A Quarter Century of Santa Fe Consists (CD-Rom).

From 1974, this long out-of-print and widely sought book has been digitized into Adobe PDF form, with bookmarking, into CD form. Those not having Adobe Acrobat Reader may download it at no charge from www.adobe.com.

The book is based on 19 passenger train consist books issued between 1946 and 1971 by the Santa Fe for the use of its officials. It tells what cars would have made up the standard company passenger trains at any given point and date on the railroad. It shows where cars would have been dropped and where picked up along their journey.

When the book was originally published, some of the floor plans did not reproduce well. In digitizing this book an attempt has been made to make the diagrams more clear. An index of photographs and drawings has been added to this publication.

SFRH&MS (originally RPC Publications), CD-Rom. SFRH111
Price: 10.95 USD

Santa Fe Railway Passenger Car Reference Series -- vol. 2. This is the work of esteemed Santa Fe historian John McCall, who has an extensive history of Santa Fe titles to his credit. With 284 pp., 28 of which are full color, and comprehensive appendices, this book is a must-have.

Chapters include 19th Century wood cars that survived through 1902, first-generation wood 20th century wood cars, steel under-frame/wood body cars, all steel cars, lightweight cars, cars converted to chair car, and Hi-Level cars. There are two color sections, one with photographs of the heavyweight cars, one with the streamlined cars.

Contents:
Ch. 1: The Context, pp. 9-22;
Ch. 2: 19th Century Wood Coaches and Chair Cars, pp. 23-56;
Ch. 3: 1901-1907 first-generation 20th Century Cars Wood Construction, pp. 57-74;
Ch. 4: 1909-1912 Steel Under frame/Wood Body 70 ft. Coaches, Smokers and Chair Cars, pp. 75-98;
Ch. 5: 1913-1917 All Steel first-generation 70 ft. Coaches, Smokers and Chair Cars, pp. 99-118;
Ch. 6: 1924-1930 All Steel 70 ft. Cars: The Later Heavyweight Cars, pp. 119-154;
Ch. 7: Later Conversion to Chair Car from Other Car Types, pp. 155-164;
Ch. 8: Heavyweight Chair Car Color Gallery, pp. 165-180;
Ch. 9: Pre-war Lightweight Chair Cars, pp. 181-226;
Ch. 10: Post-war Lightweight Chair Cars, pp. 227-268;
Ch. 11: Hi-Level Chair Cars, pp. 269-278;
Appendices, pp. 279-284.

Santa Fe Railway Historical & Modeling Society, spiral bound, heavy plastic cover, 284 pages, 12 x 8.5 x 2 in. SFRH065
Price: 48.95 USD

From the 1940s Thru Amtrak and More.

This book is a summary of the various Santa Fe passenger trains operated from the beginning of the streamline era with a look at the succeeding Amtrak and Metrolink services. Includes train consists over the years. The equipment section includes heavyweight and streamline cars. The color section includes many war-bonnet Fs and reproductions of Santa Fe advertising and postcards.

Contents:
Ch. 1, The Valley and Los Angeles Divisions - The Coast Lines, pg. 1-16;
Ch. 2, The San Diegans, pg. 17-36;
Ch. 3, The Golden Gates, pg. 37-46;
Ch. 4. California Service Passenger Equipment, pg. 47-62;
Ch. 5, The Bright Star on the Horizon for North America;
Ch. 6, Color Section, pg. 75-90.

TLC Publishing, hard cover, 90 pages, 8.5 x 11 in., b&w and color photographs. TLC174
Price: 25.95 USD

Santa Fe Through Passenger Service In Color Volume 1

A train by train look at the Santa Fe's premier passenger services. From the SUPER CHIEF and El CAPITAN to the SAN DIEGAN.

There are some great photographs in this book including war bonnet FTs and other F-units, ALCo PAs and DL109s, Dearborn Station and it's switchers plus northern New Mexico and Raton Pass. Overall, a very good selection of photographs.

Contents:
The SUPER CHIEF and EL CAPITAN, pp. 4-47;
The Amtrak SUPER CHIEF, pp. 48-63;
A Night on the SUPER CHIEF, pp. 64-67;
Dearborn Station, pp. 68-75;
The SAN DIEGANs, pp. 76-93;
Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal, pp. 94-97;
THE GOLDEN GATE, PP. 98-99;
The KANSAS CITYAN-CHICAGOAN, pp. 100-105;
Fred Harvey and his Harvey Girls, pg. 106;
The CHIEF, pp. 107-123;
The Amtrak CHIEF, pp. 124-128.

Morning Sun Books, hard cover with jacket, 128 pages, 8.5 x 11 x .5 in., all color photographs with captions. MSB1356
Price: 46.95 USD

Santa Fe's Colorado Division Speedway: A History of the Legendary Mainline Between Dodge City, Kansas and La Junta, Colorado.

On May 17, 1937, the Santa Fe Railway inaugurated a new high-speed diesel-powered luxury train —The Super Chief. It was scheduled to cover the 202 miles between Dodge City, Kansas, and La Junta, Colorado, at an average speed of 87.2 miles per hour. On February 20, 1938, the schedules of virtually all of the passenger trains were speeded up on this stretch of track on the northern passenger mainline, which quickly became known as the “Speedway. ”

The Speedway was at various times a major part of a division and at times a division in itself. Author Walz explores the history of how the Santa Fe built through this country, of how it served the towns and industries along its lines and how it operated the railroad from the 1870s through 1996. It includes a town-by-own discription of the line with detailed information on terminals like La Junta and Dodge City. But first and foremost, this is a study of the passenger trains —especially in the period from 1938 through 1971 —when Santa Fe routinely operated them over the Speedway at some of the highest sustained speeds on the system.

Twenty-five years in the making, the book is richly illustrated with period views, including the work of pioneer action photographer Otto Perry. This, then, is not only a study of the Santa Fe Railway in the high plains of western Kansas and eastern Colorado, but an economic and cultural history of the region as well.

Contents:
The Formative Years: 1872 to 1907, pp. 5-8;
Arkansas River Division First and Second Districts: 1907-1931, pp. 9-28;
Colorado Division First District: 1931-1938, pp. 29-64;
The Speedway Comes of Age: 1938-1971, pp. 65-94;
The Final Santa Fe Years: 1971-1996, pp. 143-157;
Bibliography, pp. 158-160

Santa Fe Railway H&MS, soft cover, 160 pages, 11 x 8.5 x .5 in., 150 photos, 18 in color, maps, timetable reproductions and bibliography. SFRH240
Price: 31.95 USD

Santa Fe Super Chief and El Capitan 1936-1971

Except for The Chief, the two most famous Santa Fe passenger trains in the last decades of passenger service were the Super Chief and the El Capitan. Both were introduced with great fanfare and operated with aplomb and panache by the Santa Fe's operating and passenger department personnel. Ultimately they were combined into one train, though both names were retained. When Amtrak arrived it retained the Super Chief name for a while before the train was renamed the Southwest Chief.

Known as the train of the stars because of the movie stars who often took this premier accommodation out of Los Angeles, the Super Chief name is still redolent with fame. The history of these two great trains is chronicled in word and picture in the 100 pages of this book by noted railroad author Patrick C. Dorin.

Contents:
Ch. 1: The All-Pullman Super Chief, pp. 1-16;
Ch. 2: Super Chief Equipment, pp. 17-36;
Ch. 3: The All-Chair Car El Capitan, pp. 37-44;
Ch. 4: The Hi-level El Capitan, pp. 45-50;
Ch. 5: El Capitan Equipment, pp. 51-62;
Ch. 6: The Combined Super Chief-El Capitan, pp. 63-66;
Ch. 7: Summer and Holiday Season Two Section Operations, pp. 67-72;
Ch. 8: The Super Chief-El Capitan route in the Amtrak System, pp. 73-76;
Color Portfolio, pp. 77-92.

TLC Publishing, laminated hard cover, 92 pages, 8.5 x 11 x .5 in., b&w photographs, timetable examples, some equipment floor plans, ephemera, 16 page color section. TLC198
Price: 23.95 USD