Santa Fe: Chicago-Los Angeles-San Diego

Golden West Books, hardcover with jacket, 288 pages, 8.5 x 11 x 1.5 in., B&W photographs, 6 pages in color.

The name Santa Fe began with the early history of the Southwest, grew with the flow of commerce that followed the old Santa Fe Trail, and became a popularized term by the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway.

For the past century this name has been associated with a famous fleet of streamlined passenger trains, and today's piggyback and container trains. This is the first of three Volumes featuring the Santa Fe System.

Volume One features the organization of the railroad back in 1866, follows its construction from Topeka to California, from Topeka to Chicago, and operation of the trains. It covers the roads venture into Mexico, development of local lines within California, tells about electrification possibilities, the Santa Fe bus system, Santa Fe's venture into air-rail transportation with participation in Transcontinental Air Transport, Santa Fe Skyways, mergers, and up to the pending merger with Burlington Northern (1995).

This Volume also presents a comprehensive review of the Santa Fe's motive power fleet from the earliest 4-4-0 type locomotives, to the giant 2-10-10-2s. The Santa Fe was an early pioneer of diesel motive power due to the alkali water across the desert lands of the Southwest.

Described are the rail motor cars, the diesel switchers, the General Purpose diesels, the GE U-boats, and the most modern Super Fleet motive power. Included are more than 476 illustrations, 27 color plates, documentary reproductions, maps, appendix, bibliography and index.

Contents:

• Preface, pp. 8–10
• The Santa Fe System 1881-1995, pp. 11–48
• The California Southern, pp. 49–68
• Cajon Pass, pp. 69–128
• San Bernardino, pp. 129–146
• Needles District: Needles to Barstow, pp. 147–184
• Second District: San Bernardino to Los Angeles, pp. 185–210
• Third District: San Bernardino-Fullerton-Los Angeles, pp. 211–238
• The Surf Line: Los Angeles to San Diego, pp. 239–280
• Appendix, p. 281
• Bibliography, pp. 282–284
• Index, pp. 285–288.