THOMASTON, Conn. — Three former Santa Fe Hi-Level cars are in the consist of the Railroad Museum of New England’s Naugatuck Railroad’s Santa Express train. Built by Budd for Santa Fe’s Chicago-Los Angeles El Capitan in the 1950s, the three later were acquired by Amtrak. Naugatuck’s two parlors served as “Pacific Parlour” cars on Amtrak’s Coast Starlight until they were retired in 2018. Naugatuck purchased all three cars from the Steam Railroading Institute earlier this year, and added them to its trains to offer premium service to passengers, joining 1920s former Canadian National equipment on the railroad’s 19-mile route between Waterbury and Torrington, Conn. Today (Dec. 23) is the final day of operation for the Santa Express.
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