Scott Special - Route and Schedule

Route and Schedule

The special departed from Santa Fe's La Grande Station in Los Angeles at 1:00 pm Pacific Time on July 9, 1905. The locomotive and three cars left the station and the cheering crowds, estimated at 20,000 people, and began its run eastward. The number of people at La Grande Station is remarkable in itself since the train's schedule was planned only one day before the event; the Santa Fe used the train as an opportunity to publicize itself and got the word out to news agencies across the railroad's territory.

In rail transport terminology, the Scott Special operated as an "extra" train. Normally such trains are not allowed any special considerations for schedule and are switched into sidings to clear the main line for the railroad's regularly scheduled trains. For this run, however, the special was afforded rights over all of the railroad's regular trains; all other trains were required to clear the main line no less than one hour before the special was scheduled to pass. As most of the Santa Fe was still a single track railroad, this meant that quite a few regular trains were put into sidings to wait for the special. This accommodation, along with the numerous locomotive changes en route helped to ensure that the train would arrive in Chicago within the 46-hour schedule.

The first locomotive and crew change occurred in Barstow after the train had passed through Cajon Pass. At one point after passing Cajon summit, the train was clocked at 96 mph (155 km/h). The locomotive and crew were again changed successively at Needles, Seligman, Williams, Winslow and Gallup before the train arrived in Albuquerque, New Mexico, at 9:30 am on July 10.

To cross Raton Pass, locomotives and crews were changed at Las Vegas, Raton and La Junta. From La Junta, the train was powered by a succession of 4-4-2 type locomotives that were swapped across the plains in Syracuse, Dodge City, Newton, Emporia, Argentine and Marceline to the Mississippi River crossing at Shopton, Iowa, near Fort Madison. Locomotive 530 was scheduled to take the train completely between Dodge City and Newton, but a burst cylinder head in Kent necessitated adding locomotive 1095 for the 26 miles (42 km) between Kent and Newton.

En route, Scott and his guests enjoyed the finest meals that the Fred Harvey Company had to offer. Menu selections included such luxurious offerings as caviar, iced consommé, and Porterhouse steak à la Coyote.

One more locomotive and crew took the train to Chillicothe where it made its final locomotive change for the last leg into Chicago. Engineer Charles Losee piloted the train for its entire run across Illinois, at an average speed of 60 mph (97 km/h), staying aboard the train during the locomotive change in Chillicothe. The train officially arrived at Dearborn Station at 11:54 am Central Time on July 11.