What is your absolute favorite Santa Fe memory? It can be railfanning from trackside or onboard. Mine is a rather odd memory, but still it sticks out in my mind. I was in a small antique shop in New Mexico. The shop was across the street from the ATSF main. I came around a corner and there was a whole stash of ATSF memorabilia, including a set of the famous dinnerware. As I picked up a plate, with its Mimbres designs, an ATSF freight rumbled by just out the window. I had this strange sense of connection, history, and a sense of loss all at the same time!! I must have been about eight years old at the time. So lets hear what you folks remember of the AT&SF. Happy Modeling!! John
Well, I have to get it down to to just one, I guess it would be back in my hometown Wichita Kansas. My Dad was going to a meeting in Oklahoma City and he decided to take the train rather than drive and take me with him. It was like in March so it was fairly warm. the Texas Chief left Wichita about 5:30AM. I remember my Dad talked to the conductor who talked to the baggageman and I got a tour of the head end including one car almost completely full with what I assume was parcel post, liked stacked to the ceiling and a narrow passage through the center of the car. Dad got off at OKC and arranged for me to go on to Gainesviile Texas. Wow was that cool !! I saw places like Purcell, Ardmore etc. I got off #15 and had about 2 or so hours in Gainesville to enjoy the warm Texas sun and watch trains before I got on # 16 to head back. Met Dad at OKC, had dinner in the diner, and back in Wichita at about 9:30. What a trip for a kid who was about 14 or so !!
Hi fellow Jay Hawker! Welcome to our family here at the TrainBoard, DC!! I was born and raised at Wichita (9-30-1930) My parents also took the trains quite often. My first "alone" trip was to go back home from Little Rock, Arkansas when I was 12. Alone in that mom and dad were in Wichita, but I was with 10 other students and a teacher. It was a great trip. Don't know that I ever knew what railroad it was, but I rode in the Parlor car most of the way. My really "alone" trip was like you, when I was 14, I went back during WWII on a student work permit, student during school term, working Saturdays only, then 4 days each week during summer, school 2 days. It was fun but lonesome.
WHEN: 1993 During the Great Mississippi River Flood. WHERE: Baton Rouge, LA. WHAT: Santa Fe detours on KCS -via- Baton Rouge to cross the Mississippi. Stack Trains with New Red Warbonnets enter Baton Rouge. I think the Eastbound Chicago Traffic went to New Orleans to take the IC north to Chicago and Westbounds took KCS to Kansas City. Seeing I was the ONLY Santa Fe guy in the N-Trak Club at the time, THIS WAS NERVANA!
June 1990, when I spent several days on Tehachapi shooting train after train led by the then-new Super Fleet GP60M's. For someone who had only seen red and silver warbonnet paint on models, this was an awesome sight. [ 29 March 2001: Message edited by: Kevin Stevens ] [ 29 March 2001: Message edited by: Kevin Stevens ]
December 1991. My first ride ever on the Santa Fe. Had many rides as a kid on the New York Central in the steam days. This first ride on the SF was behind the newly restored 4-8-4 3751, plus two SDF-45's? (the carbody units) with warbonnet red and silver. Round trip from Barstow to Bakersfield, over the Tehachapi Loop in Kevin Stevens' territory. What more could one ask for? The Barstow station was in the process of restoration back to Harvey House days. On the return trip it was snowing in Tehachapi and the loop. The 3751 was working hard uphill and blasted a whole lot of years of diesel grunge off the inside of the tunnels onto those pretty warbonnets. They looked like SP units when we pulled back into Barstow. Wonderful memories.
<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by fitz: December 1991.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> You had to remind me of that one, didn't you. I was laid up with a bad case of the flu that week and missed the entire trip. No pictures and no memories...oh well, you can't win 'em all BTW - nice shot of those grimy diesels...looks like they matched the steamer after the trip. If I had to guess, I'd say the photo was at Tunnel 7 or 8, and most of the grime came from the ceiling of Tunnel 5.
Kevin, I believe tunnel 5 was the culprit. Is it the long one? For all the time I lived down there I never knew the tunnel numbers, and that's the ONLY time I ever rode over the loop on the rails. Sorry you were laid up. I have some decent video of it as well, considering the weather conditions.
You are right, Tunnel 5 is the long one just above Bealville. Tunnel 1 and two are the ones above Caliente and before Bealville siding. Tunnel 3 is just past the road crossing at Bealville, and 5 is visible from the road crossing. FYI, Tunnel 4 and 6 were in the same vicinity, but were removed in the rebuilding after the 1952 earthquake. The remnants of Tunnel 4 are still visible beside the tracks in the ravine between Tunnel 3 and 5. Hope this description helps you identify the locations in your photos and video. Take care,
I remember seeing the black on white "target" on the caboose after a train would start up Raton Pass to Trinidad, Colorado back during the 30's. The last I remember seeing those was I think around 1940 or 41, because we were at the top of the Pass and saw the train start down toward Raton, New Mexico and it is the only time I remember seeing the "target" raised! Later I found out that was how the engineer could see the end of his train, and the conductor could signal him with that target. I'm not sure what all signals he had with it, but evidently when it was down against the roof, it was OK to GO, when raised it ment apply brakes or go slow, and when it was wagging it meant emergency, (probably to stop). I'm not sure. Also there was a red light mounted in the center of that target seen from the rear. Seems like there may have been a green and maybe a yellow could be seen from the front (engineer's) side of the target. All the caboose's were tuscan red except one time there was a white one with black roof on a siding in Trinidad. I'm not sure if it was a Santa Fe or not.
