# Santa Fe



## VentureForth (Nov 30, 2007)

The Santa Fe is an interesting paradox. A major national railroad, but entry into it's namesake was/is a very windy time consuming venture. What sort of relationship did Santa Fe, NM have to do with the railroad?


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## George Harris (Nov 30, 2007)

Probably a search on the history of the company would bring some of this out. Santa Fe is a much older city than Albuquerque, and was the capital of the territory, maybe even from Spanish times.

Think of the name: Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe

Atchison was no major metropolis either. Topeka was also ultimately bypassed by the main line and the fastest through passenger trains, pre Amtrak. I am not sure, but I think the line between Topeka and Atchison has been abandoned, so we have what was for a good century one of the best of the major railroad companies whose claim to fame was "Santa Fe all the way" and the fastest time between Chicago and Los Angeles that was named for three points that were ultimately ALL on branch lines.


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## gswager (Nov 30, 2007)

George Harris said:


> Probably a search on the history of the company would bring some of this out. Santa Fe is a much older city than Albuquerque, and was the capital of the territory, maybe even from Spanish times.


Much older! Here's the info about Santa Fe.


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## Bill Haithcoat (Nov 30, 2007)

There was an old song in the 40's called, "On the Atchison Topeka and The Santa fF". I am said to have played it incessantly, nearly driving my parents and sisters to abandon the house and leave me.

It can still be found, sometimes, on the juke boxes at Johnny Rocketts. When I find it, I usually slip about three nickels in there and a eat my hamburger very very slowly.

It is probably my favorite railroad song.


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## MrFSS (Nov 30, 2007)

Bill Haithcoat said:


> There was an old song in the 40's called, "On the Atchison Topeka and The Santa Fe". I am said to have played it incessantly, nearly driving my parents and sisters to abandon the house and leave me.
> 
> It can still be found, sometimes, on the juke boxes at Johnny Rocketts. When I find it, I usually slip about three nickels in there and a eat my hamburger very very slowly.
> 
> It is probably my favorite railroad song.


Bill- I'm, disappointed. I thought your song would be _*Chattanooga Choo-Choo*_!

In any event - here is a short history of the Santa Fe and why it didn't go to Santa Fe



> Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe RailwayFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
> 
> Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway
> 
> ...


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## WhoozOn1st (Jan 8, 2008)

Bill Haithcoat said:


> There was an old song in the 40's called, "On the Atchison Topeka and The Santa fF". I am said to have played it incessantly, nearly driving my parents and sisters to abandon the house and leave me.
> 
> It can still be found, sometimes, on the juke boxes at Johnny Rocketts. When I find it, I usually slip about three nickels in there and a eat my hamburger very very slowly.
> 
> It is probably my favorite railroad song.


Dude, don't get me started on favorite railroad songs. Your choice has much to recommend it - a classic!

But I'll always go with "Orange Blossom Special," a fast, hard-driving, fiddle-heavy bluegrass tour de force when played right.







Orange Blossom Special


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## Bill Haithcoat (Jan 8, 2008)

WhoozOn1st999 said:


> Bill Haithcoat said:
> 
> 
> > There was an old song in the 40's called, "On the Atchison Topeka and The Santa fF". I am said to have played it incessantly, nearly driving my parents and sisters to abandon the house and leave me.
> ...


That is a beautiful postcard Thanks for sharing.

In case anyone wants to know the Orange Blossom Special was a super duper deluxe train on the Seaboard RR. from NYC to FLorida. It was a winter season only train. That is, it catered to the "snowbirders", i.e. people who travel each winter from the frozen climes to the sunny climes.

It was either all sleeper or at least 98 % sleeper, don't remember.

It's last winter season was either Dec. 1952 to April 1953, or perhaps Dec 1953 to April 1954.

It was never streamlined. Instead, it was operated in the manner of a grand older hotel, Like the Palmer House in Chicago or the Roosevelt in New Orleans or the Parker House in Boston, etc. It did receive diesels as you see from the postcard.It was considered a first class train equal to the streamlined Silver Meteor, Silver Star and Silver Comet.

Very rare for a heavyweight train to be accorded that much respect in its latter years.


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## Bill Haithcoat (Jan 8, 2008)

And then there is this. After all of my saying it was not a streamllner in the above post, when yiou look close at the card it does say "By streamliner".

No worries.

They were using the word a bit loosely.Since streamlining and diesel power sorta came along about the same time, some folks meant "diesel isntead of steam" by using the word "stremaliner". I assure you the actual passenger care were old but well maintained heavy weight. But with a beautiful "streamlined"locomtove, if you will .


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## WhoozOn1st (Jan 8, 2008)

Bill Haithcoat said:


> And then there is this. After all of my saying it was not a streamllner in the above post, when yiou look close at the card it does say "By streamliner".
> No worries.
> 
> They were using the word a bit loosely.Since streamlining and diesel power sorta came along about the same time, some folks meant "diesel isntead of steam" by using the word "stremaliner". I assure you the actual passenger care were old but well maintained heavy weight. But with a beautiful "streamlined"locomtove, if you will .


Bill Haithcoat, you are a font of information. That's a sincere compliment, not a snide remark, and I hope others also appreciate your attention to detail.

And yeah, railroads were probably playing fast and loose with terminology, so that anything with an E, F, or PA on the nose was called a "streamliner."


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