The first revenue run of the hi-level El Capitan took place on July 8, 1956. A few weeks before, Santa Fe invited a select group of people — probably travel agents, writers, and possibly some elected officials — to take a “unique trip” from Chicago to Streater, Illinois and back on June 24.
Click image to download a 0.9-MB PDF of this brochure.
Inside this invitation was a photograph taken in the dining car on this trip. The back of the photo says that it shows John W. Childs and Lynn D. Pullen. I haven’t found anything about these two men on the web, but Mr. Pullen at least looks like he is having a good time.