Six of the railroad's older baggage-dormitory cars had a cosmetic fairing applied to the rear roofline to create the distinctive "transition" cars and maintain a streamlined appearance on El Capitan. Santa Fe purchased enough "Hi-Level" equipment for five nine-car consists. On July 15, 1956, the new, " Hi-Level" streamliner consist debuted. īetween 19 the El Capitan's consist included the " Big Dome"-Lounge that replaced the mid-train club-lounge car. The reduced seating in the coaches was given over to improved leg room for passengers. Most of the coaches were built by Pullman-Standard. The new El Capitan included a storage mail car, baggage-dormitory, eight 44-seat "leg-rest" coaches, two lunch counter-dining cars, a club-lounge, and a coach-observation car. īetween 19 the Santa Fe increased the length of the El Capitan and added new cars built during and after World War II. The Santa Fe also employed its experimental pendulum car. During periods of high demand additional cars were added from the Scout's pool. In the observation car the restrooms were located forward, followed by 50 coach seats. Both coaches seated 52 and featured men's and women's restrooms at opposite ends. The baggage-dormitory-coach had a small baggage area forward, followed by bunks for the train's crew and 32 coach seats. Each included a baggage-dormitory-coach, two coaches, a lunch counter-dining car, and coach- observation car. The El Capitan debuted in February 1938 with two all-lightweight consists manufactured by the Budd Company. Hi-Level Step Down Chair Car (68 seats).Many Amtrak trains used a combination of refurbished former Santa Fe Hi-Level cars with newer Superliner railcars until the early 2000s. Today the route of the El Capitan is served by Amtrak's Southwest Chief. On its formation Amtrak continued the combined Super Chief/ El Capitan designation until April 29, 1973, when it dropped the El Capitan portion. The combined train used the Super Chief's numbers, 17 and 18, but the Santa Fe continued to use both names. The Santa Fe combined the Super Chief and El Capitan on January 12, 1958. These experimental cars had a quieter ride, increased seating capacities, and better views. These were soon given to the Chief (another AT&SF Chicago-to-Los Angeles special), and replaced by new double-decker " Hi-Level" chair cars (coaches) developed by Budd and the railroad in 1954–1956. Įl Capitan was one of the first Santa Fe trains to use the Budd-built " Big Dome"- Lounge cars. The extra-fare charges were dropped from both El Capitan and the Chief on December 14, 1953. In 1948 the Santa Fe received additional equipment which permitted the Super Chief and El Capitan to start operating daily the new schedules went into effect on February 29. On January 25, 1948, one of the locomotives assigned to the El Capitan crashed through a steel bumper post and concrete wall at Los Angeles' Union Passenger Terminal, ending with the locomotive dangling about 20 feet above Aliso Street. Together with the Super Chief on even-numbered days, the two trains formed what the Santa Fe billed as "the first and only daily 39 + 3 / 4 hour service between Chicago and California". On September 29, 1946, the El Capitan began running every other day, departing Los Angeles and Chicago on odd-numbered days (except the 31st). Heavy traffic during World War II forced the Santa Fe to lengthen the train's schedule by two hours in July 1942 it restored the old schedule on June 2, 1946. Reservations had to be made weeks in advance. In its first year and a half the El Capitan ran at 80% capacity, superior to similar services. Santa Fe EMD F3A #19, assigned to that day's El Capitan, smashed through a concrete barrier at Los Angeles Union Station in January 1948 In regular operation passengers bound for the Grand Canyon would connect at Williams. On its inaugural run the El Capitan left the main line at Williams and traveled up the Grand Canyon Railway to Grand Canyon Depot. Unique in charging an extra fare despite being a coach train, it pioneered such features as "RideMaster" seats optimized for sleeping. Originally conceived as the Economy Chief, the name 'El Capitan' was chosen to commemorate the Spanish conquistadors it competed for passenger traffic with Union Pacific's Challenger. The fare from Chicago to Los Angeles was $5.00 above the $39.50 regular coach fare in 1938. Like the Pennsylvania Railroad's Trail Blazer, it offered "low-cost passage with high-speed convenience". The El Capitan debuted on February 22, 1938, on a twice-weekly schedule, using two five-car sets of streamlined equipment built by the Budd Company. The combined Super Chief / El Capitan, led by EMD F7s in Santa Fe's Warbonnet paint scheme, pulls into Track 10 at Los Angeles' Union Passenger Terminal ( LAUPT) on September 24, 1966.
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