The Super Chief El Capitan Transition

For many years, the Super Chief and El Capitan were two of the finest passenger trains operated by the Santa Fe. The Super Chief was America’s first-ever diesel powered all-Pullman sleeping car train whisking passengers between Los Angeles and Chicago in under 48 hours, while the El Capitan was the only all-coach train to operate between the two cities using the same fast schedule as the Super Chief. Except for the busy summer months, Santa Fe combined the two trains together in their last 12 years of operation under Santa Fe’s control. In 1971, Amtrak took over and tried their best to continue running the Super Chief/El Capitan utilizing Santa Fe’s high standards.

Pentrex has assembled a collection of Super 8 films, complete with their own original sound, primarily in Amtrak’s early years showing the combined Super Chief/El Capitan in Southern California. You’ll watch in awe as we see it traversing Cajon Pass, including the original Summit. We will also visit a number of locations along the Second District between San Bernardino and Los Angeles. We even visit the 8th Street coach yard. To add a great finishing touch, we hop aboard the Super Chief/El Capitan fora 1972 ride from Los Angeles to Chicago’s Dearborn Station.

Enjoy all the sights in Super Chief El Capitan Transition!