Tag Archives: Albuquerque

Death is a Double Cross 1971

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A Quinn Martin Production
Columbia Broadcasting System

Recommended by Lance (thanks for the link!), comes this TV episode of “Cannon”, broadcast on Pearl Harbor Day in 1971. The first half of this 60 minute “Quinn Martin Production” takes place on, or around, a Santa Fe Railway Super Chief-type consist, Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal (LAUPT), and studio sets for the onboard train scenes.

At the time of filming, Amtrak was just starting to take over passenger operations (on May 1, 1971) from the private railroads.

Who is Cannon? He was a robust, rotund, private detective played by William Conrad. He drives around in a big old, metallic blue 1971 Lincoln Mark III two-door with a car phone and red interior.

Is there any cheesecake in this feature? Of course! Not only that, there’s a couple Star Trek connections as well. BUT you’ll have to wait until the end of my review. All aboard!

A Santa Fe Conductor checks his watch in the time-honored tradition beside ATSF “Pleasure Dome” #503. Note the Amtrak “Pointless Arrow” to his left – a harbinger of things to come for American train travelers (shudder…).

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Challenge for Tomorrow 1954

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Santa Fe Railway Safety Department

This one was a lot of fun to research and review. An old Santa Fe safety film in glorious Technicolor from the days of yore. Its formal name was the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway (ATSF) which stretched from Chicago to Los Angeles, The Bay Area (Richmond, California), and down from Kansas City into Texas.

Somehow all the prints I discovered online have the opening credits/title page lopped off. Thus, we’ll use the above safety images instead. The gent in the natty suit and bow tie, (wide lapels must be “IN” this year), has his pointer on San Bernardino’s injury count. He really needs to take a look at Albuquerque.

Just a smattering of steam locomotives are shown segueing into Santa Fe’s colorful, first-generation diesel fleet. And there’s no topping that classic red, silver and gold “Warbonnet” scheme on the passenger engines.

Let’s check it out. Santa Fe, All The Waaaaay!!

Motorcar operator “Skippy” is trundling down the San Joaquin Valley, blissfully unaware of the approaching San Francisco Chief. Should we warn him? “Look around, Skip, look around!” bellows the narrator. This great bit of melodrama will be fleshed out in the upcoming story. Read on.

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