![]() Most if not all coach seating was in the upper level, with restrooms and baggage on the lower level along with air-conditioning and related equipment in compartments rather than hung under the car, exposed to weather conditions - a long-going problem with traditional single-level cars. Nonetheless, Santa Fe declared that the Hi-Level concept was a winner, and in 1956, El Cap became a true, double-deck train, though with emphasis on the upper level, hence Santa Fe’s “Hi Level” marketing strategy for the new train. True, but those were “gallery”-type bilevel trains. Burlington Route and Chicago & North Western were already operating bilevel commuter trains in Chicago early in the 1950s. Their production was the answer to the question of whether a long-distance chair car could be built that would combine the capacity and economy of a double deck commuter coach with the luxury and public appeal of a dome car. Flick, the two prototype cars were initially ordered by Santa Fe in 1952. showed up on the El Cap, both with a “step down” section at one end, enabling them to be mixed with conventional rolling stock.Īccording to Santa Fe historian and author Michael W. In 1954, attention turned to El Capitan when two new experimental, “Hi-Level” coaches built by the Budd Co. Here, a Hi-Level is mated with a sleeping car when the all-Pullman Super Chief and all-coach El Capitan were running as a combined train. Internal stairways on some of the Sant Fe’s Hi-Level cars enable them to operate with single-level equipment. By the end of 1951, both trains had received still more new equipment, including the Super Chief’s new Pleasure Dome lounge cars, complete with a private dining room, no less - but that’s another story. ![]() ![]() In 1947, both the Super Chief and El Capitan were re-equipped, and both put in daily service. railroads, Santa Fe got caught in the post-World War II euphoria that prompted new, streamlined trains or the re-equipping of earlier trains with modern, lightweight equipment. As with the Super Chief, the El Cap operated on a 39¾ -hour schedule between Chicago and L.A., though initially it was just twice weekly. Even in the 1930s Santa Fe felt there was a market for a fast, deluxe, all-coach train with high-end appointments (e.g., lounge-observation cars and full-service diners) whose schedule mirrored that of the Super Chief. Ridership on Santa Fe trains remained super strong into the early 1950s, and by this time, the railroad had learned not to ignore the coach-travel market. Think City of Los Angeles, California Zephyr, Golden State, and of course the Super Chief. ![]() Ultimately, afternoon or early evening departure times from the end-point cities - Chicago, Los Angles, San Francisco - became the quite popular and therefore those trains got the best equipment. Just say “Santa Fe” to anyone in the realm of railroading and they’ll likely think “ Super Chief”! Truly, that Chicago-Los Angeles first-class-only streamliner was about as top notch as they got here in North America - but here I’m focusing on the Super’s companion train, the all-coach El Capitan - specifically the 1956 version.įirst, a bit of history, zeroing in on top-of-line Chicago-California passenger trains. The 1956 Santa Fe El Capitan was a special train that deserves attention of its own merit.Įastbound Santa Fe El Capitan stops at Galesburg, Ill., behind A-B-B-B-A Fs on Nov. ![]()
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