Desert Wind in Afton Canyon, 1980s.
Black and white photograph showing the westbound Desert Wind in California's Afton Canyon. Image dates to the early 1980s.
- Photograph Details
-
- Date Archived:
- October 9, 2013
- Geography:
- West
- Decade:
- 1980s
- Data Format:
- Image
- Route:
- Desert Wind
- Download the full-sized version of this photo
In this photograph, the Desert Wind (Ogden-Las Vegas-Los Angeles) has a varied consist of old and new rail cars. Behind the locomotives are a Heritage Baggage car; Heritage Sleeping car; Amdinette; and bi-level Superliner coaches. The single-level Amfleet equipment, built mainly for use in the East and Midwest, was introduced in 1975, and the Superliners, designed for use on western long-distance routes, went into service in 1979. The Desert Wind was not equipped with Superliners until June 1980. Located about 40 miles northeast of Barstow, California, Afton Canyon was carved by the Mojave River, which for most of the year is not visible above ground.
The Desert Wind was established in 1979 during a major route restructuring mandated by Congress. Years later, the train was combined with the California Zephyr east of Salt Lake City for through service to Chicago. In 1997, the train was discontinued.
Photographer: Unknown for Amtrak.
