David B. Jones Special

Last updated

The David B. Jones Special was a one-time, passenger train operated by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway from Los Angeles, California, to Chicago, Illinois, at the request of David Benton Jones. David B. Jones was suddenly taken ill with cancer [1] at his winter home [2] "Pepper Hill" in Montecito, California. [3] This special rushed him to his Chicago physicians and surgeons at an average speed of 50 miles per hour (80 km/h). [4] This run was completed three minutes faster than the more famous 1905 Scott Special . Although not part of the speed run, the train continued on to David B. Jones' summer home in Lake Forest, Illinois.

Contents

Overall trip summary

The train left La Grande Station at Los Angeles at 11:33 PM May 5, 1923, Pacific Time and arrived in Chicago at 12:50 AM on May 8 Central Time. The 2,232-mile (3,592 km) journey was completed "in exactly 47 hours and 27 minutes." [5] The actual running time was only 44 hours and 51 minutes [6] which deducts time spent for stops such as those for coal and water and the 55-minute delay caused by the breakdown of a Union Pacific locomotive ahead of the special at Nebo, California. [6] The running time was therefore three minutes less [note 1] than the Scott Special. Thus, the average speed was 47 mph (76 km/h) and the average running speed was 50 mph (80 km/h). It was "a phenomenal run when compared with the regular Santa Fe limited time of sixty-eight hours and thirty minutes." [7] The $11,000 special thus saved about 20 hours over the time of the regularly scheduled train. ($11,000 is equivalent to $196,700 in present-day terms. [8] ) "Mr. Jones' daughter, Gwendolyn [note 2] Jones; his brother [Thomas D.], a doctor and two nurses accompanied him on the trip." [10]

Speed and time over selected segments

The special train traveled over selected segments as follows: [note 3] F. M. Gillette, engineer, and W. L. Evens, fireman on locomotive 1370 ran between Los Angeles and Barstow, California-141.4 miles (228 km)—on the Los Angeles Division in 3 hours and 26 minutes. This included:

The 432-mile (695 km) run between Seligman, Arizona, and Albuquerque, New Mexico, on the Albuquerque Division was scheduled for 12 hours, but completed in 9 hours and 32 minutes. [12]

"The stretch between Dodge City and Newton, Kansas, was covered at 65 miles per hour [(105 km/h)]." [13]

The Special covered the 455.3 miles (733 km) between Argentine, Kansas, and Chicago in 7 hours and 45 minutes at about 60 mph (97 km/h). This was "thirty minutes faster than the Scott Special." [note 4]

After arriving in Chicago

"Upon arrival here [Chicago] it was switched back over the Northwestern track to Lake Forest, arriving there at 3:46 p.m. This switchback, however, is not counted in making the record." [10]

Legacy

The run "was in the nature of staging a comeback at the aviation record in the non-stop flight from New York to San Diego last week." [14] However, the run was only marginally faster than the Scott Special.

Notes

  1. ↑ But notice that the Scott Special traveled 2,265 miles (3,645 km) between Los Angeles and Chicago; The Jones Special traveled 2,232 miles (3,592 km) between the same cities.
  2. ↑ Actually, her name was Gwenthalyn Jones. [9]
  3. ↑ This account has been derived from various newspaper accounts. No comprehensive account has been found.
  4. ↑ Actually, it was twelve minutes faster. [14]

Related Research Articles

<i>Southwest Chief</i> Amtrak service between Chicago and Los Angeles

The Southwest Chief is a long-distance passenger train operated by Amtrak on a 2,265-mile (3,645 km) route between Chicago and Los Angeles through the Midwest and Southwest via Kansas City, Albuquerque, and Flagstaff mostly on the BNSF's Southern Transcon, but branches off between Albuquerque and Kansas City via the Topeka, La Junta, Raton, and Glorieta Subdivision. Amtrak bills the route as one of its most scenic, with views of the Painted Desert and the Red Cliffs of Sedona, as well as the plains of Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, and Colorado.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway</span> Former railroad company in the United States

The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, often referred to as the Santa Fe or AT&SF, was one of the largest Class 1 railroads in the United States between 1859 and 1996.

<i>Super Chief</i> Named passenger train of the Santa Fe Railway

The Super Chief was one of the named passenger trains and the flagship of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. The then-modern streamliner was touted in its heyday as "The Train of the Stars" because it often carried celebrities between Chicago, Illinois, and Los Angeles, California.

<i>San Diegan</i> (train) Passenger train

The San Diegan was one of the named passenger trains of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, and a “workhorse” of the railroad. Its 126-mile (203-kilometer) route ran from Los Angeles, California, south to San Diego. It was assigned train Nos. 70–79.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orange County Line</span> Commuter rail line in Southern California

The Orange County Line is a commuter rail line run by Metrolink from Los Angeles through Orange County to Oceanside in San Diego County, connecting with the Coaster commuter rail service to San Diego. The Orange County Line carries passengers to the primary Metrolink hub at L.A. Union Station in downtown Los Angeles, as well as to many attractions in Orange County including the Knott's Berry Farm area, Angel Stadium of Anaheim and the Honda Center, the Disneyland Resort, Old Town Orange, Santa Ana Zoo, Mission San Juan Capistrano and many more. In San Diego County, it serves the Oceanside Pier and Camp Pendelton.

<i>Chief</i> (train)

The Chief was an American long-distance named passenger train of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway that ran between Chicago, Illinois and Los Angeles, California. The Santa Fe initiated the Chief in 1926 to supplement the California Limited. In 1936 the Super Chief was introduced, after the Super Chief was relaunched in 1948 with daily departures from LA and Chicago it gradually eclipsed the Chief as the standard bearer of the Santa Fe because of its timetable oriented to the Raton Pass transit. For some the Chief and San Francisco Chief as deluxe integrated trains with both Pullman sleepers and fully reclining coach seating with all facilities; lounges and pleasure domes, available to all passengers were at least equal flagships better suited to the business and executive market. From the mid 1960s the super Chief was only a small entirely separate section of the El Capitan seated vista train, the El Capitan passengers having no access to the Super Chiefs expensive eateries and bars which selling point was exclusion and service. The Chief was discontinued in 1968 due to high operating costs, competition from airlines, and the loss of Postal Office contracts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Surf Line</span> Rail line in Southern California from Los Angeles to San Diego

The Surf Line is a railroad line that runs from San Diego to Orange County along California's Pacific coast. It was so named because much of the line is near the Pacific Ocean, within less than 100 feet (30 m) in some places. It is the second busiest passenger rail corridor in the United States after the Northeast Corridor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Santa Fe 3751</span> Preserved American Santa Fe 3751 class 4-8-4 locomotive

Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe 3751 is a preserved class "3751" 4-8-4 "Heavy Mountain" type steam locomotive built in May 1927 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in Eddystone (Philadelphia), Pennsylvania for the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway (ATSF). No. 3751 was the first 4-8-4 steam locomotive built for the Santa Fe and was referenced in documentation as type: "Heavy Mountain", "New Mountain", or "Mountain 4-wheel trailer". No. 3751 served in passenger duties until being retired on August 23, 1953.

<i>California Limited</i> Named passenger train of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway

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.

<i>Grand Canyon Limited</i> ATSF Railway passenger service

The Grand Canyon Limited was one of the named passenger trains of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. It was train Nos. 23 & 24 between Chicago, Illinois, and Los Angeles, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A Line (Los Angeles Metro)</span> Light rail line in Los Angeles County, California

The A Line is a light rail line in Los Angeles County, California. It is one of the six lines of the Los Angeles Metro Rail system, operated by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro). The A Line serves 44 stations and runs east-west between Azusa and Pasadena, then north-south between Pasadena and Long Beach, interlining and sharing five stations with the E Line in Downtown Los Angeles. It operates for approximately 19 hours per day with headways of up to 8 minutes during peak hours. It runs for 48.5 miles (78.1 km), making it the world's longest light rail line since 2023.

<i>Super C</i> (freight train) 1960s fast train

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 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.

The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway's 3460 class comprised six 4-6-4 "Super Hudson" type steam locomotives built in 1937 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works for service between La Junta, Colorado and Chicago, Illinois, a fairly flat division of the railroad suited for the 4-6-4 type. They were substantially larger than the road's earlier 3450 class locomotives, and all were built oil-fired, although in a manner that would allow for easy conversion to coal firing. All were fitted with SKF roller bearings on every axle.

<i>Scott Special</i> One-off LA to Chicago express train

The Scott Special, also known as the Coyote Special, the Death Valley Coyote or the Death Valley Scotty Special, was a one-time, record-breaking passenger train operated by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway from Los Angeles, California, to Chicago, Illinois, at the request of Walter E. Scott, known as "Death Valley Scotty". At the time of its transit in 1905, the Scott Special made the 2,265-mile (3,645 km) trip between the two cities at the fastest speed recorded to date; in doing so, it established the Santa Fe as the leader in high-speed travel between Chicago and the West Coast. The Scott Special made the trip in 44 hours and 54 minutes breaking the previous records, set in 1900 by the Peacock Special, by 13 hours and 2 minutes, and in 1903 by the Lowe Special, by 7 hours and 55 minutes. Santa Fe's regular passenger service from Los Angeles to Chicago at the time was handled on a 2½-day schedule by the California Limited. It was not until the 1936 introduction of the Super Chief that Santa Fe trains would regularly exceed the speeds seen on the Scott Special.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walter E. Scott</span>

Walter Edward Perry Scott, also known as Death Valley Scotty, was a prospector, performer, and con man who was made famous by his many scams involving gold mining and the mansion in Death Valley, known as Scotty's Castle.

<i>Golden Gate</i> (train) Santa Fe Railway passenger service

The Golden Gate was one of the named passenger trains of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. It ran on the railroad's Valley Division between Oakland and Bakersfield, California; its bus connections provided service between San Francisco and Los Angeles via California's San Joaquin Valley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Santa Fe Depot (San Diego)</span> Main railroad station for San Diego

Santa Fe Depot is a union station in San Diego, California, built by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway to replace the small Victorian-style structure erected in 1887 for the California Southern Railroad Company. The Spanish Colonial Revival style station is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a San Diego Historic Landmark. Its architecture, particularly the signature twin domes, is often echoed in the design of modern buildings in downtown San Diego.

David Benton Jones was president and chairman of the board of directors of the Mineral Point Zinc Company and considered a founder of the Zinc industry in America. When ill, he chartered a special train whose speed rivaled the time of the Scott Special.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arcadia station</span> Los Angeles Metro Rail station

Arcadia station is an at-grade light rail station on the A Line of the Los Angeles Metro Rail system. It is located at the intersection of 1st Avenue and Santa Clara Street in Arcadia, California, after which the station is named.

References

  1. ↑ "Another Speed Record Broken".
  2. ↑ "Zinc Industry Founder Dead...".
  3. ↑ Wilson 2002, p. 13.
  4. ↑ "Jones Special Another Notable Santa Fe Run".{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help) This article has 3 paragraphs on the Jones Special; 2 paragraphs on the Scott Special; and 1 paragraph each on the Nellie Bly; B. P. Cheney, Jr; C. P. Huntington; A. R. Peacock; H. P. Lowe; and Charles W. Clark specials.
  5. ↑ "Jones Special Another Notable Santa Fe Run".{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help) This should be 47 hours 17 minutes with the two-hour time-zone difference. Some newspapers accounts use the erroneous 27-minute figure; others use the correct 17-minute value.
  6. 1 2 "Jones Special Another Notable Santa Fe Run".{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  7. ↑ "Life Rests with Speed of Special...".
  8. ↑ 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–" . Retrieved February 29, 2024.
  9. ↑ "Social Register summer 1919".{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  10. 1 2 "Record for Rail Speed is Smashed...".
  11. ↑ "[Among Ourselves] Redondo Junction...".{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  12. ↑ "[Among Ourselves] Winslow...": 89.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  13. ↑ "Special Train Speeds 2,230 Miles to Doctor...".
  14. 1 2 "Record Made of Chicago Special...".
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.