Who Killed the Super Chief? April 13th, 1999
by Garl Latham
If I may, please allow me to delve into this subject of ‘trains and names.’
This may not be taken by all as the definitive word on the issue, but it’s coming from someone who: 1) rode the “Super” before and after Amtrak’s birth; 2) has traveled on its lineal descendants; 3) makes a concerted effort to study in detail ALL available subject matter relating to that train and its operations; 4) describes the journey with his Father on # 17 as the “ultimate train trip,” against which all others are compared (and who still commemorates that event’s anniversary every year); and, 5) has spoken personally to many a Santa Fe alum over the years, including Mr. John Reed (on more than one occasion) about the service – covering (among other things) this very topic.Before you might ask: yes, I have considered writing a book! It is a daunting task, but I’ve done a great deal of work toward that goal. It is just SUCH a personal thing to me! This might sound a bit “weird” (although I’m sure many of you can understand), but its emotionally draining to call these things to mind! What I HAVE been able to do over the years is to provide others with historical information necessary to complete projects related to the “Super“. One of the nicest was the BRIO Wooden Railway System “Santa Fe Train” (catalogue number 33423) which was officially introduced throughout the U.S. market in 1994. It was the first North American prototype that the Swedish company had ever attempted. I wrote an informational insert that was included in every package sold for the first couple of years. Read the rest of this entry »
