Re: Santa Fe Passenger trains, Albuquerque New Mexico 1959/1961
Author: Mike Swanson
Date: 12-21-2011 - 20:56
That may actually be #19, The Chief, in the first clip, as it normally ran without an observation car (the Super Chief still had Vista-series observation-lounge cars in the consist at this time); either that or it could be the #18 running with an extra Palm-series sleeper in place of the usual Vista-series observation car.
The train in the second clip could be the Belen-Albuquerque local; the clip doesn't show the consist very well, but the #27/#28 trains usually had a coach and a heavyweight baggage car or combine, just as this train appears to have.
Incidentally, motorcar M190 was assigned to the Belen-Albuquerque run from about 1957 or '58 until a year or so before the second clip was filmed; it usually would have pulled just a coach, since it already had a baggage section (it certainly could handle additional cars if needed, though). M190 was reassigned to the #25/#26 Clovis-Carlsbad run, where it ran until its retirement (and the end of secondary passenger service) in 1968.