541 miles into its 2222 mile journey from Los Angeles CA to Chicago IL, three Santa Fe engines (two F45s – ATSF 5933 and another – and an F7B – plus a steam generator car) lead Amtrak 4, the eastbound Super Chief/El Capitan, as it pauses at the Flagstaff, Arizona, station at 7:35 am on a chilly March 6, 1973, morning. The second order of ATSF F45s, 1920-1939 (later 5920-5939) were built with steam lines, but no steam generators, to allow them to be used on passenger trains. Spring has, obviously, not yet arrived in northern Arizona. Amtrak was not quite two years old on this date, and not only did this train still look pretty much as it was pre-Amtrak, when it was still operated by the Santa Fe, but Santa Fe had not yet requested that Amtrak cease using the name Chief for this train (this train became the Southwest Limited on May 19, 1974, after the Santa Fe revoked the use of the name Chief due to lowered standards).
Huge Album that Includes over 2,600+ photos of classic passenger trains across USA & Canada before and during the time of Amtrak & VIA Rail. More Images will be Added.
