Santa Fe El Capitan of 1956
The 1956 Santa Fe El Capitan was a special train that deserves attention of its own merit.
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.
First, a bit of history, zeroing in on top-of-line Chicago-California passenger trains. 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. Think City of Los Angeles, California Zephyr, Golden State, and of course 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. 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. Thus was born, in 1938, El Capitan. 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. El Capitan was an immediate hit.
Like so many U.S. 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. In 1947, both the Super Chief and El Capitan were re-equipped, and both put in daily service. 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 1954, attention turned to El Capitan when two new experimental, “Hi-Level” coaches built by the Budd Co. showed up on the El Cap, both with a “step down” section at one end, enabling them to be mixed with conventional rolling stock.
According to Santa Fe historian and author Michael W. Flick, the two prototype cars were initially ordered by Santa Fe in 1952. 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.
Whoa! some of you might say. Burlington Route and Chicago & North Western were already operating bilevel commuter trains in Chicago early in the 1950s. True, but those were “gallery”-type bilevel trains. 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. 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. In the Hi-Level diner, seating was upstairs and the kitchen downstairs. El Cap’s Hi-Level lounge included a compact magazine stand while downstairs seating catered to snacks and other refreshments.
Does this all sound somewhat familiar? Yup, I’ve just described the future format of most Amtrak long-distance trains — and thus the importance of the 1956 edition of the Santa Fe El Capitan.
The Hi-Level El Cap was a stunning success for Santa Fe, prompting the carrier to explore bilevel sleepers for re-equipping the Super Chief. Years ago, a friend who worked for Santa Fe showed me the railroad’s car plans for bilevel sleepers. That was as far as Santa Fe got — plans only. No doubt that even the Santa Fe knew that intercity passenger trains were facing a bleak future, what with the coming of the jet airliner and interstate highway system.
In 1958, El Capitan and the Super Chief were combined except during the summer or other heavy travel seasons — a sign of things to come, and an arrangement that lasted into the Amtrak era. From the get-go Amtrak, knew that it had to address the fact that a wholesale re-equipping of its entire fleet was imperative. The young carrier recognized the huge cost and operational advantages of Hi-Level design where there were no serious height restrictions.
Further, the bilevel El Cap equipment would serve as inspiration for the next generation of long-distance bilevel rolling stock — the Pullman-Standard-built Amtrak Superliners of the late 1970s.
