental sleeper, which was attached/detached in Kansas City, but by then was totally in the phase 1 scheme. Three of Amtrak's new FP-45's lead us both ways. If I can think of anything else, I'll let you know! Sincerely, Nathan in Chicago 🇺🇸
my late parents took my siblings and , I on vacation to Los Angeles , and we took the Super Chief of Santa Fae R R in early June of 1964, it was a great time .
Every other summer (and also winter) my mom would take my sister and I from lamy NM to LA on thr SWC, i have so many great memories on it.
That’s wonderful! I’m glad this brought back great memories! Thank you for watching.
I rode the Lake Shore Limited from Grand Central to Chicago, then Southwest Limited in 1980 round trip. Returned to NY Penn on the Broadway Limited. I will cherish that memory as an 11-yo forever.
What a great adventure! Too bad the Broadway Limited no longer exists. I only rode on the short-lived "Three Rivers". And I also rode the Capitol Limited back when they were still running a few through-cars on the Pennsylvanian. What was Amtrak's Broadway Limited like? Did they keep a high standard of service?
Got to ride the Super Chief in 1967 from Lamar CO to Chicago IL. I was a young boy and thought it was grand. Had a Pullman berth. Remember traveling though Kanas during most of the day and into Missouri. Remember waking up to next morning in Illinois, and rolling into the station at Chicago. Fun times with my parents.
That is wonderful! I have fond memories of riding overnight trains growing up as well. Unfortunately, not on the super chief though. Thank you for watching!
Everyone should experience this beautiful route!
Travelled aboard the "Super Chief" during a major airline strike [in the late 1960s]. The train was split into two sections, with mostly original single-level Budd and Pullman-Standard equipment assigned to the "Super Chief". Superb service in the diner, with traditional Fred Harvey cuisine. The train was "chockers" ["full" as we say in Australia].
Yes, the coach-only section, which used to be its own separate train, was called the El Capitan. Amtrak still used some of those original cars on the Coast Starlight until semi recently.
Worked on ATSF 17-18 that summer in the Kachina Room (El Capitan). Left Chicago with 11 Hi-Levels @ 72 coach and 1 transition with 68 passengers total 850 passengers biggest El-Cap ever.
I rode the Southern Crescent in 1972 from Charlottesville VA to NYC. What a great train! The dining car had white linen tablecloths, real china and silver plate flatware. Cooked to order breakfast while rolling through the Virginia Piedmont. Fast forward to 1990 and I took the Amtrak Crescent from Lynchburg VA to New Orleans. Not at all comparable. Inferior equipment and accommodations.
You are so correct! My father used to work for Southern Railway and has told me plenty of amazing stories about the Crescent. He said that one of the first things that the president of Southern expected on his desk first thing in the morning was a report of the on-time performance of the previous day’s Crescent. And if the train was late, he would want to know exactly who was responsible. Could you imagine that on Amtrak!? Haha
I remember riding it in the 60sand 70s between Barstow CA. And la junta Co. Alot of times I will always love and miss it
Glad it brought back some great memories!
Now this is travelling in style!
Had reservation for the PV trip. Was going to join them on the CZ at Fort Morgan to Emeryville. Then down the coast on the Starlight then the Chief back to Chicago. Finally grab Amtrak back to FMG. The fare for the trip was exceptionally reasonable for private car service. Regretfully physical health issues prevented me from going and I had to cancel. Would've been a trip of lifetime. Thanx for the great video.
I’m so sorry to hear that! I think they are trying to do it again next year. Hopefully you will be able to join for that one? Fingers crossed! Thank you for watching! :-)
@@RailWeekly Finger-crossed!
Great video. I wanted to know why Amtrak could not use the Superchief name. You did an excellent job at explaining this to me. Cheers
Glad you enjoyed it!
A really nice video, I loved the old semaphores.
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed!
Luv it - I can remember riding on the Santa Fe Super Chief before the birth of Amtrak. I have since riden on the Southwest Chief as well. A good experience, but I do really miss the old days. Thanks for your video production 👍
Papa Geoff - UP Spring Subdivision / Houston Texas - Here we go on a clear 🚦🚦
It would have been really great to experience that! Thank you for watching!!
Thanks for this perhaps obscure footnote about one of our favorite trains. Fun Fact: During the Santa Fe/Amtrak objection/discussion/etc. concerning the train's name, their was a brief mention of using "Golden State." Now, us Rock Island passengers/fans objected to that amongst ourselves and I don't know if there was ever a formal point raised to Amtrak management about it then, but train names did mean something to us then.
That’s fascinating! I wonder how many more conversations just like that went on in the months before Amtrak started.
It would be nice to see a Rock Island train revived by Amtrak, unfortunately most of those lines are either gone or need massive $$$ in upgrades!
The Southwest Chief is my number one favorite Western Long-Distance Amtrak Train.
5:53 Yeah, like we're able to do so back in 2022 when the Southwest Chief Westbound was 10 hours late.
Oh man. What a fun adventure! Thanks for taking the time to share your experience with us!
Thank you for watching, Nick!
Love seeing the chief going through Raton Pass when im driving to Colorado for camping trips, its a neat highlight/mile marker of sorts for the yearly pilgrimage to the Rockies....As a kid, it was my first time seeing a passenger train, or really any non BNSF/UP or non freight train. I actually didn't know passenger trains still ran outside of NYC/chicago until i saw the chief outside of Trinidad when I was 12 or so...
I love that! It’s hard to imagine a time when multiple passenger trains used this route every day.
Beautiful footage!
Thank you!
Well done, very professional
Thank you!
Looove your video, I'm a Model Railroader and I have a beautiful HO Scale Model of the head Locomotive, I love the Chief, keep making more Amtrak videos
Thank you so much! Yes, the chief is certainly one of my all time favorite classic passenger trains!
Rode the El Capitan from Chicago to Los Angeles and back in 1967 as a 12 year old. Dad took us on that trip as Mom had a fear of flying. It was the best trip of my life filled with wonderful memories (mainly the crew, passengers, train and scenery)!
How wonderful! That train had all the double-decker cars at that point, correct?
I believe so, but I had to look at photos to remember. Very strange thing….I remember many details of the westbound trip and can’t remember anything about the eastbound trip. Ditto for my sister.
I love ❤️ the Super Chief so much that I have both the 1955 and the combined 1960 versions from Walthers in HO.
I miss the Southern route through Illinois. It used to pass through Streator and that was our final stop where we'd get off when I was a kid back in the 80's. It would then continue on to Chicago from there. Now it passes through Galesburg.
I really wish that Amtrak would still use the original Santa Fe route out of Chicago as well. They apparently did this for a short period of time in the 70s. For a while, there were actually TWO Amtrak stations in Galesburg. Here's a cool Wikipedia page I found talking about it... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galesburg_station_(Atchison,_Topeka_and_Santa_Fe_Railway)
Living in the headquarters of the Frisco, Springfield, Missouri, we had the Frisco Meteor line that used to go from St. Louis to Oklahoma City via Tulsa. While not the Super Chief, it was a very fine train.
That’s not a train that I’m too familiar with. I will have to look into that. Thank you for sharing!
Fantastic!!!
Many thanks!
Very nicely done !! Thanks for the historical information behind it's name & all ! Awesome !! 👍👍😍💜🥁🐉🎤🎶🚉💕💞
Thank you so much!
What a wonderful production; very professionally done. It must have taken many hours to edit all of this. Great job, Mike, and a nice souvenir of our trip!
Thank you very much!
This is very nice.
“Elegance on wheels!”
Nice video, i work for BNSF in the Chicago division and i work both freight and passenger (bnsf metra). I see the Southwest Cheif and the California Zephyr every time i work. Whether it's leaving or coming in.
Thank you! Sounds like a dream job to me!
In the beginning AMTRAK was allowed to use the Super Chief named. Under one condition. They had to maintain the Super Chief standards. When the Santa Fe railroad found out that AMTRAK was cutting corners and allowing the standards of the Super Chief to slip Santa Fe took back the Super Chief name. That's when Amtrak was forced to change the name.
That is correct! That’s when they changed it to the Southwest Limited.
Took the Sunset Limited from LA to New Orleans as a kid: what a great trip in pullman
What an adventure! That’s a route I still haven’t been on. Glad you have a great memory of that!
It should be noted that the Southwest Chief is the only long distance train going west out of Chicago that can surpass the 79mph speed limit as the BNSF main is rigged for 90mph running.
i believe that is correct! It just FEELS like you're going faster on the Zephyr because the track is so rough in Nebraska!
I was fortunate enough to have ridden the Super Chief the summer of 72 to and from the Philmont Scout Ranch deboarding the train at Raton. I was lucky enough to sneak into the dome car for an hour of crossing the plains of Kansas . Amtrak has been convinced by many former scout congressmen and senators to keep the Raton station open to service the large number of scouts passing through every summer.
I have been aboard many times where large groups of scouts were headed to the ranch. It has been quite the tradition. This was threatened in the brief period when Amtrak considered re-routing the chief to the south via the BSNF transcon. It would have missed Raton, Albuquerque and a lot of the iconic Super Chief scenery!
Great video
Thank you!
I rode the Super Chief/El Capitan early in its operation by Amtrak. The equipment hadn’t been refurbished or painted in Amtrak livery yet. The front portion of the train-El Captain-was made up of Santa Fe’s hi-level equipment of 1956 that inspired Amtrak’s Superliners. All of Santa Fe’s Native American motifs were in place, including the Kachina Coffee Shop on the lower level of the Hi-Level lounge that had same windows rising into the roof that Amtrak’s Superliner lounges have. I took a walk the length of the train and regret that I didn’t record the name or number of every.car.number.or.name in the consist. In the rear section of the two-trains-in-one, the Super Chief (first class) section, there was a separate dining car and the Super Chief’s hallmark, the Pleasure Dome. I rode in the dome for a while, I spoke to a steward briefly, and as I recall, I noticed that the turquoise medallion was missing from the wall of the Turquoise Room. The diner and Pleasure Dome’s interiors did still feature the sand paintings that were a part of their original decor.
That a coach passenger (and a young one, at that) could wander through the first class section of the train may have been a small example of Amtrak’s failure to maintain Santa Fe’s standards.
What a cool experience! And that definitely comports with Santa Fe’s decision to stop allowing them to use the name.
Very nice!! I'm old enough to say that I have been on The Super Chief & El Capitan during the '60's & they lived up to all the hype. I've made reservations for the Westbound Southwest Chief for next month & was contacted last week by Amtrak & informed there would be no sleeper car accommodations on that run due to equipment issues. I have been rescheduled to take the Westbound TX Eagle instead at no extra cost. Was looking forward to ride the SWC, but can't endure sitting in coach for 48+ hours.
Oh man! Yes, Amtrak has certainly had its issues with sidelined equipment this summer! The Capitol Limited has only been running with a total of 3 cars!! Hope you enjoy your ride on the Eagle! I’ll be riding the Sunset Limited portion of that route for the first time ever this spring!
More Amtrak ineptitude. Equipment shortages? Get real.
One of the biggest blights on Amtrak's history is Anderson's decision to forbid private car passengers from using open air observation platforms when the train is moving. It's especially ridiculous when trains are climbing mountain passes at low speeds. Most passengers wouldn't choose to go outside when the train's hurtling along at 79 MPH anyway. :P
As a somewhat frequent SWC passenger, it was lovely reliving my own trips over Raton Pass, Cajon Pass, and texting friendly greetings to my ABQ relatives as the train lays over there. I'm surprised at the lack of Kansas City Union Station footage though. It's a spectacular station, though shooting it from inside an approaching train can be tricky.
I couldn’t agree more! I didn’t know about the back platform rule until after the trip was already booked. That was one of the things I was most excited about! And yes, KC Union is absolutely beautiful. You can’t see any of it from platform level. But I do have a broader video on Union Stations in the works for some point in the future!
why is the rear observation platform not accessible during the trip?
It is a relatively new Amtrak rule. I was quite disappointed to learn about it before this trip.
Just found you! I 'liked' and subscribed. Am a train nut! Have ridden, usually more than once, all long distance trains in US and four years ago---pre-COVID---rode the Canadian. Love the experience. Its a hotel on wheels. But Amtrak could do so many little things to improve service---why don't they!!?? And, its expensive if you travel first class! Thanks.
Thank you for the support!! And I’m jealous you got to ride the Canadian. That’s high on my list!
I rode the SW Chief between Albuquerque and Chicago a couple of times over 20 years ago, great memories! Check out the restored Castañeda Hotel in Las Vegas, NM, and La Posada in Winslow, AZ. Two Harvey House gems!
Harvey Houses are another piece of rail history I would love to dive into!
@@RailWeekly Go for it! Albuquerque's Alvarado Station (the Amtrak Station) takes its name and design from the demolished Alvarado Hotel, which was the largest of all the Harvey House Hotels. So few still survive, which makes the restored hotels all the more amazing.
That was epic, loved it.
What was sound track?.... Aligned to video very well.
I appreciate it. I use music from soundstripe.com
@@RailWeekly thanks 🙂
Dome car 505 is in use at the Niles canyon Railway
I’m not too familiar with that operation. It will have to check it out. Thank you!
I'm gonna be on the westbound Southwest Chief this March. I'm travelling in coach so with any luck, I should be able to get some nice shots of glorietta pass and (maybe) some semaphore signals if there's still any left
Awesome! I think the better view of Glorietta is on the right side going westbound. Definitely report back if there are still semaphores!
@@RailWeeklyI counted 11 semaphores on the Raton Sub between Raton and Las Vegas (Wagon Mound being the westernmost semaphores on Raton Sub) and 5 on the Glorietta Sub between Lamy and where the Rail Runner branches off toward Santa Fe. amazing trip and beautiful scenery all 3 days!
Great Video Mike. Years ago, the Salisbury Beach was part of the 5 car LA Rail car group, headquartered at LA Union Station. Previously owned by Tom Pearson, my wife and I were able to travel on her from Washington, DC thru thru New Orleans and onto LA behind the Sunset Limited, along with 2 other cars, Union Pacific Sleeper, Pacific Sands and Dome Silver Splendor. We also traveled in the Lamberts Point from Emeryville behind the Coast Starlight to Seattle then on to St. Paul, where the 5 private cars of the 261 group had to make the cut. That was also a great trip with Steve Sandburg and crew. I think that your video was just the right length and informative as well. It's too bad that when Richard Anderson was appointed President of Amtrak, he made it so miserable for private car owners, that many were sold, moved to tourist railroads, or found new homes where it was more cost effective to keep. Very sad.
I look forward to more videos, and let's hope Amtrak stays with us for the long term. We travel on train 49 and 48 to and from Central NY to Chicago a number of times per year. Thanks again. Great Job, well done!!
Thank you so much! And thank you for sharing your experiences. Yes, I remember when Anderson took over, there was a brief period where it looked like Amtrak wouldn’t be allowing private cars at all! Unfortunately, since this trip, Amtrak has increased their private car tariffs quite a bit. The future of these excursions (or at least their frequency) is uncertain at best.
Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz were the most important stars 🌟 🤩 ✨️ I know rode the Super Chief.
Sylvia Sidney loved the Super Chief!
This is the first video I’ve seen after running across your channel, excited to watch more! Ever gonna make your way into Chattanooga?
Thank you for watching! I’m still planning out my filming for the year. So far I’ve got Colorado, Illinois, New York and Vermont on the list. Maybe I’ll board “Track 29” lol
why the disclaimer about where the shots were made from the private car ?
I just watched a video on the California Zypher. And I enjoyed this video. How is this for a couple of trips? The Blue Train of South Africa. And the train from Perth to Sydney Australia. And Thailand express from Burma to Bangkok. Where the railway of death was made. Or the Bridge on the River Kwai
Wow! I’m so envious! Those are some of the world’s most spectacular train journeys. High luxury!
@@RailWeekly Well Thailand would be easy but hot. And if you go. I recommend wearing jungle boots. When you get to Hellfire pass. That's what my dad said.
I rode it from Albuquerque to la Union terminal
Great video thank you for posting - never rode the Super Chief but did make it aboard El Capitan.
Quick question just came to mind. Where do the passengers in private cars dine? Does Amtrak let them use the dining car?
Thank you! No, the private cars were completely separate from Amtrak. One member of our party was a professional chef and provided all of our meals for us. Our ticket price also included all of the provisions and drinks. Each private car trip is unique and has its own arrangements.
@@RailWeekly Thanks, sounds like a great way to travel
The observation car Lambert’s point I believe, was former Norfolk and Western car
Yes that is correct! We were told on our trip that the interiors were not original N&W though. Instead, the car interior was completely remodeled for the music artist Prince to use on an upcoming tour. Apparently that tour never happened though. :-/
One can see this train in Technicolor featured in the 20th Century Fox 1947 film: “Leave Her to Heaven.”
I will have to check that out! Thank you!
"You will only see this scenery in daylight if the train is on time"
... gives grumpy Germans who keep complaining about the delay of their trains a bit of a global perspective: At least there is more than one train on the line.
Haha oh yeah! If Amtrak is less than 3 hours late, I definitely consider that to be “on time.” Europeans have it so good compared to us in terms of on-time long distance trains.
I actually have the full story behind why amtrak had to change the name... It's a little bit more than "AT&SF's management was so concerned with protecting the legacy of their once proud flagship train, that they forced Amtrak to name the train on their old route" ... Maybe one day I can utilize this information.
That would be fascinating to know more!
@@RailWeekly Well, maybe I shall make a video then, heheh
Heh... if ya ever ride the Southwest Chief again one day.... think you can do it via Westbound? :3
I have ridden it Westbound many times! I just happened to get this cool photography opportunity on the Eastbound!
@@RailWeekly Alrighty, just making sure. ;)
simplicity
For me trains are the only way , to fly .
The only way I'll ever get on a plane again is if I have a chance to go to Europe to ride trains over there. Flying is just too much hassle and too uncomfortable.
If there's no train, I'll just drive my usual 250 miles a day, and I'll get there when I get there. My informal rule of thumb is that an overnight train trip (say, Washington-Chicago) translates to a two-day drive.
The words 'Amtrak' and luxury/luxurious DO NOT belong in the same sentence. In addition, it was wonderful to see all of the vistas and stops on the route - but, although you mentioned travelling in 3 private cars, we never got to see the interiors.
Correct! I made a whole separate video just for that. Check it out! ruclips.net/video/nwRzdPzoYcM/видео.htmlsi=48fRvGKumkB9Yyt7
Was this all on amtrak? The red car?
The rear three cars (including the red car) were placed on the back of the Amtrak train. But they were not booked through Amtrak. They were part of a private tour. There are lots of opportunities to try riding in a private car! The AAPRCO site is a good place to look! www.aaprco.com/
Gotta say that’s a jerk move by Santa Fe to not let Amtrak use the name. Railroads didn’t want the burden of passenger trains and infrastructure, everything should have been at Amtrak’s disposal.
Should do Amtraks Texas eagle
That is a route that I have ridden very little of. I would love to explore it more.
Who ran the private cars?
It was part of a group called Pride Ride. This was the first year of them organizing this trip.
0:19 Cumberland, Md
Good eye! Yep, that was the westbound Capitol Limited!
Anything, anything! You replace those blades with anything except those vader helmets 🤢
Videos are never "filmed".
Taken? Shot? Lol. Thank you for watching!
Even if Amtrak was able to keep the "Super Chief" name, they would've had to give it up in recent years as did the Cleveland Indians and Washington Redskins abandon their Native American kitschy names
I agree. Indigenous peoples and their language should not be used as mascots and marketing gimmicks. I’m glad this is starting to change. Maybe Amtrak can go back to using “Southwest Limited” after all!
🔇
I wouldn’t know anything about it. 🚂🚃🚃
Haha nice! A big Santa Fe fan?