Santa Fe de Luxe
The Santa Fe de Luxe was the first extra-fare named passenger train on the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway.
The de Luxe (meaning something luxurious, or elegant) was inaugurated on December 12, 1911 with a weekly schedule between Chicago, Illinois, and Los Angeles, California. It was the first of Santa Fe's passenger trains to carry the slogan "Extra Fast-Extra Fine-Extra Fare" and was conceived by company president Edward Payson Ripley as the Santa Fe equivalent to the 20th Century Limited and Broadway Limited.
The complete trip between the two terminals took only 63 hours, and its 60 passengers paid a surcharge of $25 for each direction that they travelled. Passengers were required to board only at the terminal points, in Kansas City, or at the Williams, Arizona station (where those heading to the Grand Canyon disembarked and boarded a train of the Grand Canyon Railway in order to reach their destination).
Upon arriving at Summit Station at the crest of the Cajon Pass, eastbound passengers were presented with orchid corsages (for the ladies) and engraved pigskin wallets (for the men). On the westbound run, ladies received a bouquet of flowers and a basket of California oranges, while the men received the customary wallet.
With the outbreak of World War I, the Santa Fe sought to eliminate its redundant lines. As the de Luxe was not considered essential to the war effort, it was withdrawn from service on May 1, 1917.
Equipment used
It took the Pullman Company almost a year to design and build the 12 heavyweight all-steel underframe cars that comprised the two identical consists of the de Luxe, on of these being:
- 4-6-2 "Pacific"-type Steam Locomotive
- Baggage-Club-Lounge (also included a barber shop and library) #1328 San Gabriel
- Fred Harvey Company Diner #1434
- Sleeper (7 drawing rooms) Walpi
- Sleeper (7 drawing rooms) Pima
- Sleeper (7 compartments, 2 drawing rooms) Piute
- Sleeper (7 compartments, 2 drawing rooms) Vaca
- Observation-Parlor El Quivira
The cars were lavishly furnished, and were outfitted with "ice-activated" air conditioning (the first passenger train in the United States to be so equipped) and electric lighting. Drawing room passengers slept in brass beds, as opposed to the usual berths.
References
- Duke, Donald (1997). Santa Fe: The Railroad Gateway to the American West. San Marino, California: Golden West Books. ISBN 0-87095-110-6.
- Repp, Stan (1980). The Super Chief: Train of the Stars. San Marino, California: Golden West Books, 13, 219. ISBN 0-87095-081-9.
- Waters, Lawrence Leslie (1950). Steel Trails to Santa Fe. Lawrence, Kansas: University of Kansas Press, 388. ASIN B0007DU3WK.
See also
- Passenger train service on the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway
