Watch clips of the Santa Fe’s legendary Chicago–Los Angeles streamliner from Sunday River Productions’ program The Super Chief — The Whole Story.
Santa Fe’s Super Chief
By Angela Cotey | May 10, 2016
| Last updated on September 20, 2022
I enjoyed the article brought back some good memories as I have ridden the Golden State limited from Muscatine, Iowa to California and back twice and once to Pheonix, Az.
Passenger trains are great as long as we keep the murdering muslims off them.
Your videos are great but the narration is a dull and the rambling monotone with a moderator who expresses “little zip or color” and is dreadfully “BOREING !!!!! I have heard this fellow on many VHS tapes of the 80’s & 90’s and he must be about 90 years old by now. I always felt he was a poor selection back when he was 75 in (1985) for narration considering his (OCD) clipped staccato verbal recitation of precise facts, figures, and statistics and yet his occasional mispronunciation of many different railroad town names, locations, and equipment nomenclature. That is inexcusable and shows carelessness and lack quality control, and poor preview habits and “rush viewing” by the contractor who commissioned the finish product.
I can recall several glaring “faux pas” on the South Shore Line video “vis a vi” “Hedgewick” etc. and Chebanzie on the I.C.R.R. !
I am a retired locomotive engineer with 42 years service on the I.C.R.R. & Amtrak and I appreciate quality narration and narrative which has been researched, pronunciation of key names, terms, and locations carefully fact checked, and attention to name nuances and diction peculiarities noted. That is minimal preparation for someone hired to do a voice over on any type of tape, cd, or audio/video medium. This guy is “sloppy, bad, and amateurish” !
Fix it up before he poisons the air any longer with his rambling, mumbling, crummy patter !!!!!
fell asleep on the second day . we missed our stop and spent the day in Barstow Calf. It was cold in the station so I went out to watch on SW switcher idling in front of the station That’s when I knew what I wanted to be.. A Engineer…1980 I was promoted Engineer on the DT&I railroad … That trip changed my life…
In 1967, my Dad, and I rode the San Francisco Chief from Chicago to Williams Jct. Arizona. I can remember the car number 301.
I’ve enjoyed the service and trip on Amtrak’s Southwest Chief–the successor to the Super Chief—between Chicago and Flagstaff on several occasions. I much prefer the train to driving or putting up with the TSA and the ridiculous regulations. Get up, walk around when YOU want, meet people, relax, read, or whatever. I highly suggest forgetting any thoughts of work, and leaving the electronic devices alone. Look out those nice big windows and see what this great country looks like.
The poor narration is why I don’t invest in railroad video! Use pretty girls with beautiful suprano voices and I’ll be a repeat customer! High speed rail is not the answer in the 21st Century for transcontinetal travel across America. Visit http://www.monorail.org for the ultiment solution. Imigine a Chicago-Los Angeles “Santa Fe Trail” monorail corporation operating Disney World style coaches and Warbonnet painted control cars!
That sure looks like fun. I have not taken a long trip on the train for a long time. I can dream though.
My wife and I have ridden several AMTRAK trains by choice and been very happy with the experience. We have been Seattle to Sacramento: SFO to Chicago: Chicago to Denver: Washington DC to New York: New York to Boston: Boston to Toledo and San Antonio to Tucson. A couple of Canadian specials in the Skeena (now only a number) from Prince Rupert to Jasper and the Rocky Mountaineer from Banff to Vancouver.Still a few to enjoy when we have a chance. .
And if you want an experience that’s even more like the Super Chief — without the smoking — go to Canada and take Via Rail’s Canadian: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okNR7e28OCo
allan weiner wrote about train travel==if only we could==well you can,,, read and understand Amtrak, then take the train, enjoy it.
You make excellent videos except for the narration. The person you use is bland and the most boring in all of the video production companies.
Excellent video. Is the complete video (Program) avalible for purchase? If so, do you have the details to do so.
If we built 200 mph speed trains as in Japan & Europe one could do New York to Chicago in less than 4 hrs & Chicago to LA in less than 9.
Very nice video. Keep up the good work. Thanks.
i’m eastern seaboard {erie-dlw{ bjut i still love those sante fe colors
Man what a way to travel. Even the roomette as small as it was, was bigger than airline’s 1st class. Food was better (made fresh daily, not frozen or microwave ) you could get up and REALLY walk around. Staff was always friendly and attentive. It literally was “a cruise ” on the ground. It’s drawback (39hrs) in today’s world, was it’s real demise, more than cars. I never would look at it this way, to me the time on the train was part of the vaction!!!!
I am ready to take a trip today, if only we could!
Excellent video’s. Thank You.