Monday, September 29, 2014

1981 Santa Fe Eastbound Manifest led by SD45-2 5656

Unit 5656 was built in May 1972 and delivered in the Yellow Stripe paint scheme.  All 90 purchased were eventually repainted into the Yellow Warbonnet scheme, and equipped with air conditioning, high mounted air horns, window shades, and radio antennae.  5656 was mildly weathered, with rust showing around the air filter.  You can faintly see where the yellow paint in that air filter has just about weathered away.


SD40 5012, part of initial order of 20 locomotives in 1966 (5000-5019).  Santa Fe then targeted the SD45 for future deliveries, until 1977 with the initial purchases of the SD40-2.  Delivered in the Yellow Stripe paint scheme and numbered 1700-1719, they were part of a remanufacturing program during 1980 and 1981.  Unit 5012 appears as if it has just been released from it's rebuilding!

In 1976,  GE C30-7 was introduced as the successor to the U30C locomotive and contained several internal and external design changes resulting in 16 cylinders and 3000 h.p.  Early C30's featured a blanked nose headlight receptacle, with the headlight relocated above the window area.  The last order of 14 units of the 157 ordered between 1977 and 1982 had white number boards and a smooth nose.  8077 is mildly weathered with all the appropriate roof add-ons.



Custom painted 50' MT box car.  The white door on a mineral brown box car generally indicated a food loading only car, as does the XF logo on the upper left of the car.  Mildly weathered.



Two mildly weathered MT 53' covered hoppers

Two mildly weathered MT Santa Fe covered hoppers


Stock MT 50' cars.  The Shock Control car has been sprayed with dullcote and represents a recent rebuild, while the CNW car as mildly weathered.

The stars of the next few photos are the various "Cats" on MT 50' flats.  These models are made by Norscot Construction Minis.

Two Cat 272E Excavators

ICG 50' flat with Caterpillar 906 Compact Wheel Loader

Cat 420E Backhoe Loader


Excavators on a BN flat and a UP flat

Two weathered 50' MT gondolas, B&O and WP

These five gondolas are all loaded with aluminum, crushed into rectangular or square shapes.

Frisco gondola and Ce-8 Wide Vision caboose


A video of this train can be found on YouTube at:

http://youtu.be/4bXqDvCgiOU

Thanks for checking in on the Needles Division!