THE RAILWAY & ENGINEERING REVIEW 10/ 1/1898 p. 553:
"Axle Light on the Santa Fe"
The National Electric Lighting Company, which is introducing the Axle Electric Light, has made a contract with the Pullman Company for the lighting of all of the Pullman cars which run on the Santa Fe's "LIMITED" between Chicago and Los Angeles without change, a distance of 2265 miles. There are four trains in this service, each of which has an observation car, three sleeping cars and a handsome dining and a library car; the last two named being already equipped with axle light and electric fans. The electric equipment of each train will aggregate 4928 candle power as follows:
| 1 observation car | 1056 c.p. |
| 3 sleeping cars @ 1056 c.p. each | 3168 c.p. |
| 1 dining car | 352 c.p. |
| 1 library car | 352 c.p. |
| total | 4928 c.p. |
All berths will be provided with berth lights, and this will be the first train in the world carrying such a large supply of light service exclusively from car axles. In fact, it is the intention to light the locomotive headlight from the same service, thus making these four trains solid axle-light trains throughout. The dining and library cars, together with about 60 other cars of the Santa Fe, have been in service with this light for nearly two years, and the results have been so satisfactory to the railroad company that an extensive application of this light has recently been decided upon. The introduction of this system on the palatial limited trains will mark quite a departure from previous practice, which necessitated a large light plant in the baggage car. The objection to this plan is that if the baggage car meets with an accident, or the plant is out of order, the entire light output of the train is deranged. In the axle light system such a thing cannot happen. Each car has its own plant, which is small, compact and complete, consisting of a dynamo and storage batteries, and actual measurements made on the cars already equipped demonstrate that after the round trip to Los Angeles of over 4500 miles, and supplying the cars during six nights with brilliant light, the storage is as full as it was at the start. In case of an accident to the apparatus of one car, the crippled car can be lighted from an adjoining car until a terminal is reached, where repairs can be made.
SPARKS (Topeka Chapter R&LHS) :
On Saturday, March 15, 1958, the Santa Fe operated its last scheduled passenger train between Topeka and Atchison, ending service begun 86 years ago in 1872. Final train was baggage car 1619, and five coaches, 3000, 3030, 3039, 3054, and 3061. The expected load was 125-200, but 340 made the trip.
RAILROAD GAZETTE 5/11/1888 p. 307:
The addition of vestibules
on through trains has proved to be so decided an improvement that this feature is being adopted on many routes.
The new Santa Fe trains from Chicago to Kansas have vestibules throughout.
Topeka JOURNAL 2/ /1900:
WIDE VESTIBULES
All Santa Fe coaches are being fitted with them, upon being sent to the shops. Decision to do this was made last Fall.
Ends of the cars have glass, making a small room in which to observe the country through which one is passing.
Topeka JOURNAL 3/ 2/1900:
Santa Fe
The wide vestibules are not only being built on new coaches, but also put on the old coaches as fast as they can be spared
from service. Already nearly 2/3 of the diners, chair cars and sleepers are so fitted.
VERY small excerpt from my five full 8 x 12" pages, Santa Fe specification sheets to the builder, The Pullman Company, 12/30/10, for one Parlor Car, (#1204), eventually assigned "Saint/Angel" service in California. Painting: "Body, 'Mortar Color'; Roof, 'Brick Red' over stretched canvas roofing. Outside Decoration In Gold, 'SANTA FE' in center of letterboard, 'PARLOR CAR' in center of lower stretch; '1204' over truck centers with initials: 'A.T.& S.F.' beneath same."
However, I've early (date?) in-service photo, black and white, showing the car decorations in BLACK lettering in lieu of above sheet specifications.
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL 3/ 2/1887:
The midnight train brought to the city a number of wealthy passengers, one seemed quite agitated and nervous. He was indulging, also, in a severe denunciation of the passenger facilities of the Santa Fe road between Kansas City and Topeka. When asked the cause of his trouble, he said that when he was in Kansas City he purchased a ticket to Topeka with a number of other gentlemen, and boarded the train. The coaches were all crowded, and he gentlemen were required to stand. The collector came 'round and demanded the tickets, whereupon the gentlemen standing stated that as soon as they were given seats they would give up their tickets. The conductor responded that it was either give or go. He refused to give up his ticket and five men seized the plucky traveling men and threw them off the car into a ditch in the darkness. As the train started off the men again boarded, gave up their tickets and were obliged to stand all the way to Topeka. The speaker took the names of all the train crew, the conductor, the collector, brakeman, and all train hands, and will bring suit against the company in order, he says, to see if the public has any rights.
TOPEKA JOURNAL 5/ 2/1907:
(Santa Fe) Dining Car 1417 was sent to Chicago yesterday after having been in the local shop where it was equipped with a Bliss Axle Lighting Apparatus.
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL 2/16/1900:
California Excursion Train
A Raymond Whitcomb excursion passed through Topeka Thursday morning over the Santa Fe, running as a second section of the 'California Limited' The train was made up of a baggage car, composite car, diner, and sleepers SUPERB, MARIPOSA, RADCLIFFE, BLYTHDALE, and HARVARD.
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL 3/19/1900:
Harvey Poultry Farms
Santa Fe eating house man will raise chickens at Newton, (Ks.).
Fred Harvey, the hotel magnet of the Santa Fe system, has leased a 10-acre tract of land just south of
here for a poultry farm. For a year Newton has been a distribution point for
supplies for the Harvey System, owing to its central location and connecting
lines. At this time of year probably $3,000 worth of poultry is killed and
dressed at this placed every thirty days. It is expected this amount will be
increased when the farm is started. Newton has two big produce houses, and
when Mr. Harvey gets the farm in working order, this will be one of the best
poultry markets in Kansas---at least in the central portion.
Data from Santa Fe 'lettering Guide' revision 9/16/21
| 1300 San Satanta | 1335 San Marcial |
| 1301 Chief Yellow Bear | 1336 San Juan Bautista |
| 1302 Chief Geronimo | 1337 San Bruno |
| 1303 Chief Lolomia | 1338 San Juan |
| 1304 Chief Manakja | 1339 San Cristobal |
| 1305 Chief Medicine Wolf | 1340 San Nicolas |
| 1306 Chief Old Wolf | 1341 San Buena Ventura |
| 1307 Chief Manulito | 1342 San Domingo |
| 1308 Chief Santaigo | 1343 San Emido |
| 1309 Chief Sahnni | 1344 San Gregorio |
| 1310 San Diego | 1345 San Lorenzo |
| 1311 San Dimas | 1346 San Onofre |
| 1332 San Miguel | 1347 San Pedro |
| 1333 San Juan Capistrano | 1348 San Vincente |
| 1334 San Anselmo | 1349 San Ysidro |
Santa Fe's light weight car names as reported in S F's "Live List" of 1/ 1/1966:
"BLUE" Series: Bay, Bell, Flag, Gem, Grass, Grove, Heart, Hill, Heron, Island, Lake, Moon, Mound, Mott, Point, Pond, Ridge, Springs.
"INDIAN" Series: Canoe, Drum, Falls, Flute, Main, Mesa, Pony, Scout, Song, Squaw, Arrow, Lake.
"PALM" Series: Arch, Dome, Haven, Leaf, Loch, Lore, Path, Star, Stream, Top, Tower.
"PINE"Series: Arroyo, Beach, Bell, Bluff, Brook, Cavern, Cove, Creek, Crest, Dale, Dawn, Fern, Gem, George, Grove, Hill, Island, King, Leaf, Lodge, Mesa, Pass, Peak, Rapids, Range, Ring, Shore.
"REGAL" Series*: Arms, Corps, Court, Crest, Dome, Elm, Gate, Gulf, Hunt,
Inn, Aisle, Lane, Lark, Manor, Spa.
(* = A C & F)
"REGAL" Series+; Center, City^, Creek^; Cross, Crown^, George, Hill, House^,
Oak, Pass, Ring, River^, Ruby^, Stream, Temple^, Town^, Vale.
(+ = Pullman; ^= 5 1/2" x 10" journals, others have 6" x 11" journals as of above report date)
"VALLEY" Series: Antelope, Chama, Cimarron, Citrus, Cottonwood, Eagle Nest, Estancia, Hidden, Kaw, Mescalero, Monument, Paradise, Pecos, Pleasant, Redondo, Red River; Red Rock, Rio Grande, Salt River, San Miguel, Sunshine, Surprise, Sweetwater, Tesque, Verde, Whitewater.
"VISTA" Series: Canyon+, Cavern+, Club*, Heights*, Valley+
(+ = 1947; * = 1950)
Add'l Lt Wt cars: Blt. 1938-Hualpai, Jadito, Kaibito, Kiethla, Moencopi, Mohave, Nankoweap, Naslini, Polacca, Puye, Talwiwi, Tchirege, Tohatchi, Denehotso, Hotevilla. Blt. 1939-Nava, Saydatoh,Seboyeta, Bacobi, Hasta. Blt. 1940-Cascade Mills, Cascade Shoals.
RAILWAY AGE GAZETTE 12/15/1911 p.1207-10 (Excerpt here):
"---after sixteen years of successful operation of Santa Fe limited trains from Chicago to Southern California, an extra-fare train, once-a-week service has been inaugurated . The trip takes only 63 hours between above points, and is known as the "SANTA FE DE LUXE". First run December 12, 1911, gave indications the run would be 5 1/2 hours faster westbound, and 8 hours faster eastbound, then the next fastest train between the two points. The distance is 2,267 miles via Santa Fe trackage." "The 'Santa Fe De Luxe' is limited to six through cars, one observation Pullman, one compartment Pullman, two all-drawing-room Pullmans, one club car and one dining car. In addition to the regular first-class railway and sleeper tickets, an extra $25 each direction is charged." "The dining car is built from special plans which include a recently invented air-cooling and air washing device that perfectly ventilates the car. The indirect system of electric lighting is used for general illumination, and the center lamps are enclosed in handsome metal pendants which contain the reflectors. The table lamps have ornamental shades and are below the level of the eye. The interior finish is of vermilion mahogany. The steel underframe and superstructure was designed by the Engineer of Car Construction of the road, and the inside finish by the Pullman company. The center sills are of the fish belly type with webs 5/16" thick, and 32" deep at the center and 12 1/8" at the body bolster. The side sillls have webs 1/4" thick with 10 3/4" extending below the siding. The whole outside end surface is covered with steel plate 1/8" thick. The floor is covered with No. 20 sheet iron; on top of this is 3/4" of insulation, 7/8" flooring boards, 5/8" flexolith, and a wearing surface of rubber tiling. The exterior sides are finished in grooved, 13/16" wood siding."
RAILWAY REVIEW 7/26/1884:
The CHICAGO & ALTON was the first company to introduce the now-popular dining car system into this country.
RAILROAD GAZETTE 1/13/1888 p. 25
A 14-year old boy was killed last week by being blown from a car platform on the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern near Westfield, N.Y. He was passing from a sleeping car to a dining car on train #5; the train was running about 40 miles per hour and the wind was blowing a gale, velocity being estimated at about 60 miles per hour. Not long ago a similar case was reported in the court records, heavy damages being sued for in the case of a woman said to have been blown from a train by a cyclone. A rule that passengers must not be on car platforms is well settled, but the introduction of dining cars has led the roads to involuntarily break it, or, rather, invite passengers to do so, and it would appear that the risk of accident is sufficiently great to demand careful consideration.
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL 7/22/1899:
Fine Horse Cars
Santa Fe Shops Turns Out Two Up-To-Date Vehicles. Two of the new horse cars have been finished in the shops here, one #717, has already been delivered to the express company and the other, #716, was completed yesterday. These cars are, without a doubt, the finest horse cars in the west. They are up to date in every way and contain padded stalls for 24 horses, tanks for holding 500 gallons of water, are well ventilated both top and bottom, and contain many other modern improvements and conveniences which are a necessity in stock cars of this high standard.
Ft. Madison, Iowa "DEMOCRAT' 2/19/1890:
The Santa Fe Railway, so gratified at having had the priviledge of carrying Nelly Bly over its road at 75 M.P.H., that it has named one of its dining cars after her.
Ft. Madison Weekly "DEMOCRAT' 8/ 4/1909:
Santa Fe To Use Motors.
A successful test from Chicago to Streator, Illinois has been made. The road may adopt the steam motor car on branch lines. As a result of tests just made with steam ,motor cars of a new type.The forward part of the car is taken with boiler and engines, followed by a small baggage compartment with seats for safety. The rear of the car is a semi-circular observaton platform to seat four or five. Length of the car is 75', and the total seating capacity is 60 to 65.. A number of the officials of the Santa Fe made a trial trip to Streator, Illinois, and were favorably impressed.The cars attained a speed of 55 m.p.h. , and it possesses power to handle easily one or two trailers. The framework is of steel and has all the standard attachments and appliances.
Ft. Madison, Iowa Weekly "DEMOCRAT' 8/11/1909:
Motor Car Tests On The Santa Fe.
Car arrived in Ft. Madison at 10:27 on the route west. Makes distance from Galesburg to Ft.Madison in one hour, eighteen minutes. The new steam motor car being tested on the Santa Fe System, mention of which was made a few days ago, arrived in Ft. Madison Friday morning at 1:27 o'clock, making the run from Galesburg to Ft. Madison, a distance of a little over 55 miles, in one hour, eighteen minutes. The car was en route to Kansas City. On the car were some Santa Fe mechanics and experts in charge of the demonstration. It is said the car is capable of attaining a speed of 55 m.p.h., and is capable of handling easily, one or two trailers.
THE RAILWAY REVIEW, 2/29/1888 p. 568:
Fred Harvey, of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe road, who is to be associated in the management of the Hotel Richelieu, is a peculiar character. He went to the Santa Fe with Strong, and has for many years looked after the appetites of passengers on the lines of the road. He always keeps his whereabouts a secret, and is liable to jump from a train at one of his eating houses at any moment and without warning. If he sees a soiled tablecloth on any one of the tables he will grab a corner of it and flirt it off, sending crockery and tableware in all directions, after which he will call the man in charge and impale him with a severe reprimand. He demands neatness in appearance from his employees, too, but a clever reply to one of his rebukes is highly appreciated by him. One day he stepped from a train and entered one of his eating houses in Southern Kansas.As he was partaking of his dinner he noticed that the head waiter needed a shave quite badly. Hailing him he drew from his pocket a dime, handed it to him and told him to go get the shave he was badly in need of. "Excuse me", said the man as he handed back the dime, "but it costs fifteen cents where I get shaved, You had better keep that and shave yourself when you get back to Kansas City." Harvey has admired that man ever since. (Chicago Herald)
Topeka "JOURNAL" 1/29/1906.
Officials of the Santa Fe have decided to run the train 'OIL FLYER' from Iola Ks. on and after 1/28/06. The train now runs from Chanute to Tulsa. Iola citizens and business men agitated for inclusion of Iola on the run. It will be the northern terminus of the train. Iola, Chanute, Cherryvale, Independence, Havana, Caney, Bartlesville, Collinsville, and Tulsa.
RAILROAD GAZETTE 4/22/1893 p. 699
New Santa Fe diner.
The Atchison car shows Byzantine style architecture. Inside finished in antique oak, and trimmed with Persian brass. Carpeted throughout with Wilton carpet, and loose rattan chairs upholstered with leather. The ceiling is beautifully decorated in relief, and is hand painted.The car seats 23 persons, and affords accommodations more like those of first-class dining rooms than the old style. It will be a relief to a person of or below medium size to have a seat at dinner that he can place at his own comfort and convenience. The ordinary dining car seat is much too much like the seats in an ordinary coach, that being one size for every man. If a man ever wants to be comfortable, it is when he eats and sleeps.
TOPEKA "JOURNAL" 2/ 3/1902
Three baggage/coaches are to be fitted up at once as commissary cars to be run on the through excursion trains of the Santa Fe which carry a diner. The plan is to build an ice box in one end in which meats and other articles of highly perishable food car be stored. A second compartment is to be shelved for the storage of canned goods, and the other (part) can be used for baggage. In this way, an excursion train leaving Chicago can be stocked, and the train run through without any delay necessary to taking on additional supplies. It is also possible to secure the goods at a much lower figure in the great city than in some of the towns a long distance away. This scheme was tried some long time ago when two cars of this class were built, but one of these was returned to Topeka shops and built for other work.
RAILWAY AND ENGINEERING REVIEW 1/8/1910, p. 41, regarding McKeen cars (162kB .JPG).
Topeka JOURNAL 4/18/1900:
Mr. Mudge's Car To Be Rebuilt. General Manager Mudge's private car #216 has been placed in the Santa Fe shops in Topeka. It is to be rebuilt, and will be finished inside in black walnut. The car will be fitted with new furnishings throughout, and when completed will be one of the handsomest on the line.
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL 12/05/1905:
Walter Scott's ("DEATH VALLEY(SCOTTY") mule 'SLIM', will travel from Los Angeles to New York in a boudoir of a stable in a standard Pullman car at a cost $500 for the mule plus $50 per day for the car. When it was suggested that the mule could be accommodated otherwise, the man of mystery went five feet in the air. "Tut-Tut," he said, "my mule travel in a box car?, Slim? get busy" and had a stable built in the car. "That mule has saved my life many a time, he has traveled ninety miles without water, and the best is not good enough for him. Why,---Slim could drink champagne, but he has got too much sense for that". So the deal was made with the Santa Fe Passenger Department Traffic Manager John J. Byrne, prices as above, and he (Scotty) will buy fifteen first class tickets for the use of the car besides.
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL 10/01/1925:
"B" end of passenger cars is end with retaining valve.
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL 8/10/1901:
Santa Fe Route Issues A Theatrical Directory.
Information About 248 Different Opera Houses on Line of the Santa Fe.
7,000 Copies of the Directory will be Distributed.
Heavy Business with Theatrical Companies Anticipated.
S F has just issued a theatrical directory giving the location of every opera house of any consequence on the entire System. It also tells theatrical managers enough about the house and the town so that a theatrical route can be made out covering the S F lines without any further investigation.
The following are the headings under which the information is arranged: Population; Name of opera house and manager; Seating capacity; Size of stage; How heated and lighted; Height of grooves; Grooves moveable or fixed; Height of rigging loft; Distance between flies and gallery; Paper required; Newspapers in town; Bill poster; Hotels; Transfer company; Distance depot to theater; Usual price of admission. Directories will go to agents of the road, prominent men in theatrical circles, owners of opera houses, and to whomever applies for them to the passenger agents of the road A mailing list of theatrical people is kept from year to year. This year a larger supply than usual will be sent out.
The Santa Fe does an immense business with theatrical companies which tour Kansas. 12 big filing cases on the desk of one of the clerks in the office of W.J. Black represents the correspondence carried on by the Santa Fe last year with theatrical managers. It requires all the time of one clerk during the theatrical season to attend to this line of business.
Last year was an extraordinarily heavy one for the theatrical end of the road. The amusement companies flocked into the state like vultures to gobble up their share of the big corn crop. The theatrical travel agent of the Santa Fe says that he expects an equally large business this year. "Inquiries are coming in fast now about our route and we expect to have a good traffic from companies. The theatrical companies are not scared by reports of bad crops. They keep posted on the situation and know when a state is a good place to come to. They will come to Kansas next fall because Kansas has had a big wheat crop."
The opera house with the largest seating capacity on the Santa Fe's list outside of Chicago, is the Orpheum in San Francisco which seats 3,000; the Gillis at Kansas City comes next with 2,660.
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL 4/25/1900:
Santa Fe Chair Cars
Ten elegant coaches are being built in the shops here. The order is for ten of the finest coaches ever turned out of the shops here and all will be put into service on Santa Fe mainline trains. They will be sixty feet long, wide vestibuled, and painted the Pullman brown color.
NATIONAL CAR & LOCOMOTIVE BUILDER 6/1891 p. 84 (extraction):
"---they (referring to the Santa Fe, my note) have lately changed the color of passenger equipment from yellow to tuscan red, and are pushing the work of getting over them all to secure uniformity.---"
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL 5/ 8/1900:
Dining car 1959 has been turned out of the shops, finished in the new color adopted by the Santa Fe, the Pullman BROWN."
"VALLEY" series sleepers shadowlined.
This supplied to me by Mr. Bill Burk (formerly V P Public Relations Santa Fe) from his files letter dated 12/17/47 titled "CARS SHADOW-LINED" Valley types (only):
SURPRISE
SWEETWATER
TAOS
VERDE
WHITEWATER.
Letter "1/25/50 Shadow-Lined by Pullman--" from my LONG list of cars so treated, reproduced here all are only "VALLEY" named w/date released:
Antelope 10/18/48
Chama 11/16/48
Cimmaron 4/22/49
Eagle Nest 9/21/48
Hidden Nest 12/15/49
Kaw 10/11/48
Mescalero 1/ 4/49
Monument 8/26/49
Paradise 1/25/48
Pecos 6/ 8/49
Pleasant 3/ 9/49
Redondo 12/30/49
Red River 3/22/49
Taos 12/15/47
Verde 1/ 2/48
San Miguel 12/ 4/8
Surprise 2/11/48
Sweetwater 12/4/47
Salt River 2/12/49
White Water 11/28/47
Rio Grande 10/22/49
Correspondence from Santa Fe official not satisfied with workmanship on following "VALLEY" cars, ordering they be repainted, work was redone, cars released as:
Pleasant redone 8/12/49
Surprise redone 7/15/49
Sweetwater redone 4/27/49
Verde redone 6/14/49
Whitewater redone 4/ 1/49.
Letter dated 12/24/51 "Add to above list--" (Note: not the date the work was done):
Cottonwood
Hidden
Tesque
TOPEKA JOURNAL 6/03/1907:
The 63 new chair cars and smokers of the Santa Fe which are to be used in place of the old type, are being sent through Topeka (shops), at the rate of two per day. The new chair car is electric lighted and it is said that as soon as the old cars are done away with, the Pintsch (gas light) and the Santa Fe will part company. Electric light is regarded as a safer proposition than the gas, owing to the danger of fire in the casa of a wreck. The light is the same has has been created in the Pullman cars for some time. The generator being run by means of a belt attached to the axle; each car also being provided with a storge battery. Each car is provided with 53 lamps of 8 candle power each, which certainly ought to be enough light for the most fastidious.
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL 7/11/1899:
New (Santa Fe) cars---5 new with vestibules, electric lights, are Pullman sleepers built especially for the road and named:"Balmoral", "Versailles", "Windsor", "Krenlin", and "Hollyrood", for use on trains between Chicago and Denver.
TOPEKA DAILY STATE JOURNAL:
"All Records Broken"
283 rode in one Santa Fe coach.
The Santa Fe yesterday broke all previous records as to the largest number of people ever hauled in a single coach, when south bound passenger train #115 brought 283 people in one car. This is an average of 10 people per seat. Passengers on this train were coming into Wichita from Newton, Sedgwick, and Valley Center.
STOCKTON (CA) DAILY EVENING RECORD 3/25/1943:
Santa Fe Pullman Destroyed by Fire
Los Angeles: Santa Fe Railroad officials reported today that a Pullman car of the crack Chicago-bound passenger train, The Chief, was destroyed by fire near Yucca, Ariz. The fire started in the linen closet of the Pullman, The Laguna, and was discovered about 9 o'clock Tuesday night. The train was stopped and passengers removed, but most of the baggage was destroyed.
THE RAILWAY REVIEW 9/19/1891 p. 609
Dining Cars vs Restaurants
In the suit of Fred Harvey against the A. T, & S. F. Rr., an injunction has been served restraining the railroad company from operating dining cars west of the Missouri River. Mr. Harvey had a contract with the company to furnish meals for its passengers at different points along its line. The company recently violated its agreement with him by running dining cars through to Denver, and the injuncton restrains it from running these cars beyond the Missouri River, and compelling the company to stop all its trains to enable the passengers to take meals at the regular dining stations at which Harvey has restaurants.
RAILROAD GAZETTE 6/24/1887 p. 421:
The A.T.& S.F. is having 4 vestibule trains built at the Pullman works; they will be used between Kansas City, Mo., and Los Angeles.
RAILROAD GAZETTE 9/16/1887 p 607:
The A.T.& S.F. has given the Pullman company an order for 8 trains, each to consist of 7 cars; 2 Pullman, 2 coaches, a smoker, a baggage and an express. They are to be finished by the first of May, 1888.
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL 1/09/1900:
How a Santa Fe Passenger Coach Is Painted
The painting of a railway coach is a tedious and long drawn-out job; coat after coat of the very best paint is put on by skilled workmen, until the coach is palatial in appearance. In the first place the wood which is put into the railway coach is of selected stock, and is thoroughly dried, so as to do away with shrinkage as much as possible. Before the coach leaves the carpenter shop the carpenters complete their work on it, which include, aside from building the coach, the careful planing down and smoothing of the surfaces. In this conditon the coach is run into the paint shop. Here the painter begins the work by carefully going over the the coach and removing all spots and traces of dirt and grease. The first coat is the priming coat, and after applying it is allowed to dry at least 72 hours, and more if time will allow. Then follows the second coat of priming which is permitted to dry 48 to 72 hours. When this coat is dry, the painter goes over the coach and putties and fills all the nail holes and other depressions which may have been left in the surface. This done, the painter then puts on from two to four coats of 'filler', commonly known to the painter as 'rough stuff'. Each coat is allowed to dry about 24 hours. The work which has now been done brings the coach up to the point where the surface is nicely covered but is not in condition for the remaining coats. It must be smoothed down again, this smoothing is done by a block of pumice stone or sandpaper, according to the fancy of the painter, and under this operation the coach is made free from all imperfections which would interfere with the putting on of the paint which is to be the final color of the coach. Two coats of the flat color are put on, allowing 24 hours for each coat to dry. This really completes the painting of the car, so far as color is concerned, but there is much work yet to be done. The coach has to be lettered and finally varnished. After the coach is properly lettered and allowed to dry properly, then three coats of the very best wearing body varnish are put on, at an interval of about 48 to 60 hours between coats. These complete the painting of the exterior of the coach, and by counting the number of hours consumed in the painting and drying, it will foot up to about 500 hours time to properly paint a coach, representing 21 days. During this time the interior is also being finished, first by smoothing up done by the carpenters before the car was taken to the paint shop. Likewise there are no seats or fixings in the interior of the coach, these being put in after the painting is finished. As a general rule the interior of the coach is finished up in some standard wood such as walnut, oak or mahogany. To match whichever wood is used, a coat of filler paint is applied to the wood, and after being allowed to dry is covered with a coat or two of shellac. This having dried it is very lightly smoothed off with a very fine sandpaper, then follows a coat of hard-drying rubbing varnish; when thoroughly dry is rubbed down with pulverized pumice stone and water. This operation removes all lumps and particles which may have accumulated in the paint. After the surface has been thoroughly rinsed off with clean water and dried, another coat of rubbing varnish is applied and when dry is rubbed down with pulverized pumice stone and finishing oil, which gives the surface a dead gloss.The panels are polished by rubbing down with rotten stone and finishing oil which gives a very high polish. The head linings on the ceiling of the coach are generally brought out by paints of different colors, and are highly decorated. After decorating and allowed to dry, two or more coats of rubbing varnish are applied and being dry, are rubbed down with pulverized pumice stone and finishing oil, producing a dead gloss.
RAILROAD GAZETTE 4/24/1891 p. 296:
The Santa Fe has a dozen new dining cars ready for service and they will probably be put on when the new time table goes into effect May 3. It is said that dining cars will soon be run through to the Pacific Coast.
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL 2/06/1900:
New Color PULLMAN BROWN.
That will hereafter be the color of Santa Fe coaches. It is given out on good authority that there will be an order issued in a few days in the paint department of the Santa Fe road to the effect that from this time on, all coaches of the road will be painted a Pullman Brown as a body color. This Pullman Brown is the standard body color for the Pullman sleepers. It is a pretty color and will not show the dust and dirt as much as the present shade of red color, which up to this time has been the standard body color..,
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL 7/11/1899:
New cars---5 vestibuled, electric lights, (Pullman sleepers) built especially for the Santa Fe, are: 'BALMORAL', 'VERSAILLES', 'WINDSOR', 'KRENLIN', and 'HOLYROOD' for use between Chicago and Denver.
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL 11/14/1899:
Chair Car #1413 is in the shops to tear off the old platforms, and substitute wide vestibules---.
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL 5/11/1903:
Albuquerque, N.M. It was at first suggested that locomotive 1135, the engine pulling the President's Special out of here, be decorated with flags and bunting. This is against the regulations of the System and consequently nothing of the kind was done.
RAILWAY MECHANICAL ENGINEER 5/1919 p. 289:
Passenger Car Leak (problem). Metal roof where smoke of steam locomotive cinders settles on the roof, when rained on, forms sulphuric acid.
RAILWAY REVIEW 2/14/1891 p. 111:
The shops of the Pullman Palace Car Co. at St. Louis were burned on the evening of the 5th inst. 11 fine sleepers were destroyed, and a large quantity of car stock and furnishings. Loss estimated about $250,000.
TOPEKA JOURNAL 7/17/1902:
Dining car 1971 which was badly wrecked on the Chicago Division two months ago, is in for a canvas roof.
TOPEKA JOURNAL 1/02/1901:
Diner Frozen Up
(from Newton 'KANSAN') Train #3 the Fast Mail came in this morning at 7:59, and it was found that the diner was frozen up. The car was taken to the roundhouse and thawed out, consuming nearly an hour in the transaction. It was a bad beginning for the new century.
TOPEKA JOURNAL 1/03/1901:
#3 arrived in Newton only about 10 minutes late this morning, but was delayed nearly a half hour again on account of the dining car being frozen. It was taken to the roundhouse for the usual fixin's.
Ft. Madison (Iowa) DEMOCRAT 2/05/1902:
No More Tips For Dining Car Waiters.
(from Chicago Record/Herald) And now the dining car waiters are having their troubles. No longer will their pockets jingle with silvery tips, their faces will not brighten with expectancy as they gently place the finger bowl before the patrons and look longingly at the small change left on the table. For such is the heart-breaking decree of the officials. A passenger who enters a Harvey dining car on the Santa Fe system, and does not take out the customary 'insurance policy' against poor service, will get as much chicken and as many side dishes as the man who unwillingly tenders his usual offering. The officials of the road here have issued an order to all conductors of the road to protect the passengers against negligent service. Waiters regard this as a serious blow to them financially, because in the past they have made the greater part of their salary in tips. The Santa Fe is the first road to take definite action toward the abatement of what a great many people consider a nuisance.
Shadow source 8/10/1951:
Authority has been granted to convert Lunch Counter Diner 1501 to a Buffet (Cafeteria) car;
SAME SOURCE 8/22/1952:
1501 now at Topeka---cannot start conversion work until assured we will receive needed equiment--.
TOPEKA JOURNAL 7/18/1906:
No Coatless Men in Dining Rooms
Travelers will be surprised to learn that there is but one Harvey dining room on the entire country where guests are permited to eat without their coats. This station is the Needles, California, where the climate is such that a variation from the general rule is permitted. At all other places the rule is rigidly enforced. The rule was not merely a quoixiciticism--but serves to maintain the high standards and tone of the service.
TOPEKA JOURNAL 5/09/1907:
Two extra trains will run through Topeka today as excursion trains for a large colony of Dunkards,who are en route to make their home within the new Dunkard settlements along the Santa Fe in New Mexico.
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