For the main line. Two Budd observations for El Capitan, one Pullman for the Chief, one for the Super, and Navajo, the Budd sleeper-obs that Pullman balked about servicing. It's 1938, and the year old Navajo is the grizzled old veteran of the group. And one on the long branch that many a Class 2 would have been proud to call their main line. The Tulsan about twenty-five miles from Tulsa, on a day the diesel was sick (or replacing an ailing diesel on the Kansas Cityan). It's 1949, and the shadow-lined diner hasn't yet given way to Fred Harvey Sandwich Cart Service. Not the most beautiful of Santa Fe photographs, but one of my favorites. That big Pacific hauling the stainless, yellow rods flashing in the sun, makes me want a time machine. I've read that some railfans of the era considered Santa Fe steam "brutal". Perhaps that's a point, with 3900s beating the rail up (and themselves), and 310 psi Texas types barking out the efflux of the strongest piston thrusts ever. I read the introduction to Coach, Cabbage Caboose, where the author expressed a desire to capture the light branch lines, a "kinder, gentler Santa Fe" more in line with the Katy or Midland Valley. This is my era and locale. It's a happy medium, a branch that could be a main. A six car train of mostly shining stainless, hauled by a mere Pacific, yet one of the bigger, finer 4-6-2s to ever shine a rail.
Perhaps the paint scheme helped, but this unit is not a bad looking creation. Bulldog nosed, but it does not look like a crude adaptation, such as other similar ideas.
Glorieta, NM depot, June 1925. Elev. 7437, Grade: 3% Eastbound; 1.7% Westbound. [John W. Barriger III Library] Location unknown, could also be Glorieta. Check out the first head end car with truss rods.
...plug doors, vents and ice hatches. It's a reefer. The road used to haul supplies, particularly seafood, on passenger trains. They were in the habit of offering the Pacific delicacies California was famous for to diners having their first meal out of Chicago, and great lakes whitefish to passengers crossing the Mojave eastbound. Call it a taste of what's to come.
The U28CGs as well as the fully cowled U30CGs did not last long in passenger service. West bound Grand Canyon in Joliet, Illinois. 1968 Rodney Peterson photo.
In 1940, the road painted the logo on some passenger power tenders. Apparently that was deemed too expensive. The big white "SANTA FE" was simple enough to put even on freight hog tenders, and spread quickly postwar. Rebuilt 3420 shows a clean stack hauling the Chief, c. 1940.
From RRPictures.net Early on the morning of November 29, 1968, two freight trains collided head on just south of Hale Center, Texas, on the Plainview District. As a result, the 213L broke completely in half just behind the cab (as designed). The Slaton derrick is shoving the nose portion of the unit (on its own truck) to a position where it can be loaded on a flat car for the trip to Cleburne Shops south of Fort Worth/Dallas (see photo #399952). The 213L and the 270C (lead unit on the other train) were both scrapped. Although the trains hit at a combined speed of 40 m.p.h. on a curve, no cars were derailed. There were two minor injuries.
Santa Fe Berkshire, outshopped from Baldwin in 1928 Former B&M Berkshire, bought second hand in 1945 The homegrown engines of the 4101 class were very strong engines. They were a little light on heating surface, but had big grates and 275 psi boilers. They weren't considered superpower by many critics, though, because they didn't have mallet-hinged frames (which allowed most 2-8-4s to mount huge ash pans). They also were among the few Berkshires that didn't derail when backing through switches. They ultimately produced 82,940 pounds of tractive effort, which was nearly unheard of from a locomotive with only eight drivers. And since they all wound up oil burners, they didn't need oversized ash pans anyway.
Albuquerque, NM looking north. [John W. Barriger III National Railroad Library] The 3759 at Albuquerque by the three tall poles in the distance in the above photo.
Here is a classic taken by Jack Delano during his epic journey aboard the Santa Fe during WWII. Diesels were still new on the system and the refueling was kind of make-shift. A good friend of mine grew up in Albuquerque and knew the "Mutt & Jeff" looking duo in the lower left. When the Super Chief was in town, it seems everyone showed up to look. Library of Congress collection.
