Proper Arrangement of the 12-Car El Capitan

SantaFeJimOGR Forum Member

If you are one of the lucky ones that have the full 12-car El Capitan set this may be of interest. The Santa Fe Railway had a very specific order for the 12-cars. This was policy strictly enforced.

For Santa Fe El Capitan circa 1956 was always run in a very specific order. That being:

Baggage (storage mail)
Baggage
Baggage-Dormitory (transition car)
Hi-Level 68-Seat Step Down Chair Car (ran backwards)
Hi-Level 72-Seat Chair Car
Hi-Level 72-Seat Chair Car
Hi-Level Diner
Hi-Level Lounge
Hi-Level 72-Seat Chair Car
Hi-Level 72-Seat Chair Car
Hi-Level 72-Seat Chair Car
Hi-Level 68-Seat Step Down Chair Car

I have been told, on VERY GOOD authority, that the storage mail car was run directly behind the power and in front of the baggage car for additional security.

The RPO's and Baggage Cars listed here were a pool shared by all ATSF passenger trains.

Budd 63' Railway Post Office #89-98

Budd 73' Baggage Car #3500-3554

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Here are the number ranges for the entire El Capitan fleet.

P-S 85' Baggage-Dormitory Transition Car #3477-3482

Budd 85' Hi-Level 68-Seat Step Down Coach #528-537

Budd 85' Hi-Level 72-Seat Coach #700-724

Budd 85' Hi-Level "Sky Lounge" #575-580

Budd 85' Hi-Level Diner #650-655

The Santa Fe made no distinction between the Step-Down Coaches used at the front of rear of the train. The tail sign and red light were not fixed items and so they could be used on any of the 10 Step-Downs.

As you can see there are enough cars for 5 complete 12-car El Cap trains. That is because at any given time there were 2 westbound from Chicago to L.A. and 2 eastbound L.A. to Chicago. The fifth set was being serviced in one or the other terminus locations.

FYI - the entire El Capitan was WYE'd at both Chicago and LA to assure that the order of the "El Cap" cars remained constant.

The Santa Fe took great pride in their Super Chief and El Capitan trains. Therefore, by insisting that the cars always be assembled in the same order was just another detail to maintain consistancy.

I can't speak for other railroads, so you guys can insert your RPO's where ever you choose, I'm just telling you how the Santa Fe did theirs.

6/30/153:51 PM

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ChugmanOGR Forum Member DIGITAL SUBSCRIBER

Great information, Jim.

Art

6/30/153:57 PM

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jvega2OGR Forum Member

Found this on Santa Fe.gmbus.com

Note:

All Chair Cars shall be turned as to the instructions from the Passenger Department.

Hi Level Chairs are to arranged whereas the number 1 seat is toward the front of the train, except the first Step down Chair Car in this train shall run backwards, seat 68 to the front. To identify these cars, the first car running backward will have the 5 lower level windows to the right side or engineers side. The remainder cars shall have the 2 lower windows to the right side or engineers side.

Hi Level Diner shall be run with the three separate upper windows to the front right side or engineers side.

Hi Level Lounge shall be run with the three lower level lounge area on the right side or engineers side.

6-1-57 Train 21

#	Type	Number first call	Between	Notes
	Storage Mail	Any LW Baggage	Chicago-Los Angeles
	Baggage	Any LW Baggage	Chicago-Los Angeles
	Bag-Dorm	3477-3482	Chicago-Los Angeles
216	Hi Level Chair 68 seat Step Down	528-537	Chicago-Los Angeles	Car runs backward
215	Hi Level Chair 72 seat	700-724	Chicago-Los Angeles
214	Hi Level Chair 72 seat	700-724	Chicago-Los Angeles
	Hi Level Diner 80 seat	650-655	Chicago-Los Angeles
	Hi Level Lounge 86 seat	575-580	Chicago-Los Angeles
213	Hi Level Chair 72 seat	700-724	Chicago-Los Angeles
212	Hi Level Chair 72 seat	700-724	Chicago-Los Angeles
211	Hi Level Chair 72 seat	700-724	Chicago-Los Angeles
210	Hi Level Chair 68 seat Step Down	528-537	Chicago-Los Angeles

6-1-57 Train 22

#	Type	Number first call	Between	Notes
	60’ RPO	80-98	Kansas City to Chicago
	60’ RPO	80-98	La Junta to Kansas City
	Baggage	Any LW Baggage	Los Angeles to Chicago
	Bag-Dorm	3477-3482	Los Angeles to Chicago
216	Hi Level Chair 68 seat Step Down	528-537	Los Angeles to Chicago	Car runs backward
215	Hi Level Chair 72 seat	700-724	Los Angeles to Chicago
214	Hi Level Chair 72 seat	700-724	Los Angeles to Chicago
	Hi Level Diner 80 seat	650-655	Los Angeles to Chicago
	Hi Level Lounge 86 seat	575-580	Los Angeles to Chicago
213	Hi Level Chair 72 seat	700-724	Los Angeles to Chicago
212	Hi Level Chair 72 seat	700-724	Los Angeles to Chicago
211	Hi Level Chair 72 seat	700-724	Los Angeles to Chicago
210	Hi Level Chair 68 seat Step Down	528-537	Los Angeles to Chicago

Trains 21-22 discontinued Jan 3, 1958. Train runs as 17-18 combined thereafter.

Rev 9/12

Joe

6/30/1511:30 PM

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Number 90OGR Forum Member SUPPORTING MEMBERDIGITAL SUBSCRIBER

Originally Posted by SantaFeJim:

FYI - the entire El Capitan was WYE'd at both Chicago and LA to assure that the order of the "El Cap" cars remained constant.

And -- as another benefit -- to equalize wheel wear by reversing the direction (true front to true rear) the cars traveled on the many curves of the 2,200-plus miles of the route. This was also done to the 4-unit F3 and F7 consists until around 1960 when they were broken up from their numerically matched consists. Our Roundhouse Foreman at San Bernardino was formerly the guy in the Diesel Shop at Barstow who kept the daily record of this. It's impossible to imagine a company paying that kind of attention to such details today.

7/1/158:48 AM

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Former Member

Thanks Jim for the information. Certainly a landmark train for many reasons.

Enjoy your new set!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

7/1/159:21 AM

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Former Member

Well Tom, they sure do keep track of A LOT of stupid stuff these days, but not the details like that.

7/1/1511:41 AM

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Erik C LindgrenOGR Forum Member

The High Level El Cap ran in different lengths depending on demand. Granted like the Califorina Zephyr with its consist designed for 11 cars Santa Fe after 1956 ran the High Level version of the El Cap in many different lengths depending on seasonal demand.

I have many photos exhibiting this for evidence. A 10 car El Cap was typical most of the year. Summer season consists could easily exceed 12 cars. I have a photo of the El Cap with 18 cars and 5 passenger F's in 1959 and several 1956-1960 with a consist of 9 cars and a business car with the markers.

I am a consist modeler and recreate many of these trains in several scales. My HO OMI brass El Cap is 14 cars with extra head end making it a Summer consist. My GGD set I will plan to run between 9 and 13 cars

10 car consist 1956 Santa Fe Photo courtesy: (c) Santa Fe Railway Historical & Modeling Society

The publicity run! Photo courtesy: Santa Fe Railroad (c) Santa Fe Railway Historical and Modeling Society

11 cars photo courtesy: (c) Dick Townley, Morning Sun Books used for reference only

10 cars photo courtesy: (c) Al Holtz used for reference only

Check out that pre-War Budd bringing up the markers and the drumhead! Photo courtesy: (c) Al Holtz used for reference only.

Typical 10 car consist seen in the first years off season demand.

Golden gate depot's own ad sports the most famous of photos of the El Cap.

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7/1/1512:44 PM

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Former Member

I have many books on the Santa Fe with many variations of the train. I mostly bought my set to run as a combine SC/EC, which also has several variations of cars and power. With both of my sets and power options... sky is the limit. If I only had a "Big Dome", I could build a Chief, Grand Canyon, SF, SDiegan etc etc. My SC/EC will be 18 -21 cars.

7/1/151:02 PM

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Erik C LindgrenOGR Forum Member

Just for my friend Laid off!