Passenger Trains > Routes of SW Chief and Desert Wind

How simualer is the route of the SW Chief with that of the Desert Wind?
Also does the SW Chief follow a simualer route as the Super Chief?

Thanks

Hal

Your question seems vague to me.  I assume you talking about the topography of each?

alaska Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> How simualer is the route of the SW Chief with
> that of the Desert Wind?
> Also does the SW Chief follow a simualer route as
> the Super Chief?
>
> Thanks
>
> Hal

The Desert Wind ran Los Angeles to Barstow (Daggett) over the same route as the ATSF Super Chief and the Southwest Chief until around 1997 when the Desert Wind was discontinued and the SW Chief was rerouted via Fullerton. East of Barstow (Daggett) I believe the Super Chief and SW Chief follow the same route with the exception of Chicago to Galesburg, which the train now operates over the former CB&Q route.

I'm no expert on things ATSF, but I worked both trains in the mid 80's (LSA).
If I remember it right, the SWC went LAX to San Berdo via Pasadena, and the DW via Fullerton- the two only overlapped from San Berdo to Barstow (station stop wise).
As to the SWC vs the SC, I think the Super was via Amarillo, and the SWC's route is more that of the Grand Canyon, SFC east of Barstow.
But....
I am SERIOUSLY in over my head on this- so best wait for someone to confer or correct me on this info before you write it down in ink!
SR

The current SWC route differs from the historic Super Chief route on its ends - San Bernarndino to LA via Fullerton instead of Pasadena, Galesburg to Union Station via Aurora vs. Dearborn Station via Joliet, and in the middle where it diverts from the main line to serve Lawrence and Topeka in Kansas.

When introduced in 1979, the Desert Wind ran on the Santa Fe to Barstow by way of Pasadena, then over the UP to Ogden.  It was the first Amtrak train to move to the Fullerton routing, and was also cut back to Salt Lake City when the Zephyr began serving the Utah capital.

Dave

Hmmmm... So I guess I had that reversed- it was the San Francisco Chief that went via Amarillo?
SR

BoilingMan Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Hmmmm... So I guess I had that reversed- it was
> the San Francisco Chief that went via Amarillo?
> SR

Yep.

    Yes, The Super Cheif only went through Amarillo IF it detoured.
 

Ah!
(See, this is why God gave us #2 pencils!)

(With erasers)
SR

DavidP has it pretty well explained up above.  To be more specific about the "middle" part, at Emporia, KS today's SWC turns north, going through Topeka and Lawrence before rejoining the mainline at Holliday, just southwest of the Kansas City area. The Super Chief ran between Emporia and Holliday via the mainline, known as the Ottawa cutoff, via Ottawa and Olathe, KS.

ATSF3751 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> alaska Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > How simualer is the route of the SW Chief with
> > that of the Desert Wind?
> > Also does the SW Chief follow a simualer route
> as
> > the Super Chief?
> >
> > Thanks
> >
> > Hal
>
> The Desert Wind ran Los Angeles to Barstow
> (Daggett) over the same route as the ATSF Super
> Chief and the Southwest Chief until around 1997
> when the Desert Wind was discontinued and the SW
> Chief was rerouted via Fullerton. East of Barstow
> (Daggett) I believe the Super Chief and SW Chief
> follow the same route with the exception of
> Chicago to Galesburg, which the train now operates
> over the former CB&Q route.

3 and 4 went through Fullerton after Santa Fe sold the Pasadena Sub to MTA and Metrolink back in 93 or 94!

During the last few years of Santa Fe operation, the SF Chief would have a sleeper that would come off at Barstow and be added to the "23 Train", the remnant of the Grand Canyon, for passengers coming from stations along the Amarillo route heading for Los Angeles.  One of these LA Sleepers was "Blue Gem", which I remember from the 1951 trip with my mother, grandmother and brother.  We took the Grand Canyon "southern section" to Chicago, because Grandma's doctor advised against going over Raton Pass.  We rode in the streamlned sleeper, while the next car in the consist was an old heavyweight--going through that car was like a time warp.