August 1935: General Motors Electro-Motive Division (EMD) delivers two blunt-nosed diesel-electric units Nos. 1 and 1A, which would ultimately power the Super Chief.

September 9, 1935: Nos. 1 and 1A make their first test run under load with eight heavyweight passenger cars and a dynamometer car.

May 12, 1936: The Santa Fe inaugurates the all-diesel powered Super Chief-1 amid much fanfare. Eleanor Powell, Hollywood's legendary dancer, christens it "The Train of the Stars."

May 10, 1937: The last of four "preview" runs of the Super Chief-2, which utilizes an improved 3,600 hp (2.7 MW), two-unit, streamlined diesel locomotive set built by EMD as motive power, concludes as the train pulls into Los Angeles. All heavyweight wood cars used on the Super Chief are replaced with lightweight stainless steel cars. The general public is invited to tour the new train at Santa Fe's La Grande Station on May 11 and 12.

May 15, 1937: The Super Chief-2 departs Los Angeles at 7:30 p.m. PST. The train completes its maiden run in just 36 hours and 49 minutes (2 hours and 56 minutes ahead of schedule), setting a new Santa Fe speed record in the process, one that would never be broken. It would subsequently be determined that both of the new E1 units suffered mechanical damage during the trip east, and they would be taken out of service for repairs.

May 18, 1937: The Super Chief-2 commences its first regular run, led by Unit 1A and EMD demonstrator Unit 512 (a.k.a. AT&SF Unit 1C), as it departs Chicago's Dearborn Station. The passenger list includes ventriloquist Edgar Bergen and his "sidekick" Charlie McCarthy.

January 1938: E1 Units 3 and 3A are added to the Santa Fe roster and placed into service on the Super Chief-2.

February 26, 1938: A "borrowed" six-car Chief consist begins operating as the Super Chief-2½ due to production delays in order to provide twice-weekly service on the line.

July 2, 1938: A second, all-lightweight train set built by Pullman-Standard enters service as the Super Chief-3 and officially replaces the Super Chief-2½.

1941: The Santa Fe takes delivery of its only 2,000 hp (1.5 MW) ALCO DL-109/110 model locomotives, Units 50 and 50A respectively, which become the primary motive power for the Super Chief-3

July 7, 1942: The Super Chief goes on a wartime schedule of 41 hours, 45 minutes.

June 2, 1946: The line reverts to its prewar schedule of 39 hours and 45 minutes.

September 29, 1946: The Super Chief begins an every-other-day departure schedule from Chicago and Los Angeles.

January 25, 1948: Locomotive #19L, leading the Super Chief, loses braking ability while preparing to depart Los Angeles' Union Passenger Terminal (LAUPT). The train crashes through a steel bumper post and then a concrete wall located at the end of the dead-end track, and ultimately comes to rest with the front half of the locomotive dangling 20 feet (6 m) above the street below. Although there are no injuries, the engineer loses his job over the incident.

February 29, 1948: The AT&SF receives the first post-War equipment order from Pullman-Standard and places these into service on the Super Chief. The railroad now has five Super Chief train sets and the frequency of operation is upgraded to daily.

December 29, 1949: Train No. 17, led by locomotive set #37L/A/B/C, collides with a tanker truck in Azusa, California. All four locomotives, baggage car #3409, and railway post office #88 are damaged by fire.

1950–1951: The Super Chief is reequipped with new sleeping cars built by the Budd Company and the American Car and Foundry Company (ACF), and dining cars from Pullman-Standard. Santa Fe also adds the Pullman-built "Pleasure Dome"-Lounge car (one of the most luxurious ever made for any train) to its Super Chief consists, billing it as the "...only dome car between Chicago and Los Angeles." A speedometer located in the front of the car allowed passengers to monitor the train's velocity.

June 1952: The Super Chief is prominently featured in the Warner Bros. film Three for Bedroom C starring Gloria Swanson.

1954: The General Tire Company utilizes the Super Chief as the centerpiece of a print advertisement for its new "Nygen Cord" tire, in which the train is towed by an AT&SF switcher utilizing one of the tires as a connecting link.

January 10, 1954: The $15.00 extra-fare charge is reduced to $7.50; the barbershop, showerbath, round-end observation car, and coast-to-coast Pullman (which ran through to New York by way of The Broadway Limited and the 20th Century Limited) are all discontinued.