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| El Capitan | |
|---|---|
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| Overview | |
| Service type | Inter-city rail |
| Status | Discontinued |
| Locale | Midwestern and Southwestern United States |
| First service | February 22, 1938 |
| Last service | April 29, 1973 |
| Successor | Southwest Limited |
| Former operator(s) | Santa Fe Amtrak (1971–1973) |
| Route | |
| Termini | Chicago Los Angeles |
| Average journey time | 39 hrs 30 min |
| Train number(s) | 21 and 22 |
| Line(s) used | Southern Transcon |
| Technical | |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
The El Capitan was a streamlined passenger train operated by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway ("Santa Fe") between Chicago, Illinois, and Los Angeles, California. It operated from 1938 to 1971; Amtrak retained the name until 1973. The El Capitan was the only all-coach or "chair car" (non-Pullman sleeper) to operate on the Santa Fe main line between Chicago and Los Angeles on the same fast schedule as the railroad's premier all-Pullman Super Chief. It was also the first train to receive the pioneering Hi-Level equipment with which it would become synonymous.