The Combined Super Chief/El Capitan at Los Angeles, Late 1970 (Beyer Patton) An assortment of things around the depot at Albuquerque, Late 1970 (Beyer Patton)
Santa Fe Baggage-Dorm 347x, Albuquerque, NM, Late 1970 (Beyer Patton) Santa Fe Steam Generator 135, Albuquerque, NM, Late 1970 (Beyer Patton)
Santa Fe F45 5925, Albuquerque, NM, Late 1970 (Beyer Patton) Contrasts at Los Angeles, Late 1970 (Beyer Patton)
Santa Fe Hi-Level Coach 531, Albuquerque, NM, Late 1970 (Beyer Patton) Hi-Levels at Albuquerque, Late 1970 (Beyer Patton)
A brief refresher at Albuquerque, Late 1970 (Beyer Patton) The El Cap/Super at Los Angeles, Late 1970 (Beyer Patton)
Is that a diner wearing that structure on one end of the roof, with no glass in it? Does anyone know what that is?
I think the Santa Fe had some of these to make the transition from high level cars to their regular height cars more pleasing to the eye. For some reason I'm thinking these were dorm cars, but I may be wrong there.
You're right. They were all baggage-dormitories. There's one in the other photo in that post. As far as I know, they were all identical, and the airfoil was mounted over the vestibule. But this thing is in the midst of Pullman cars, and the structure has no door under it. The shape also looks wrong. I hate posting a pic of one in gubbermint colors, but this shows what I mean:
I started to deny it, then looked again. I believe you're right. I never noticed that the dome started so far from the edge of the roof that it would look like it was that close to the end of the car from that angle. It looks like the Turquoise Room is three feet long. Totally threw me.
They were to streamline the air flow from the low cars to the high cars. You have the same structure on modern semi-tractors to streamline onto trailers.
Santa Fe F-Units, Los Angeles, Late 1970 (Beyer Patton) The Head-End equipment of the Super Chief/El Capitan, Late 1970 (Beyer Patton)
Heads and Tails at Los Angeles, Late 1970 (Beyer Patton) Autoliner PV "Happy Hollow", Los Angeles, Late 1970 (Beyer Patton)