Super Chief

The Super Chief was one of the named passenger trains of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway (AT&SF). The railroad's flagship line (owing to the high level of service and popularity), it was often referred to as "The Train of the Stars" in acknowledgement of the many celebrities who traveled on the streamliner between Chicago, Illinois and Los Angeles, California. The Super Chief (assigned train Nos. 17 & 18) was the first diesel-powered, all-Pullman sleeping car train in America, and it eclipsed the Chief as Santa Fe's standard bearer. The extra-fare Super Chief-1 commenced its maiden run from Chicago's Dearborn Station on May 12, 1936. Just over a year later, on May 18, 1937 the much-improved Super Chief-2 traversed the 2,227.3 miles (3,584.5 kilometers) from Los Angeles over recently upgraded tracks in just 39 hours and 49 minutes (averaging 60.8 miles-per-hour (98.0 km/h), often exceeding 100 miles-per-hour in the process). From that day forward the Super Chief set a new standard for luxury rail travel in America. With just the one set of equipment, the train initially operated only once a week from both Chicago and Los Angeles. However, at the height of its popularity, and with added equipment, the trains of the Super Chief made daily departures from both ends of the line. Adding to the train's mystique were its gourmet meals and Hollywood clientèle.

Direct competitors to the Super Chief during its lifetime included the City of Los Angeles, a streamlined passenger train jointly operated by the Chicago and North Western Railway and the Union Pacific Railroad, and (to a lesser extent) the Golden State, a streamlined passenger train jointly operated by the Rock Island and Southern Pacific railroads. Making its way through mostly sparsely populated areas (which enhanced the train's already distinctive aura), Santa Fe's route from Chicago to Los Angeles was the lengthiest of the high-speed, long distance trains of the day. The Santa Fe Super Chief was the last passenger train in the United States to carry an all-Pullman consist. The train maintained its legendary high level of service until the end of Santa Fe passenger operations on April 30, 1971. When Amtrak assumed operation of the nation's passenger service on May 1, 1971 it ended the 35-year run of the Super Chief on the Santa Fe, though the name would continue in use along the same route until 1974 when the Santa Fe forced Amtrak to drop the train's name due to a perceived decline in service. Amtrak subsequently operated the Southwest Limited over the same trackage. Following the delivery of new Superliner equipment, the Santa Fe compromised with Amtrak and the train became known as the Southwest Chief in 1984.