An A-B-B set of FTs along with a steam generator car being tested in passenger service pulling the Scout. Oakland, California. Herb Johnson photo. March 1944. When some of the FTs were transferred to passenger service after the war, they received the red and silver warbonnet paint scheme.
They didn't use the number 100 set because the round numbers looked good. The first few FT sets had much taller gear ratios than most of the rest, and the road never did bother to regear them. The road's steam generator tenders were converted steam locomotive tenders, and definitely designed to run with the FTs. http://www.snowcrest.net/photobob/sfr31.jpg They had plenty of room for water to boil.
In the conversion to passenger service, there was only room in the B units to accommodate steam generators. This carried over to later series of F units where the A units did not have the steam generators. EMD eventually built the FP-7 with a longer body for the A to hold a steam generator but the Santa Fe never bought any.
I have seen this occasionally before, but why the fifth porthole on the first FTB unit in the photo? That seems to only show up in a few units, and I wonder whether it was an option...no idea on its purpose though, which is why I am asking here.
The FTs were designed to be permanently connected between the A and B units. The Santa Fe requested that they all be independent. This required not only standard couplers between the A and B units but batteries on board each and a hostlers control stand on the B units. A window for the hostler was needed so he could poke his head out and see where he was going. A small horn was added next to the end door as well. On later series of F units, I have no idea where the hostler control stand ended up and the requirement for the extra porthole was gone.
Well, some roads had them crammed in. For example, the Northern Pacific had F-7A cabs with boilers. Those had a water supply of a whole 466 gallons. Obviously the NP didn't cross the Mojave. The Santa Fe F-7B carried 1410 gallons. FT stood for Fourteen (hundred horsepower, almost) Twin. Not many people know it, but the Santa Fe didn't own any. There was another model called FS--Fourteen Single. Theirs were model FSA and FSB, but if you call them that nobody will know what you're talking about. EMD went way out of their way to cater to the Santa Fe on that project. Like, they worked with the road's mechanical department to invent dynamic braking resistor grids.
Ah...that makes perfect sense! I though it might be for a hostler to move the B unit independently. It also explains why I haven't seen the 5th porthole in other FTB photos from other railroads. Thank you for the answers above!
They were also only on one side, the "right hand side" (though that would be the left side if it had a cab).
Before the El Capitan, The Scout was the Santa Fe's chair car train between Chicago and L.A., and it was popular enough to often require double-header power. Here an ex-Bull Moose Atlantic has rebuilt Northern 3761 by the nose, and is dragging her across the countryside.
I'm not too much of a fan of the AT&SF, but this thread IS awesome with all the pics ya'll keep sharing-keep 'em coming!
Some big hooks called in to work a stringline at Cajon Pass before the tracks were realigned. Chard Walker photo, Stephen Priest collection.
How about an Otto Perry photo? The train once known as the Centennial State is near Castle Rock, Colorado, not far from Denver. In these years it was normally a five car train, including the open platform parlor observation. Since it ran the front range of the Rockies up from Pueblo, it usually drew a big 4-8-2. Sometimes the mail and express ran heavy, though, as on this day in 1951.
Besides Perry, the other famous photographer who paid particular attention to the Santa Fe was Phil Middlebrook. In 1928 he caught one of the locomotives used on the record run of Walter "Death Valley Scotty" Scott's Coyote Special of 1905, a Rhode Island ten wheeler. I like the 468 Class. Apparently the road did too. Atlantics and Pacifics began appearing on the property before they were four years old, making them obsolete before their time. Even so, most lasted over thirty years; this one lived to the ripe old age of 39.
Back at the tail end is a car normally assigned to the Oil Flyer at that time, cafe obs 1509. There's a reason the Santa Fe had the reputation they did, even miles away from their main line. The Pacific Southwest Railway Museum is currently overhauling the 1509.
That was at to old Santa Fe La Grande Station, which stood at 2nd Street and Santa Fe Ave, just outside of downtown Los Angeles.
Yup. You posted a cool pic of the front a while back, so I thought I'd add a pic of that side. The Santa Fe became a lot more motivated to join in a union depot project after 1933, despite the depression. An earthquake damaged La Grande so severely that they had to remove the Moorish dome. One thing didn't change when Los Angeles Union opened. When the Santa Fe moved in, Fred Harvey did too.
Chard Walker caught some SD-45 demo units. Between them, up the hill behind, you can see the end of the Descanso, a relic from the past. The Los Angeles Railway used specially designed funeral cars to transport caskets and funeral parties to the local cemeteries. Built in 1909, it was saved from a scrap yard in 1939 by a group of rail fans who restored it and turned it into their club house. They hauled it up to Summit where it lasted until 1964. A unique place to hang out while watching trains. Stephen Priest collection. https://www.sbsun.com/2020/01/13/fr...cajon-pass-was-home-to-the-descanso-in-1940s/
