California Limited
| California Limited | |
|---|---|
California Limited in Los Angeles, California, with engine No. 53 at the La Grande Station circa 1899 | |
| Overview | |
| First service | November 27, 1892 |
| Last service | June 15, 1954 |
| Successor | San Francisco Chief |
| Former operator(s) | Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway |
| Route | |
| Termini | Chicago, Illinois Los Angeles, California San Diego, California Oakland, California |
| Train number(s) | 3 and 4 |
The California Limited was one of the named passenger trains of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. It carried train Nos. 3 & 4 and ran between Chicago, Illinois, and Los Angeles, California.
The line was conceived by company president Allen Manvel as a means to "signify completion of the basic Santa Fe system." Manvel felt he could attract business and enhance the prestige of the railroad with daily first-class service from Chicago to the West Coast. The California Limited, billed as the "Finest Train West of Chicago," made its first run on November 27, 1892.
The California Limited was the first Santa Fe train with Fred Harvey Company meal service. The later trains also offered air conditioning, a barber, beautician, steam-operated clothing press, even a shower-bath. The Limited was the first Santa Fe train with illuminated drumhead on its observation cars, with the train's name over the company logo.
The California Limited was withdrawn on June 15, 1954, giving it the longest tenure of any train on the Chicago–Los Angeles run of the Santa Fe.