I have loved trains as long as I can remember. I did not get "into" the hobby of model trains, mainly because I collected too many other things but recently I have developed more of an interest in actually having a model train or two. I am amazed at the talent displayed by those who get seriously into model railroading and I do not expect to ever be nearly that good.

My "favorite" train is the Santa Fe Super Chief and I do not have a model of that one yet but will...just give me time.

Widely respected as the most luxurious train of the streamlined era, the cars of Santa Fe's 1937 Super Chief were virtually hand built. Each sleeping compartment was individually decorated with unique wood paneling and trim, a feature no other streamline train could boast.

The eight cars of the consist (a mail-express car would have made nine, but it was never used) were built by the Edward G Budd company, of Red Lion Road, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This caused a controversy in the case of the five sleeping cars. Most railroads, including Santa Fe, contracted with the Pullman Company to provide services aboard the sleeping cars in their trains. Pullman was reluctant to provide those services on cars not built by it's affiliated Pullman Car and Manufacturing Co. Eventually, Pullman and Santa Fe agreed that Pullman would staff the Super Chief, but any subsequent sleepers would be built by PC&M.

The Super Chief made it's 2200 mile trip in 39h 45m, compared to the time of it's predecessor, the steam powered "Chief", which took 63 hours to cover the same distance. The Super quickly became the favorite train of celebrities traveling from New York to Los Angeles. Those special passengers earned it the nickname "Train of the Stars"