Railroaders' Nostalgia > Santa Fe pleasure domes

Date: 07/03/17 09:11
Ex-Santa Fe Pleasure Dome at Eugene,Or -- Dec 80
Author: gcm

Amtrak 9354 was one of the six Pleasure Dome cars built by PS in 1950 for the Santa Fe and Super Chief.
The famous private dining area (Turquoise Room) below the dome was one thing I wish I could have experienced.
The car is on the northbound Coast Starlight at Eugene,Or.

Gary



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Date: 07/03/17 12:55
Re: Ex-Santa Fe Pleasure Dome at Eugene,Or -- Dec 80
Author: aronco

Yes, it is a good memory to see pictures of the Santa Fe pleasure domes.

In 1971, John Reed, President of Santa Fe, agonized with the Board of Directors as to whether they should join Amtrak. The out of pocket losses on passenger trains were huge, and if they were to stay in the business, Santa Fe would have to spend a great deal of money rebuilding or buying new passenger cars. On the other hand, they had a proud history and great reputation to protect. Late in April, 1971, the decision was made to join Amtrak, which required giving most of Santa Fe's passenger car fleet to Amtrak and making a sizable cash payment in addition.

To be certain that Santa Fe's good reputation would not be smeared in the transition, Reed decided that a operations supervisor would ride every Amtrak passenger train operating on Santa Fe for 30 days after the changeover. I was the junior supervisor in the operating department at Winslow, Arizona, so of course, I feel heir to the task of riding train 18, the Eastbound El Capitan/Super Chief, about 500am, from Seligman to Albuquerque and the Westbound train 17 from Albuquerque to Seligman every day, leaving AQ about 500pm.
You cannot imagine what a difficult assignment this was. Usually, I would meet the train conductor at Seligman about sunrise, introduce myself, and tell him to let me know of any issues that might occur aboard the train. I would then walk thru the coaches and into the 1st class Super Chief section, and select a swivel chair in the pleasure dome for the ride across the 44-mile "new line to Williams Junction. After the stop at Williams Junction and Flagstaff, I would enjoy breakfast in the Super Chief diner. Sometimes I ordered the kippered herring and scrambled eggs, but more often the Santa Fe french toast were enjoyed during the hour long ride from Flagstaff to Winslow. Check in with the new conductor at Winslow, it was usually back to the dome car for the ride to Albuquerque. Frequently, I was alone or with just a few passengers in the dome. Since I was wearing a suit and tie, as recommended for supervisors, it was tricky to avoid disclosing that I worked for the railroad.

Arriving in Albuquerque about noon gave me about 5 hours free time before boarding the Westbound train. I always skipped lunch in ABQ in anticipation of dinner in the diner. Oh, the decisions I had to make - - the french boned lamb chops, the sirloin steak, or the baked chicken, of course, complete with soup, salad, beverage, demitasse coffee, and desert. After dinner, beck to the dome after a tour of the train, to enjoy the late evening long days of May as we approached Winslow. Every other day, my wife would meet me at the station at Winslow with a clean shirt.

After 15 days, there had not been any incidents to blemish Santa Fe's reputation, so the train riding gig was called off. I did get rather attached to the pleasure dome cars during my 15 day trip to nowhere!

Norm

Norman Orfall
Helendale, CA
TIOGA PASS, a private railcar

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Norman Orfall
Helendale, CA
TIOGA PASS, a private railcar

Norm,
Great story as usual. Thanks,


Nudge

Sounds agonizing Norm. I don't know how you survived that assignment. Oh the things we do for our company!

Norm's a tuff guy, he can handle it!

It doesn't sound to me like he got a lot of sleep.

Find out where Wayne Y. Is going next, and book a seat on the Plaza Santa Fe.

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I may have beaten you to the point. I rode Plaza Santa Fe on the 4449 excursion on June 23 and 24, which of course provoked some memories. Incidentally, Plaza Santa Fe had the best functioning air conditioning of all the cars on the train. Wayne and his staff know how to keep the A/C working well.


Norm

Norman Orfall
Helendale, CA
TIOGA PASS, a private railcar

aronco Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I may have beaten you to the point. I rode Plaza
> Santa Fe on the 4449 excursion on June 23 and 24,
> which of course provoked some memories.
> Incidentally, Plaza Santa Fe had the best
> functioning air conditioning of all the cars on
> the train. Wayne and his staff know how to keep
> the A/C working well.
>
>
> Norm

It's a tough life.....765 last week out of Chicago, and now the 4449 trip.....too bad your car didn't come with you......she would have looked nice in that consist. Any compare and contrast comments on the two trips?
AA

Stanford White
Carmel Valley, CA

Kippered herrings? YUM! But it is an acquired taste!

Off subject but an agent somewhere in eastern AZ or western NM gave me a whole box of Amtrak TT #2...the #3's must have just come out...1972?- I was on vacation with Dad. Threw the box in the trunk and off to South Dakota...SHM

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