Nostalgia & History > WAG Wednesday: Amtrak Super Chief at Topeka!

During the Christmas season of 1972 Bill Gibson had a unique opportunity the catch an Amtrak train rolling through Topeka, Kansas in perfect daylight. And to make the shot even more special, the train was detouring off its normal route over the Ottawa Cutoff. It took a nasty freight derailment down in Melvern, KS to divert Amtrak train #3, the “Super Chief” through Topeka, and in blazing sunshine no less! But enjoy this shot of the Super while you can. The train is soon-to-be-renamed: In just over a year John S. Reed’s Santa Fe will withdraw permission to use the Super Chief name, and it will become the Southwest Limited.

1. AMTK/AT&SF 311 L leads NRPC’s version of the Super Chief, train #3 detouring through Topeka, KS. This shot was taken south of 10th St. In the consist are: F-7 A-units 311 L & 304 L + another unknown A & 4 unknown B units for a total of 7 units. According to Bill’s slide notes the 311 L became CF-7 #2494 on 11-6-74, and the 304 L became CF-7 # 2512 on 7-17-74 both at Cleburne, TX.
Photo by William A. Gibson (WAG) Sr on December 28, 1972.

Thanks for looking back!
Lance Garrels (santafe199)
Art Gibson (wag216)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/30/22 04:35 by santafe199.

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Couldn't remember the date, but I remember the derailment at Melvern. Several LP gas cars detonated, killing a woman who lived near the tracks. Freight trains detoured via Topeka for several days. I think the last all Alco RSD-15 consist I remember seeing was part of that parade, going through the 10 mph curve at Topeka eastbound.  The fire burned quite a while, and the Forbes AFB fire departemnt even sent several trucks down there to help out.

Well, if that ain't a three legger...

DAF

That is a beautiful train in this shot--worthy of the Super Chief name.
Brian Stevens

Nice shot! Old Santa Fe Railway operating crews on the Amtrak Super Chief at the time that above shot was taken in 1972, were based out of Emporia, KS and Kansas City and worked between Newton, KS and KC. When I was on Amtrak train 4, the SW Limited, on my home from Southern California, that train was rerouted via the Ottawa Cut Off due to a freight train derailment on the Topeka Sub back on June 29, 1980.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/27/16 11:10 by RodneyZona.

RodneyZona Wrote: > ... I was on Amtrak train 4 ... rerouted via the Ottawa Cut Off [due] to a
> freight train derailment on the Topeka Sub back on June 29, 1980.

Hi Rodney! I was gonna toss a play jab at you for being a bit late with the usual info. But your tale about running the Ottawa Cut-off was pretty interesting. I vaguely remember that derailment up on the Eastern Division 1st District (as it was called back then). But I never got the opportunity to shoot any daylight (late-running) SW Ltd on the Cut-off after the train was moved over to the Lawrence ~ Topeka main. Too busy working, I guess...

Lance/199

!st National Bank and the old Holiday Inn in the background.
It almost looks like he is near the I-70 overpass.  Very neat!

That Holiday Inn has all of the earmarks of the one we stayed in while taking promotion class at the Topeka depot.

Don't think I ever saw 7 F units on a passenger train before.

Seven F-units may not have been common in Kansas, but on #18 going out of Los Angeles, 7 was a normal consist.  I was told that three would come off at Barstow, and 2 or 3 more would be added at Albuquerque and taken off at La Junta.