The Santa Fe conveyed the Texas Chief to Amtrak in 1971, which renamed it the Lone Star in 1974.

[4] The general decline in passenger traffic in the 1960s led to cutbacks on the Texas Chief.

[10] In 1974 the Santa Fe withdrew permission to use the name due to a perceived decline in service, so Amtrak renamed it the Lone Star.

[15][16] The Texas Chief featured a wide variety of equipment during its short Amtrak tenure.

In addition to ex-Santa Fe equipment such as Hi-Level coaches and Big Domes, Amtrak assigned Vista-Dome dormitory-buffet-lounge-observation cars from the former California Zephyr.