ATSF Private Car "Chico" Back On The High Iron

Wow, good looking Observation Car, “Chico” and also glad your feeling great again, at least I hope you are.  Is the car named Chico, after a city in California? Thanks for posting the nice pictures. Happy Railroading 

leapinlarry posted:

Wow, good looking Observation Car, “Chico” and also glad your feeling great again, at least I hope you are.  

Better than I was in early March, anyhow!  I am back in action volunteering at the A&M's Museum.  

Is the car named Chico, after a city in California? Thanks for posting the nice pictures. Happy Railroading 

I believe so, yes.  And my pleasure!  

Mitch 

I hope Tiffany from Chico California reads your post, she and her husband are super nice folks and this would be of interest to them. I am glad your better as the Flu or whatever the bug was, made many of us on the forum very sick. The forum is a great place to share thoughts and ideas.  

fantistic

Looks like a sweet car, Mitch. Any chance you can “scrounge” some pics of the interior???

And I second Leapinlarry’s wishes... glad to see you are doing better.

If 37 is the same number it carried on Santa Fe, then it was assigned to a Grand Division, for use by the General Manager.  It does not look like the 38 and 39, which were modernized with sealed windows.

Chico was the advertising mascot of the Passenger Traffic Department -- the little Navajo kid who drew "Santa Fe All the Way" in the sand with a stick.  Chico, California, is offline, on the Western Pacific.

Apples55 posted:

Looks like a sweet car, Mitch. Any chance you can “scrounge” some pics of the interior???

I'll see what I can do.   

And I second Leapinlarry’s wishes... glad to see you are doing better.

Aw shucks... 

Mitch 

Mitch happy to hear you're feeling better.  Nice pics.  Is Chico wearing MOW silver or is the color an attempt at matching streamlined aluminum or ss car bodies?

Good to see you back in action Mitch.

How's Fortescue doing?

Bob

leapinlarry posted:

Is the car named Chico, after a city in California?

As Tom noted, Chico was the Santa Fe's mascot. BTW, Chico in California, is hardly a "city."

--Steve, Chico State, '89.

coach joe posted:

Mitch happy to hear you're feeling better.  Nice pics.  Is Chico wearing MOW silver or is the color an attempt at matching streamlined aluminum or ss car bodies?

At a guess,  MOW silver.  A lot of executive varnish wound up in MOW service later in their careers.  

RSJB18 posted:

Good to see you back in action Mitch.

How's Fortescue doing?

Having a wonderful time!  

Here's a few happy snaps of Chico's owners getting ready to take off for today's excursion...

Brenda Rouse,  the A&M's passenger service chief.  

I'm told the interior is "very original."  Still working on getting interior pics...

Mitch 

Number 90 posted:

If 37 is the same number it carried on Santa Fe, then it was assigned to a Grand Division, for use by the General Manager.  It does not look like the 38 and 39, which were modernized with sealed windows.

Chico was the advertising mascot of the Passenger Traffic Department -- the little Navajo kid who drew "Santa Fe All the Way" in the sand with a stick.  Chico, California, is offline, on the Western Pacific.

I have this old magazine page in my train room, a copy of the well-known Santa Fe ad. A very knowledgeable rail buff and former rail employee I knew told me one time that "chico" was not actually the name of the Navaho boy. It was not a proper name, but more of a descriptive term, like "little one" or something of that nature. Note that the word "chico" is not capitalized in the text, as it would be if it were a person's name. Kind of interesting.

Mitch, Fortescue is having such a wonderful time it appears he had to clone himself to get to all the fun he wanted to have.

I believe chico is simply a Spanish word for "boy".  Anyhow, it's good to see any passenger equipment back in service...thanks for letting us know.  If you get those interior shots be sure to share them.  Be nice to see them, too.

                                                                                                                                               Logan

coach joe posted:

Mitch, Fortescue is having such a wonderful time it appears he had to clone himself to get to all the fun he wanted to have.

Why...yes.  Yes, he did. 

More Chico: 

Mitch 

This has turned into a great thread, a learning experience for me, so much for Chico California ???....Wow, Very interesting car, beautiful pictures, hopefully one day a visit to see this car, and Museums showing Railroad History, out west in the states of Arizona, Colorado, Wyoming, Nevada, California, Oregon, Washington State, would be a must see. Now that I am retired, waiting a year or so for the wife to retire, traveling is on our minds....Thanks Mitch....Happy Railroading