|
|
Post by WP 257 on Feb 27, 2015 7:36:56 GMT -8
Since we have the interest in Penn Central and some others, who out there still models or has an interest in Santa Fe, prior to the BN initials going in front of it?
And what is your era of interest?
For me, I'd have to say the blue and yellow warbonnet era up to the mid-80's.
|
|
|
|
Post by riogrande on Feb 27, 2015 8:05:07 GMT -8
Bob Miller, who used to be on this forum, modeled ATSF in 1989.
Anyone know what happened to Bob? I haven't seen anything by him here or other forums for many months.
|
|
|
|
Post by edwardsutorik on Feb 27, 2015 8:34:28 GMT -8
It's hard NOT to be interested in Santa Fe.
And any era is interesting.
BUT.
I like the zebra stripe because, in about 1958, I saw a zebra striped Geep nestled next to an orange warehouse (the fruit, not the color). In San Bernardino. Or somewhere. BAM! It's still in my head.
And also 1910--the Santa Fe's articulated era: 4-4-6-2, 2-10-10-2, bendy-boiled locos. THAT was a fascinating time in Santa Fe history.
Ed
|
|
|
|
Post by Great-Northern-Willmar Div on Feb 27, 2015 8:47:43 GMT -8
The blue pinstripe era or pre-yellow warbonnet or the passenger service years of the 1960's up until Amtrak. Even early Amtrak on the Santa Fe is cool.
After passenger service ended and the yellow warbonnet was introduced, my interest in the Atchison Topeka & Santa Fe begins to wain for me. Though even from this period to the merger, Santa Fe is interesting. Tehachapi and Cajon pass is something that anyone that likes trains should find interesting. Even the relative flat portion of the Santa Fe from Illinois, Missouri, Kansas is not hard to like.
|
|
|
|
Post by calzephyr on Feb 27, 2015 9:03:47 GMT -8
Since we have the interest in Penn Central and some others, who out there still models or has an interest in Santa Fe, prior to the BN initials going in front of it? And what is your era of interest? For me, I'd have to say the blue and yellow warbonnet era up to the mid-80's. I like the steam and early diesels from the late forties to mid fifties.. Their passenger service was really great and their large steam locos were always impressive and interesting. I remember the first day I got to see one of the SD75M's with the BNSF letters on the side, but still in Red and Silver. The change was in but from a distance, those new units including the GE's in Red and Silver still looked like the old Santa Fe. The BN executive colors were a class act until the new BNSF went with the pumpkin colors that faded like crazy. Larry |
|
|
|
Post by Great-Northern-Willmar Div on Feb 27, 2015 9:31:44 GMT -8
The BN executive colors were a class act until the new BNSF went with the pumpkin colors that faded like crazy. Larry Now I didn't warm up to Grinstein green and cream. I preferred the business cars in Cascade Green with the black roof and the white band. I liked the original BN scheme. The tiger stripes on the GP50 and SD60 demo's didn't do it, nor did white face which I loathed too. To me this is classic  |
|
|
|
Post by WP 257 on Feb 27, 2015 11:06:24 GMT -8
It's hard NOT to be interested in Santa Fe. And any era is interesting. BUT. I like the zebra stripe because, in about 1958, I saw a zebra striped Geep nestled next to an orange warehouse (the fruit, not the color). In San Bernardino. Or somewhere. BAM! It's still in my head. And also 1910--the Santa Fe's articulated era: 4-4-6-2, 2-10-10-2, bendy-boiled locos. THAT was a fascinating time in Santa Fe history. Ed Ed-- I must confess that I'd like to own a Santa Fe 2-10-10-2 myself, and it was an interesting time, to say the least. Also as I've grown older I've grown to appreciate the silver zebra stripes (they were most often silver and not white as sometimes reported). However, being an engineer (unfortunately not the locomotive kind) I can also appreciate what a miserable engineering failure those Santa Fe mallet compound articulateds actually were. The bendy joints were a maintenance nightmare and the small fireboxes were unable to produce enough steam to adequately power the cylinders, and the design engineers who conceived them...were not so good. True science in engineering was somewhat lacking in those days, and those engineers likely were "scaling up" steam propulsion figures from pre-existing design charts that would have been utterly inadequate for articulated mallet compound designs. It's just the same as steel truss bridges being designed from graphical charts back then--today we have better, and accurate, structural analysis (even by hand) than they had back in the heyday of steel truss bridges--and steel truss bridges for highway use are a major headache due to road salt damage, so we are ripping them down everywhere it makes sense to do so. However some of them were designed conservatively for 3 or 4 times the legal loading (to last versus repetitive loadings over their lifespan). So it's easy to fault the design engineers of the time, but in hindsight they only had the materials that they possessed, and they made the "best" use of the knowledge that they had at that time (while perhaps other railroads were farther ahead). Pennsy designed a marvelous Belpaire-boilered early 2-8-8-0 (Class HC-1) that had an astounding 147,000 pounds tractive effort, in simple operation (if I recall correctly), but it had so much drawbar power that it was beyond the typical couplers of its day, broke them, and was then banished to pusher service at Altoona, and an early scrapping. As a result, they swore off articulated power until taking some old N&W USRA engines during WWII, only out of desperation. The Alleghenies west of Altoona would have been ideally suited to big articulated motive power and/or big 4-8-4's...it is interesting to conjecture what might have been if they had not given up on articulateds so early. John |
|
|
|
Post by runs2waynoka on Feb 27, 2015 11:33:01 GMT -8
It's always been hugely popular in the regions were it operated, and around here, the central plains region, it is by far the most common modeling subject.
I don't ride on the modern era hater bus, so I do model some ex ATSF equipment in it's present state or at least post-merger appearance. There is still a large amount of Santa Fe power still in original paint roaming BNSF. I pretty much model the period since I went to work on BNSF....
|
|
|
|
Post by lajrmdlr on Feb 27, 2015 11:33:18 GMT -8
Have never been a big nothing fan & really don't like them now after what they did to the Santa Fe! Santa Fe was a client for 14 years & they always had a great group of people working for them. Plus they had real history vs BN w/ only 25 years. Used to model just Santa Fe but now model Los Angeles Junction Ry. Santa Fe always had a controlling interest in them then in "72 they became wholly owned by them. The LAJ interchanged w/ ATSF, PE, SP & UP, so can have some variety w/ motive power. Plus they received freight cars from anywhere & everywhere in North America because of the variety of industries it served. Things have slowed down since BuNSnifF took over but they are still hauling freight, just not 24/7. They're also only using RCLs for power these days. But being only an industrial RR there never were any passenger trains. There are a few PVs being stored on some unused spurs. So being Pres & CEO of the MR version of the LAJ,will run a few pax excursions for family & friends. LOL
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Feb 27, 2015 12:05:07 GMT -8
I like the yellow "Book End" scheme. Never really liked the "War Bonnet" scheme all though it was a sharp looking paint scheme. Really like the drab look of the "Book End" scheme.
I do have a P2K GP30 waiting to be something and was thinking it would look good in ATSF blue.
Brian
|
|
|
|
Post by edwardsutorik on Feb 27, 2015 12:39:38 GMT -8
I fully agree that Santa Fe's articulateds were perhaps not the most wonderful designs. After all, when Santa Fe made "the big guys", none were articulated. Compare that with N&W. Which did have lots more hills, of course.
I have a feeling that modelers tend to like the more successful designs of steam locos. I know that I greatly admire, and like, the winners. Like the NYC 4-8-4. Or practically any 4-8-4. Except the Reading T-1, which I believe had too small a firebox.
But it's not compulsory to go that route. I like the Santa Fe articulateds as visual things. They're interesting to me. Much as the first 2-8-4--what a visual treat! To me, anyway.
All Santa Fe steam is distinctive. But my oh my, that stuff from 1910(ish) was sure special. There were also the Vauclain compound 4-4-2's, 2-10-2's, tandem compound 2-10-0's, one (1) 4-8-0.......
I wouldn't feel sad if I were somehow compelled to model that railroad in that era.
Ed
|
|
|
|
Post by WP 257 on Feb 27, 2015 12:46:55 GMT -8
This is potentially derailing this thread, but if I had to pick steamers purely based upon aesthetics, well, my top three of all time would have to include:
Erie 2-8-4 (I like the pre-Advisory Mechanical Committee Berkshires)
B&LE 2-10-4 (bigtime tractive effort monster with still decent aesthetics)
All various classes of Rio Grande 4-8-2 (excepting the ex-N&W ones).
|
|
routerock
Junior Member
Rock Island in 1977
Posts: 94 
|
Post by routerock on Feb 27, 2015 12:55:08 GMT -8
I use to model the Santa Fe but changed over to the Rock Island around 1978, but when Walthers came out with the El Capitan cars I couldn't help my self and stated it again.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Feb 27, 2015 13:26:58 GMT -8
I use to model the Santa Fe but changed over to the Rock Island around 1978, but when Walthers came out with the El Capitan cars I couldn't help my self and stated it again. oh I hear that. One of these days when I have a few grand to drop, I plan on getting a very detailed super chief from them. |
|
|
|
Post by WP 257 on Feb 27, 2015 14:06:03 GMT -8
I started to accumulate some of the Super Chief/El Cap cars, but it would be fair to say that train got a little rich for my blood (and there were some QA/QC issues with some of the cars that also made it frustrating for me). Many of the cars are gorgeous, but a few have issues with rough plastic finish under the plating, or roofs that don't fit right, etc. such that they just don't look right. Generally speaking, the more expensive ones with the factory installed people inside and the factory installed lights are better than the comparable regular release cars--so if you have the money, I'd say go for the limited edition cars. Plus, on any future resale, the limited edition cars will always be worth more money (they did very well at retaining nearly full value when I sold them) because there's just less of them and the numbers were fixed.
|
|
|
|
Post by fr8kar on Feb 27, 2015 14:09:00 GMT -8
I model both BN and ATSF a few years before the BNSF merger, up to and including the appearance of the Super Fleet scheme.
|
|
|
|
Post by atsfan on Feb 27, 2015 14:19:15 GMT -8
Oh yes.
I love the ATSF line in New Mexico to Cajon.
Awesome railroading.
My focus is post SP merger attempt to the BNSF merger.
Although I have over time picked up some BNSF items.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Feb 27, 2015 18:37:27 GMT -8
I model July 22 1986. Warbonnets, Kodachrome, SP Gray. Just the day before the merger denial. Love my Warbonnets.
|
|
|
|
Post by WP 257 on Feb 27, 2015 21:18:12 GMT -8
I can appreciate Kodachrome Tunnel Motors!
|
|
|
|
Post by riogrande on Feb 28, 2015 7:05:15 GMT -8
I have mixed emotions about Kodachromes, but since I include all of the 1980's in my time period, I have a single Kodachrome and might get one more at some point. I recall seeing them in Reno or Sparks Nevada when I rode Amtrak in 1990 from Chicago to Sacramento. Pretty impressive in real life.
|
|
|
|
Post by WP 257 on Feb 28, 2015 10:15:03 GMT -8
Well, the only paint scheme I like better than blue and yellow warbonnet is that red and yellow warbonnet (when it's clean and not faded red)...but I understand it's not for everyone.
Even though the yellow is the same, it comes off looking "brighter" when it's with the fresh red paint...must be a visual perception thing.
|
|
|
|
Post by thebessemerkid on Feb 28, 2015 10:25:14 GMT -8
This is potentially derailing this thread, but if I had to pick steamers purely based upon aesthetics, well, my top three of all time would have to include: Erie 2-8-4 (I like the pre-Advisory Mechanical Committee Berkshires) B&LE 2-10-4 (bigtime tractive effort monster with still decent aesthetics) All various classes of Rio Grande 4-8-2 (excepting the ex-N&W ones). B&LE 643 is still around, although neglected by its owner Bwck to ATSF, I permit whatever looks neat on my RR, and that includes a Super Chief with Genesis F-units, and a catwhisker F-unit reefer train. Buncha cabooses too. Lots of rolling stock. No steam, although as interesting models appear, like the GN S-2, that may change. Does anyone offer a decent hudson? (Non-streamlined) |
|
|
|
Post by mrsocal on Feb 28, 2015 16:51:55 GMT -8
This is easy... Growing up in the Cajon Pass just about every weekend in the late 60's up to the late 70's when the camp grounds where closed I went though the growth and growing pains of the SF. The war bonnet's are the face and life of the Santa Fe. The Kodachromes were a what if and did not have the Santa Fe feel. No..., the Santa Fe was a proud road as they dorned the large Harold on the sides of their locos.
|
|
|
|
Post by Spikre on Mar 1, 2015 10:06:39 GMT -8
 Both ATSF and EL were based in Dearborn Station in Chicago. EL got a lot of Headend Biz from ATSF before the Lake Cities was DQed in 1/70.not sure what ATSF-EL did until Amtrak day ? ATSF also did much Interchange with EL in Chicago,so its important to include ATSF cars in EL modeling. interesting that Pig Trailers from ATSF were "Rubber Tired" from ATSF to EL's 51st Street Pig yard.most trailers in Chicago were done that way,but EL did get full pig cars from C&EI/MP most of the time at Dolthan [South Chicago]. Chicago was very important to EL rite up to CR Day. Spikre 
|
|
|
|
Post by SantaFeSammy on Mar 2, 2015 5:41:26 GMT -8
Did someone say something about the ATSF? I model the Santa Fe's Hereford Subdivision in Texas and New Mexico set in the Summer of 1995. It's 100% Santa Fe as I saw it back during that time period. I do have a run through coal train that uses BN power, though. Follow the link for more pics. www.pbase.com/sammy1974/image/158253799 |
|
|
|
Post by calzephyr on Mar 2, 2015 6:23:51 GMT -8
Did someone say something about the ATSF? I model the Santa Fe's Hereford Subdivision in Texas and New Mexico set in the Summer of 1995. It's 100% Santa Fe as I saw it back during that time period. I do have a run through coal train that uses BN power, though. Follow the link for more pics. www.pbase.com/sammy1974/image/158253799The 1991 to 1995 time frame was the best for the new Warbonnet fleet. Larry |
|
|
|
Post by steeplecab on Mar 2, 2015 6:45:15 GMT -8
I/we are modeling the Santa Fe in two eras. The first is just at the end of the Dress Blue scheme (aka pinstripe, bookend, etc.), including the name passenger trains, from Barstow to Albuquerque. The El Cap was an addiction that we never broke. I also have Super Fleet power. How can any real power lover not hunger for the classic good looks and brawn of those big red and silver beasts?
steeplecab
|
|
|
|
Post by nebrzephyr on Mar 2, 2015 7:14:32 GMT -8
SantaFeSammy.....good to see your posting. Always enjoyed your models and layout on the old Atlas Forum. Bob
|
|
|
|
Post by fr8kar on Mar 2, 2015 11:32:49 GMT -8
SantaFeSammy.....good to see your posting. Always enjoyed your models and layout on the old Atlas Forum. Bob I couldn't agree more! |
|
|
|
Post by WP 257 on Mar 2, 2015 11:40:15 GMT -8
Welcome Santa Fe Sammy!
Good to see you here!
John
|
|
