El Capitan (passenger train)

"El Capitan" was one of the named passenger trains of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. It was the only coach, or chair car (non-Pullman sleeper) train to operate the Santa Fe main line from Chicago, Illinois to Los Angeles, California on the same fast schedule as the road's premier Pullman Super Chief.

This all-coach, streamlined train (assigned Nos. 21 & 22) began operations in February 1938. Not unlike the Pennsylvania Railroad's "Trail Blazer", it offered "low-cost passage with high-speed convenience." Originally conceived as the "Economy Chief", the name "El Capitan" was ultimately chosen to honor the Spanish conquistadors and their influence on Southwestern culture, though it didn't hurt that the name seemed to outrank the Union Pacific's "Challenger" all-chair train, with which it was designed to compete. Unique in charging an extra-fare despite being a coach train, it pioneered such features as "RideMaster" seating optimized for sleeping. The original consists were two new Budd Company-built trains of five cars each made of lightweight stainless steel. Each of the two luxury trains were capable of accommodating 188 passengers for a mere $5.00 upcharge over the price of a ticket on the road's all-chair "Scout".

"El Capitan" was the first of Santa Fe's trains to utilize the "Big Dome"-Lounge cars, though these were soon given to the "Chief" in favor of new double-decker "Hi-Level" coaches developed by Budd and the railroad in 1955. These experimental units featured a quieter ride, increased seating capacities, and boasted better views of the Southwestern terrain "El Cap" passed through and made this train unique and revolutionary. Amtrak's Superliner equipment, which was placed in service along many of Amtrak's long distance routes, were based on the Santa Fe Hi-Level design. The Superliners were designed to be operated along with older Hi-Level cars.

Eventually the train was combined with the Super Chief and operated under train numbers 17 and 18 through the end of Santa Fe passenger operations. Today the route formerly covered by "El Capitan" is served by Amtrak's "Southwest Chief". Many of Amtrak's trains (especially those in California) consist of a combination of refurbished former Santa Fe Hi-Level cars along with newer "Superliner" railcar designs. In recent years, four "mothballed" "El Capitan" lounge cars were removed from storage, refurbished, and placed into service on Amtrak's "Coast Starlight" as "Pacific Parlour" first-class lounge cars. These refurbished cars feature a service bar, booths, and chairs on the upper level, and a theater on the lower level.

History

Timeline

* 1937: "El Capitan" is conceived to compete with the Pennsylvania Railroad's low-cost, high-speed train the "Trail Blazer".
* February 20, 1938: Operations commence with weekly excursions based on the same "over-the-road" time as the "Super Chief."
* 1942: Consist size expands to 12 cars, and each logs 636 daily miles.
* October 12, 1947: "El Capitan" trains begin operating on an every-other-day basis.
* February 29, 1948: "El Capitan" begins its daily schedule between Chicago and Los Angeles.
* 1949: The Union Pacific Railroad reintroduces its popular all-coach "Challenger" train, set to run on a 39-and-a-half hour schedule in order to compete directly with "El Capitan". The UP also announces that there will be no added fare for this train.
* October 30, 1949: Train No. 22 travels over a broken section of rail in Kincaid, California. Locomotives #19L/A/B/C derail and burst into flames, causing seven cars (including #2865 and #2878) to leave the tracks.
* July 6, 1950: Train No. 22 derails while traveling at 90 miles-per-hour through Monica, Illinois, and is subsequently struck by train No. 10 (the "Kansas City Chief"), traveling at 55 miles-per-hour. A general derailment ensues.
* 1952: The Budd Company unveils concepts for a double-decked coach based on similar commuter cars manufactured for the Chicago and North Western Railway and Burlington railroads. The Santa Fe plans to upgrade the cars on the "Chief" with the new design.
* December 14, 1953: The extra-fare charges are dropped from both "El Capitan" and the "Chief".
* March 1954: Six full-length dome-lounge cars (called "Big Domes" by Santa Fe's employees) are delivered for use on "El Capitan" by the Budd Company.
* July 1954: Two experimental "Hi-Level" intercity coaches arrive and are placed directly on "El Capitan" instead of the "Chief". The railroad trial tests the units for over a year.
* March 25, 1955: The Santa Fe orders 47 Hi-Level cars (35 chair cars, 6 diners, and 6 lounge cars) from Budd, enough rolling stock to equip "El Capitan" on a daily basis with a few cars as spares, making it the first widespread use of such cars to over-the-road streamliners.
* Summer 1956: "El Capitan" makes three demonstration runs to San Diego, California along the "Surf Line Route" to promote its new "Hi-Level" cars.
* July 8, 1956: Hi-Level trains commence running, simultaneously, from both ends of the line. Ticket stubs bear the verbiage "I traveled the HI-LEVEL Santa Fe way" and "Every seat is on the scenic HI-LEVEL."
* 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.
* June 18, 1957: Train No. 21 crosses over a loose tie plate while traveling at 79 miles-per-hour, causing the 8th and 9th cars to decouple; the rear section of the train then collides with the front section.
* February 1963: Santa Fe orders an additional 24 Hi-Level chair cars, bringing the total inventory to 71 units (enough for a 12-unit consist per train).
* May 1 1971: Amtrak is formed and takes over operation of the nation's passenger service, thus ending the reign of "El Capitan". Amtrak retains the use of the "Super Chief" / "El Cap" names, with the Santa Fe's concurrence. Amtrak subsequently acquires a number of Santa Fe passenger cars, including the Hi-Level coaches; the revolutionary cars serve as the inspiration for Amtrak's "Superliner" fleet of coaches, sleepers, diners, and lounge cars in the late 1970s.
* 1973: Amtrak drops the "El Capitan" designation.

Equipment used

The initial equipment roster (two separate "pocket streamliner" consists) was as follows:

* EMD E1A Locomotives #5 – #6
* Baggage-Dormitory-"Chair" car / Coach (32 seats) #3480 – #3481
* "Chair" car / Coach (52 seats) #3103 – #3104
* Lunch Counter-Diner #3105 – #3106
* "Chair" car / Coach (52 seats for women and children) #3105 – #3106
* Round-end "Chair" car / Observation (50 seats) #3198 – #3199

A typical "El Capitan" consist in the late 1940s:

* EMD F3A Locomotive #23L
* EMD F3B Locomotive #23A
* EMD F3B Locomotive #23B
* EMD F3A Locomotive #23C
* Baggage-Mail #3405
* "Chair" car / Coach (44 seats) #2891
* "Chair" car / Coach (44 seats) #2864
* Lunch Counter-Diner #1599
* "Chair" car / Coach (44 seats) #2911
* "Chair" car / Coach (44 seats) #2888
* Club-Lounge #1347
* "Chair" car / Coach (44 seats) #2865
* "Chair" car / Coach (44 seats) #2905
* Lunch Counter-Diner #1553
* "Chair" car / Coach (44 seats) #2876
* Round-end "Chair" car / Observation (38 seats) #3197

Between 1954 and 1956, "El Cap" ran with virtually the same consist as is shown immediately above, save for the "Big Dome"-Lounge that replaced the mid-train club-lounge car.

On July 15, 1956 a new, "Hi-Level" streamliner consist debuted:

* EMD F7A Locomotive #327L
* EMD F7B Locomotive #327A
* EMD F7B Locomotive #327B
* EMD F7B Locomotive #44A
* EMD F7A Locomotive #44L
* Baggage #3521
* Baggage-Dormitory "Transition Car" 3480
* Hi-Level "Chair" car (68 Seats) #536
* Hi-Level "Chair" car (72 Seats) #714
* Hi-Level "Chair" car (72 Seats) #722
* Hi-Level Diner (80 seats) #653
* Hi-Level "Top Of The Cap" Lounge (88 seats) #577
* Hi-Level "Chair" car (72 Seats) #700
* Hi-Level "Chair" car (72 Seats) #709
* Hi-Level "Chair" car (72 Seats) #717
* Hi-Level "Chair" car (68 Seats) #529

Santa Fe purchased enough "Hi-Level" equipment to create six complete, nine-car consists. Additionally, six of the railroad's older baggage-dormitory cars had a largely-cosmetic fairing applied to the rear roofline in order to create the distinctive "transition" cars and maintain a streamlined appearance on "El Capitan". The dining cars rode on special six-wheel trucks due to their massive weight (all other cars rode on conventional four-wheel trucks). The "Big Domes" were transferred to the "Chief" pool.

A typical "El Capitan" consist from the late 1960s (combined with the "Super Chief"):

* EMD FP45 Locomotive #104
* EMD FP45 Locomotive #101
* 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 #600 (48 seats)
* Sleeper "Indian Flute" (11 double bedrooms)
* Sleeper "Palm Leaf" (10 roomettes, 6 double bedrooms)

References

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ee also

* Amtrak "Southwest Chief"
* Passenger train service on the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway

External links

* [http://www.csrmf.org/ California State Railway Museum] official website
* [http://www.atsfrr.com/ Santa Fe Railway Historical & Modeling Society] official website
* [http://photos.nerail.org/showpic/?2003040812554823535.jpg"Amtrak Coaches head North": NERAIL New England photo Archive] — two former Santa Fe "Hi-Level" transition coaches in Amtrak livery, photographed traveling north through Bedford, New Hampshire in April, 2003.
* [http://www.dallasrailwaymuseum.com/image/atsf_107_ElCapitan.jpgATSF #107 (an EMD FP-45) with "El Capitan" at Albuquerque, New Mexico in August, 1969] photograph at the [http://www.dallasrailwaymuseum.com/ Dallas Railway Museum] official website.
* [http://www.atsfrr.com/resources/Haben/Life/8-21-39.htm "Day Coach Limited: New transcontinental trains are cheap, fast, and luxurious"] article from the August 21, 1939 issue of "Life Magazine" featuring "El Capitan" and other contemporary cross-country trains.
* [http://www.trains.com/Content/Dynamic/Articles/000/000/001/138fddcg.asp Passenger trains operating on the eve of Amtrak]
* [http://www.banksofthesusquehanna.com/MM56ElCap.html The 1956 "El Capitan" "Hi-Level" cars] at [http://www.banksofthesusquehanna.com/ Banks of the Susquehanna.com]
* [http://www.azrail.org/1999/who-killed-the-super-chief/ "Who Killed the "Super Chief"?"] article at the [http://www.azrail.org/ Arizona Rail Passenger Association] official website.