Santa Fe Super Fleet FP45 Businesss Special

Business Special powered by Super Fleet FP45's

FP45's 93 and 92 leading Business Special

With Santa Fe concentrating on double stack trains, it was necessary to go out and promote this business with potential customers.  Today's train carries Santa Fe executives and sales people with three 4-4-2 Regal class sleepers, a Big Dome car, and Business Lounge.

Business Special with three sleeper cars from the Regal 4-4-2 series

Dome-Lounge Dormitory car and Business car

Dome Lounge Dormitory car from 550 Class

The small window section indicated the location of the crew lounge dormitory.  This is different from the original Big Dome cars as they were strictly lounge cars, and on those cars, all windows are the same size.
This car made froma Bachmann Big Dome car with M & R sides added for better detail and correct window placement.  Most of the Bachmann shell was removed and the sides carefully added to the window framing.

Business Car Topeka

Kato business car modified with 6 wheel Commonwealth trucks, wheel wells carved open and new taillight arrangement.

Santa Fe Super Fleet FP45's 92 and 93

As mentioned lasst week, these are highly modified Lima shells on a
C44-9W chassis.  New ladder steps and air conditioning unit part of improvements, along with the obvious repaint and use of Micro Scale decals.

BLMA fans

My FP45's have BLMA 48" fans installed, replacing the crude fans molded onto the model.  It is a relatively simple project producing fantantic looking results.  Something not really necessary to do with the Athearn models.

BLMA fans

Some of the fans have a center plate.  I am not sure as to why there are two different types as they both have eight blades.  They were also installed as needed and relaced with what was on hand.  I also repositioned the horns per the prototype.

You can see  a video of this Business Special on YouTube at:

                       http://youtu.be/nBhmUS-dkKY

FP45 Double Stacks "Red Warbonnet"

FP45 Double Stacks "Red Warbonnet"

Looking for a way to promote their Hi Speed Intermodal service, new president Michael Haverty decided a great way to do this was to bring back the red and silver “Warbonnet” paint scheme.   In the meantime, he ordered the repainting of the FP45’s into the warbonnet paint scheme and had them tour the country promoting their intermodal freight service.  In 1989 the Santa Fe was to order 123 new locomotives from GE and EMD, and he decided they would be delivered in such a paint scheme.

FP45's in the Red Warbonnet paint scheme

About the models.  These FP45's have been highly upgraded from the original Lima locomotives I scrounged around for in the early 1980's at swap meets.  Although the shells are rough by today's standards, I managed to modify the shells with creating pilots, adding details, such as BLMA fans, to produce pretty respectable models.  The shells were installed on C44-9W frames with SD45 trucks obtained from Kato.

Sea Land Containers

All cars in this train are 40' well cars

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As you can see, I haven't as yet weathered these cars or containers

45' Mitsui container on 40' American President's Line container


You can see a video of this double stack train at YouTube at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X075X3PeDM0

SD75M Double Stacks 1995

SD75M DOUBLE STACK 1995

Newly acquired SD75M's eastbound through Barstow, CA

In 1995 Santa Fe took delivery from EMD 51 SD75M's with either 4300 or 4500 h.p., based on respective rpm expected from the prime mover.  These were the last units purchased by Santa Fe from EMD before the merger into the BNSF.  The train is seen passing in front of the Barstow station.

Weathered Evergreen and APL 40' containers

Mounting posts and end posts on Santa Fe containers painted silver as on the prototype

Weathered well cars

Lightly weathered containers

Looks like new Santa Fe 48' well cars


You can view a three minute video of the double stack at:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQp-ypkt_RU

Dash 8-40BW 1990-1992

DASH 8-40BW 1990-1992

Trio of Dash 8-40BW's serviced at Barstow.   

Note American Limited Fuel stations

This will be my second posting on the Needles Division of the Santa Fe Railroad in N Scale, which I will from now on just call it the Needles Division.  Thought I'd trot out my Dash 8-40BW's for a double stack dash through the division.  At the bottom of the blog, you will find a link to YouTube and a short video on this trip.  I have decided to post all videos on You Tube because the quality is much better than I can upload here. 

I mentioned in my last blog that I have a number of "trains" on my layout covering many time periods.  I really did not know how much stuff I had from eras outside of my main interest.  For instance, I purchased all the containers and well cars at an outrageously low price at a garage sale.  I also saw all of the Super Fleet locomotives in Cajon Pass in the early 90's, and had to have models of them.  So soon I had nearly all of them.  (Waiting on Fox Valley Models for their GP60M's).  So future posts likely to be spread all over the last half of the 20th Century for a while.  So here goes No .2.

K Lines of a different color

More K Line

Colorful containers are muck easier to weather than white

Note that the mounting posts and end posts are painted silver; as purchased they are painted like the rest of the container, white. 

More K Lines of a different color

K Line red weathers in reality very fast

48' on 40' and 40' on 48'

You can see a 3 minute video of this train in action on YouTube at the following web site:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEDaIWOO2aw

Needles Division Santa Fe Railroad

Santa Fe C44-9W "Double Stack" Train

Welcome to my first blog for the Needles Division of the Santa Fe RR in  N Scale.  My railroad has been "finished" for the most part since 2001,  You can find a five page article in Sept 2002 Model Railroader Magazine if you would like to familiar yourselves with my railroad.  I know modelers never throw out magazines. 

I model two different time periods.  It might be June 30, 1954, or may end up being June 30, 1981.  In will in time explain why  chose those two time periods.  I also have some Super Fleet locos which are currently leading double stacks on the layout.  This summer on my layout, I have a potpourri of different Santa Fe prototypes over four decades which make for some interesting videos.

Weathered Containers, 40 and 45 foot

Slightly Weathered

Passing through Needles California

Painted containers are much easier to weather

A video of this train can be found can be found on You Tube at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQ2jpX2ORx0