Santa Fe Hi-Level Lounge 579, Albuquerque, NM, Late 1970 (Beyer Patton) A Wintertime NRHS special, Wyoming, Early 1971 (Beyer Patton)
8444 in action, Wyoming, February 20, 1971 (Beyer Patton) UP Baggage 5716, Wyoming. February 20, 1971 (Beyer Patton)
Amtrak's Superliners were patterned on the Hi-Levels, including the Top of the Cap lounges. I don't know where the actual Santa Fe cars served besides the original Chief route, where they ran for Amtrak's first several years.
Catching a show, Wyoming, February 20, 1971 (Beyer Patton) A chilly pause, Wyoming, February 20, 1971 (Beyer Patton)
That first one looks like Hermosa, WY on the west slope of Sherman Hill. (my photo, July 2003) What's really cool (other than the temp) is the amount of cinders on the ground, 10+ years after the fall of steam.
That's quite the spectacular plume of smoke and steam! One could say that the weather forecast in the area would be "cloudy with a few flurries and a chance of soot".
A scene from a 1975 8444 excursion, Colorado (Beyer Patton) A final scene from the February 20, 1971 excursion (Beyer Patton)
Wheelin' along during a 1975 excursion, Colorado (Beyer Patton) South Shore Coach 109 at Van Buren, Chicago, IL, November 1977 (Beyer Patton)
I wonder if this top one is Greeley, CO. Perhaps northbound from the east side of the tracks? I could be completely wrong, though! It looks vaguely familiar...