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I have put together a set of photos that I have taken from the Southwest Chief over the period from 1986 to 2013. Almost all were snapped from the train, and they are arranged in order from Chicago to Los Angeles. If any of you are interested in viewing them, you should be able to access them using the link below. There are 91 photos, so you may wish to do it in stages.
For those not familiar with the Flickr site, when you click on each photo to enlarge it, you will see a description underneath.
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Fabulous photographs...thanks for sharing them with us.
-------------------- David Pressley
Advocating for passenger trains since 1973!
Climbing toward 5,000 posts like the Southwest Chief ascending Raton Pass. Cautiously, not nearly as fast as in the old days, and hoping to avoid premature reroutes. Posts: 4203 | From: Western North Carolina | Registered: Feb 2004
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Incredible set of photos. Thanks for sharing.
Brought back a lot of memories for me...especially the window washer.
I liked that machine so much, although I guess any young kid would like something like that. But I liked it so much I made one for my HO scale layout. Made it for the Santa Fe era:
-------------------- Matt Visit gallery for photos of our train layouts Posts: 579 | From: San Bernardino Subdivison | Registered: Dec 2001
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Bob, thanks for the visual memories. I worked for the Santa Fe Railway 35 years and have been over the SWC route many time, sometimes at these locations on foot. While viewing the Chicago to LA sequencing of your fine photos I noticed some of the photos were taken from a westbound train and some from an eastbound one. An example is the depot at Glorieta, NM which was taken from an eastward train. Certainly this does not detract from the presentation and only someone who has been "on the ground" may notice. Thanks once more!!!
Posts: 467 | From: Prescott, AZ USA | Registered: Mar 2002
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Terrific tour, thanks. I have only traveled east on the Chief and will do so again this fall. Your pictures gave me some views that are only nighttime experiences from my travels.
-------------------- Vicki in usually sunny Southern California Posts: 951 | From: Redondo Beach, CA | Registered: Aug 2006
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RRCHINA -- how can you tell if a photo was taken from the eastbound or westbund SWC? Both routes are the same, and Bob could just have easily taken the photo of Glorieta looking out the window toward the rear of the train as out the window looking toward the front. Now, if he had video, that would be a different story and you WOULD be able to tell which direction the train was traveling.
On that route, I don't believe there is a standard "eastbound main" or "westbound main" -- doesn't the train take whatever route the dispatcher has set the switches for?
Posts: 2428 | From: Grayling, MI | Registered: Mar 2002
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RRRICH,-- I looked again and believe I am correct. The SWC is on the ONLY main track at Glorieta, the other track, to the right, is a passing track. At Glorieta the depot is on the south side of the main track, or on the right side of the SWC in this photo which must have been taken from the rear as there is no other part of the train shown in the photo.
Posts: 467 | From: Prescott, AZ USA | Registered: Mar 2002
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Bob and RR -- OK, I looked at the pic again, and agree with Chris that it was taken from the E-bound SWC. It was obviously taken from the rear of the train, and regardless of whether the other track is a passing track or a main line track, I also know that the station is on the S side of the RR. So forgive me for the original question!
Posts: 2428 | From: Grayling, MI | Registered: Mar 2002
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Thanks for all the nice comments. Yes, some views were from eastbound and others from westbound trains. I did go and take some from the rear window. On Amtrak superliners it is impossible to take one from the front, unless you are riding with the engineer. I tried to arrange them in sequence east to west, but some may be out of order. The view of the Missouri River bridge and the crossing of the river itself are reversed. I just wanted to show the bridge first. A few around Gallup may be out of order.
I have the advantage of having traveled the route about 20 times in each direction. I could select the pictures taken in the best weather and daylight conditions. The pictures near the Colorado River were from a train that left LA on 1/5/97 and was stopped near Barlow due to a freight derailment at Needles that blocked both tracks. We finally resumed travel 8 1/2 hours late. Arrived in Chicago at 12:45 AM and were bussed to the Clarion Executive Plaza Hotel at 71 E. Wacker for overnight. Normally one doesn't see the Colorado River in daylight either way.
As would be obvious to some of you, I made use of information in route guides that Amtrak has distributed from time to time. One that was given out for a year or so around 1998 was in the form of a booklet that you could read from either end, depending which way you were traveling. Do any of you remember that? I guess it's a collector's item now.
Posts: 127 | From: Worcester, Massachusetts | Registered: Jan 2007
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That "booklet you could read from either end" happens to be sitting on my computer right now. I guess that outs me as a dedicated SWC fan.
If there is ever a last run over Raton (which I hope never happens), we should all get together for it. By reversing directions in Hutchinson and Las Vegas (NM), we could keep riding and riding and riding.
Thanks for the photos, Bob.
Posts: 1572 | From: St. Paul, MN | Registered: Dec 2002
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I don't have the SWC "booklet" you mentioned, but I do have one from about the same era from the Coast Starlight between EMY (Oakland back then) and LAX, and some of the info in that booklet I used for my RR guide of that route -
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Santa Fe had been publishing a booklet 'Along the Way' for many years prior to AMTRAK. They had an earlier version 'By the Way'. These remain available: 1. on ebay under Santa Fe 2. from old paper dealers 3. at RR Shows which specialize in authentic RR items, not so much at Model Train Shows
The Amtrak version replicated most of the Santa Fe descriptions.
Posts: 467 | From: Prescott, AZ USA | Registered: Mar 2002
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PullmanCo, 'Along the Way' was available on all of the Santa Fe long distance passenger trains.
Perhaps not on the KC-Tulsa: Albuquerque-El Paso; La Junta-Denver and similar short distance operations.
Posts: 467 | From: Prescott, AZ USA | Registered: Mar 2002
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Agreed, but they DID print banners specific to each train. I've seen a Grand Canyon, and touched Chief and Super Chief ones.
Posts: 1404 | Registered: Oct 2001
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-------------------- Matt Visit gallery for photos of our train layouts Posts: 579 | From: San Bernardino Subdivison | Registered: Dec 2001
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Yes, there were the smaller versions specific to certain trains of 'Along the Way' but the large one has them all in one booklet with details about special sites.
Posts: 467 | From: Prescott, AZ USA | Registered: Mar 2002
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