Eastbound Manifest Freight led by SD39 4013

While Santa Fe was a leader in promoting TOFC/COFC traffic, boxcars, hoppers and  other revenue cars still dominated rail traffic.  Train types included unit coal and grain trains, high priority manifest, regular manifest, vehicle trains, and so on.  Some had regularly scheduled motive power, but oftentimes, Santa Fe just assembled motive power of what was around, calculated tonnage vs. horsepower/tractive effort, and sent the train rolling.  Today's train would be a typical manifest freight with power of different types, and could be run as an "extra" with designation "Extra 4013".

A video of this train is posted on YouTube at:

                      http://youtu.be/c-TijDkzZdU

All the diesels in this train were custom painted and decaled, and weathered by the author.


This manifest freight is lead by SD39 4013.  This model was made from a SD40 as they shared the same body.  Difference?  Only two radiator fans instead of three, as the SD39 has only a 12 cylinder turbocharged 645 diesel engine (2300 hp) as opposed to the SD40's 16 cylinder 3000 hp engine.  The antennae placement differs as the SD39 has it mounted on a sheet metal plane above the sandbox with external wiring connecting it to the cab. The SD39 manufactured by EMD was intended for use on local freights, but tht never prevented Santa Fe from using it in Class One mainline service.  The model is mildly weathered.

U36C 8759, 3600 horsepower unit purchased by Santa Fe in the 1970's.  Weathered unit sporting air conditioning, rotating beacon and radio antennae.  This model started as a Kato U30C,  and I converted it to a U36C using a N Scale of Nevada conversion kit.  Occasionally you can find these kits on Ebay.  U stands for "Universal" locomotive, 36 for 3600 horsepower, and C for three axle trucks.

 

F45 5927 is basically an SD45 with a cowl body.  The difference between the F45 and FP45 is the lack of a steam generator (P) as they were not designed for passenger service.  The model is powered by a Kato SD45 with the body supplied by JnJ trains.  It has BLMA fans, rotating beacon, antennae, and a custom decaling and paint job.  These were challenging to build, but I had modern F units a decade before Athearn brought them to market.

Kato SD45, weathered with a little rust and black soot on top of the long hood.  Looks like this unit had a dymamic brake fire somewhere long the way. 



Close up of blistered paint.

UP 50' plug door box

Custom painted and weathered MC 50' Outside braced boxcar.

The Orange paint really needed to be toned down on this unit.




Very cool CAT on a center depredded flatcar.



Weathered MT car.

I have a picture of this somewhere, a green door replacement on a Sky Blus GN car.

Mildly weathered custom painted DD Box by MT

Couple ATSF hoppers

One of the first cars I purchased back in the 70's, a UP 50" ob boxcar, sold by Model Rectifier Corp.  I removed the roofwalk and severely weathered this car.  UP stuff weathers very easily because of the yellow color. 

Atlas tank from late 90's

Rust (chalks) weathering on white tanks looks so good.

Very old Atlas tank, painted black, with brass railings by Gold Medal Models.



Custom painted MR 50' box.  Not the easiest of paint jobs in lining up the door paint with the rest of the boxcar.  Weathered down to the wheels and trucks.

More Atlas tanks and another very old caboose with Micro Trains frame, trucks, end ladders and custom paint and decals.

Thanks for stopping by!