A pair of EMD FP45 locomotives heading the first Super C at Corwith Yard 1968.
(Roger Puta, Courtesy Marty Bernard, railfan 44, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)
SUPER C FREIGHT TRAIN (AT&SF)
The Super C was an American high-speed intermodal freight train on the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway from 1968 to 1976. Dubbed the "World's Fastest Freight Train," the all-TOFC (trailer-on-flatcar, or "piggyback") and COFC (container-on-flatcar) train ran about 2,200 miles (3,500 km) between Chicago, Illinois and Los Angeles, California on a 40-hour schedule.
ATSF Officers: Mr, Maish, Chairman; Mr. John Shedd Reed, President; official of Essex Wire; Mr. Caiazza,
VP-Traffic; Mr. Shelton, VP-Operations at the inaugural of the Super C train at Corwith Yard on Jan. 17, 1968.
(Roger Puta, Courtesy Marty Bernard, railfan 44, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)
Overview
The brainchild of company president John Shedd Reed, the Super C (led by a pair of EMD FP45s) made its first run on January 17, 1968, covering the distance in a record-breaking 37½ hours averaging 58.2 miles per hour (93.7 km/h). The second test train did the ride even faster in 34½ hours averaging 63.7 miles per hour (102.5 km/h). For an added fee of $1,400 per trailer shippers were guaranteed fast delivery.
Santa Fe tried high-speed freight operations on its Illinois Division in late 1966. By year's end, passenger-geared GE U28CG locomotives was able to transport 19 piggyback cars from Los Angeles' Hobart Yard to Chicago in 61 hours. On June 8, 1967 a joint run using New York Central's Flexi-Van container cars traveled from New York City to Los Angeles in 54 hours, 21 minutes. The Super C carried high-priority items such as auto parts and electronic components; the United States Post Office soon became a consistent customer. It was allowed 79 miles per hour (127 km/h).
Train length varied from one to 15 or 20 cars. In the end, too few shippers chose to pay for 40-hour delivery, especially considering that a standard TOFC load arrived in 15 hours more. The final blow came in 1976 when the Santa Fe lost its mail contract to a joint venture of the Chicago and North Western Railway and the Union Pacific Railroad that could deliver at lower cost on a 50-hour schedule.
The Super C completed its last trip on May 20, 1976. It was later succeeded by Train 199.
ATSF FP45 100 heading the Super C through sign on inaugural run, Corwith Yard, Chicago, IL on January 17, 1968.
(Roger Puta, Courtesy Marty Bernard, railfan 44, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)
References
Bryant, Keith L. Jr. (1974). History of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. Trans-Anglo Books, Glendale, California. ISBN 0-8032-6066-0.
Duke, Donald (1997). Santa Fe: The Railroad Gateway to the American West, Volume Two. Golden West Books, San Marino, California. ISBN 0-87095-110-6.
ATSF Caboose 999130 on Super C passing through Corwith Yard, Chicago on it's first run on January 17, 1968.
(Roger Puta, Courtesy Marty Bernard, railfan 44, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)
