Summer 1965; Combined El Capitan Super Chief

This week's blog will show the consists of the Santa Fe Combined El Capitan Super Chief in the summer 1965. Summertime vacationers increased traffic to the point that the combined train which normally operated as one train (unit), was divided into two separate "sections" (units), operating as one train number. The first section would be the El Capitan in a familiar Hi Level configuration, and the second section, the Super Chief, having a much more interesting configuration.

Motive Power: EMD F7 AABBB
Baggage
Lounge Dormitory                                 Pullman Standard
Lunch Counter-Diner                             (Kitchen in Rear)
(5) Coaches                                            Pullman Standard

10-6 Sleeper                                           Budd

17 Roomette Sleeper*                            Pullman Standard

Dome Lounge Car                                  Pullman Standard

Dining Car                                              Pullman Standard

4-4-2 Sleeper                                          American Car & Foundry
17 Roomette Sleeper*                            Pullman Standard

10-6 Sleeper                                           American Car & Foundry

Notice the five coaches assigned to the Super Chief section, normally a sleeper only consist.

*I substituted two 17 Roomette Sleepers for the 11 double Bedroom cars as no car "sides" of 11 double bedroom cars are available from M&R. The window patterns are close, though.





Dormitory Lounge

 

Lunch Counter- Diner

First Two Coaches

Next Three Coaches

Budd 10-6 Sleeper

Seventeen Roomette Sleeper

Pleasure Dome

Diner

Seventeen Roomette Sleeper

ACF 4-4-2 Sleeper

ACF 10-6 Sleeper

The coaches are all from Pullman Standard and are from the 2861 class, despite different years of manufacture.   All cars were delivered with skirting, although many had this skirting removed.  All coaches were made from M&R brass sides on American Limited frames, as are the 17 roomette cars and the Lunch Counter-Diner.




I have published a video on YouTube of each train.

 

 

You can find the video of the El Capitan at: 

 

     http://youtu.be/dagyntLYX7w                        

 

You can find the video of the Super Chief at:

 

               



       http://youtu.be/jDkwKha65_Q

 





1971 Santa Fe Super C (revised)

Back in September, I published a blog on the 1971 Santa Fe "Super C", a revolutionary freight train, offering TOFC/COFC shipments from LA to Chicago, and via NYC to New York, at passenger speeds. At  the times I put the video on TouTube, I had little in the offerings of trailers for that time period.  However, recently both Athearn and Trainworx have released a variety of 40' trailers that conform to that time period.  Here is my updated (backdated) version of the Super C as one might have seen it in 1971.

Santa Fe FP45's in passenger paint scheme.

The first flat is a Trainworx Trailer Train flat.  I custom painted this car as I never even saw the first release of these cars.  Lightly weathered, it carries on it's back a GN corrugated trailer with a side door.  This is a Trainworx (TWX) model and is quite detailed, as are all items from them.  The ICG drop trailer is also from TWX, a first of it's kind in N scale.

The next flat car is also from TWX and is a UP model.  Both trailers are also from TWX and are every bit as detailed as their other releases.  Both trailers and flat are slightly weathered.

Again, a custom painted TWX flat with two exterior post Athearn trailers.  Thes are also quite detailed and worthy of praise.  The first is a Santa Fe trailer with no promotional markings while the second is from Penn Central.

Here is the first BLMA Trailer Train 89' flat, a model of the F89-J.  It is a model of the original as delivered paint scheme beginning in the 1960's.  All of the trailers in train have been weathered to some degree.  The trailers here are as PC Athearn release and a TWX American President Lines trailer.

Lots of BLMA Trailer Train flats in this consist.  Trailers here are both SF, one exterior post from Athearn and a drop frame from TWX.  Both feature the Santa Fe "Four Feather" logo.  Remember, Santa Fe has many Native American references.  Many Native Americans worked for the Santa Fe throughout it's history, and the Santa Fe often paid homage to Native Americans.

Santa Fe corrugated side trailer from TWX.  This is the original Piggy Back Service paint scheme.  The second trailer is a Vermont Railway trailer from Micro Trains.



Beautiful Western Pacific drop frame trailer with side door from Trainworx and another exterior post Santa Fe trailer from Athearn.

 

Another fabulous drop frame trailer from TWX and a custom painted and decaled Micro Trains 40' trailer.

Western Pacific offering from TWX and A CNW 40 footer from Athearn.

Two Milwaukee Road 40' trailers from TWX.  The drop frame trailer is particular interesting.  Again, incredible detail. The flatcar is a custom painted and decaled trailer from Trainworx.

 

Two TWX Pennsylvania RR side door exterior post trailers from TWX.

 

Exterior post trailer from TWX and the Athearn Santa Fe trailer.  Note the Santa Fe logo has five "Feathers", the fifth promoting Santa Fe's air freight.  The air freight was a short time transportation effort by the Santa Fe, but The Feds decided the railroads should not be involved in air freight.  Thus, the involvement and logo both were short lived.

SF TWX release and Athearn B&O exterior post van.  Note the "cutsie" "TOFCEE SERVICE" posted on the side of the trailer. Pleeeeeeeeease!

Nice Rio Grande release from TWX and a just as nice BAR trailer from Athearn.  Both of these companies stepped up to fill a void in N Scale modeling with the release of many quality trailers from both the 70's and especially the 1960's.  Thanks to both.

Finally, a caboose taken from the scrap heap, added Micro Trains end railings, MT trucks, smokestack, and couplers, a faded paint job, and Micro scale decals, and ta-da, a respectable Santa Fe waycar!

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

                                               http://youtu.be/z1AtRa9YKtI

Thanks for looking up my blog.
 

Combined Super Chief and El Capitan 1959

EMD F7's ABBA

As the influence of the airlines and the superhighway system being created in America grew, rail traffic correspondingly decreased.  As a result, railroads had to compensate for this decreased volume of traffic.  Most railroads just let their passenger service languish.  However, the Santa Fe railroad insisted on maintaining a high level of service to it's customers.  A step was taken to decrease costs yet maintain a high service level.  The coach and sleeper trains were combined.

In 1958, the Super Chief and the El Capitan combined operations and ran as one unit running as trains 17 and 18 (westbound and eastbound respectively). They were only broken up into different trains during the holiday season and other times of high volume passenger traffic.

The typical combined Super Chief and El Capitan would be a consist with at least all of the following:

Motive Power:  EMD F7's              ABBA

60' RPO                                           Kansas City to Los Angeles
Baggage Mail
Baggage Dormitory Car                      
Hi Level Chair Car (step down)      All Hi Level cars Budd

Hi Level Chair Car

Hi Level Dining Car

Hi Level Lounge Car

Hi Level Chair Car

Hi Level Chair Car (step down)

10-6 Sleeper                                   Budd
4-4-2 Sleeper                                  American Car and Foundry

Dome Lounge Car                          Pullman Standard

Dining Car                                      P.S.

4-4-2 Sleeper                                 ACF

10-6 Sleeper                                   Budd or ACF

10-6 Sleeper                                                                       

 

 

Each section of the train were initially kept separate, but as time went on, passengers were allowed to move freely between the El Cap and Super Chief sections.  This happened mainly as passengers wanted to dine in both dining cars, and eventually the Santa Fe relented.

For a complete history of the combined trains, see "Super Chief and El Capitan" by Patrick Dorin. 

 

For a view of a short video of this train, follow this link to YouTube:

                                             http://youtu.be/dc9NSSU2owM

Santa Fe Fantasy FP45 BiCentennial

In my September 3rd blog, I mentioned that I had a photo of my custom painted FP45 in BiCentennial colors published in Model Railroader Magazine.  I promised an expansion on that, and here it is.

This is what the Santa Fe BiCentennial locomotives should have looked like. Although the SD45-2'S were a great choice, the FP45's, in my opinion, would have been the ultimate choice.  But it was a great paint scheme, no matter which locomotive was used.

F units in Needles, CA

5940 in the Mojave

5940 crossing the Mojave

The FP45 in BiCentennial colors in Barstow

 In 1975, Santa Fe painted 5 SD45-2's in this paint scheme.  I previously posted a video of these in action on my Needles Division. 

Santa Fe SD45-2 BiCentennial unit fresh from the Barstow Paint Shop in 1975.

(photo: Kansas State Historical Society, Santa Fe Collection)

A picture of my FP45 was published in Model Railroader's trackside photos in the October 2012 issue.

The TOFC in the video on YouTube are basically flats and trailers from the late seventies and early eighties.  One of the two periods I model is June of 1981, so most of my TOFC stuff  is from that period.  Since this is a "Fantasy" train, I guess there are no strict rules.  So here goes with many of the flats in this train.  Please note weathering on most of the 89' flats.

A video of that train is available on YouTube at:
                                 

                             http://youtu.be/3jAsBKbCxHU

     
Thanks for your time.

Atlas 45' Vermont trailer and new Athearn 40' B&O trailer

Two Micro Train trailers, slightly weathered

MT 45' custom Preferred 45' trailer and a new Athearn 40 footer.

Two custom MT trailers, with the refrigeration unit and diesel fuel tank added, and slightly weathered.  Custom Santa Fe trailer transit 40 footer.

Custom Tex Mex 45' MT trailer and stock UP, both slightly weathered.



Can't get enough of Preferred Pool and Santa Fe trailers, both custom MT units.

I think the Transamerica unit is custom painted, but I am not sure.  The weathered N&W unit is a stock MT trailer.

Soo Line custom 45' trailer and stock MT BiCentennial trailer.

I believe the 45' Conrail is stock and the Burlington is a complete custom.  The trailer is very old, one that required assembly. 

MT custom Preferred pool and custom WP forty footer.

The new Athearn and Trainworks trailers are absolutely fabulous!  I am waiting on further releases from both Trainworks and BLMA on their 85' flat cars.  When I get delivery, I hope to redo some of my earlier videos, and match trailers and flats in the proper time frame.  Til then..........

A video of this train is available on YouTube at:

                                   

http://youtu.be/3jAsBKbCxHU

Dash 8-40CW's with Manifest Freight

The Santa Fe ordered 152 of these units from GE between 1992 and 1993. They were the predecessors to the Dash 9-44CW's, which had better adhesion trucks and 3-400 more horsepower, as well as better fuel consumption.

As far as the models go, these units pale in comparison to the Kato Dash 9-44CW's. The made in China stamping is the first indication that this would be a poor performing unit, which it is in every way. As with the BNSF, I shall be retiring these Super Fleet units first.

The first car in the consist is the Rio Grande gondola.  All my gondolas on my layout are heavily weathered, as you will see in the following.

CB&Q gondola.  Notice weathering on trucks and wheels.

Santa Fe 60' waffle box car.  MT car issued by Lowell Smith.

Santa Fe 60' DD Hi Cube boxcar.  MT car custom painted and decaled.  Bx-138 class boxcar, modeled after photo from the book Santa FeFreight in Color...The Series. 

The covered gondolas from Micro Trains are really cool models, but way to shinny out of the box.  Weathering on the coverings is a must.

Mildly weathered Chicago and Eastern Illinois gondola.

Couple of examples on a Detroit, Toledo and Ironton gon and a Western Pacific covered gondola.



Back in the late eighties, I spotted a Santa Fe manifest freight heading through Cajon Pass with four of these cars in a row. A few years ago a company in Oregon called LBF made these cars available, whereas I quickly purchased four of them.  I have not heard much lately from this company, but I got these, as well as a UP model.



I think this looks pretty cool!  All slightly weathered.

Covered hopper with replacement hatch and evidence of repair on left.

Custom painted and decaled 50' GN boxcar.  You can see a prototype photo of this car on page 69 of the book "Great Northern Equipment Color Pictorial" by Scott R. Thompson.

UP center depressed flat car with load.  Strapped down, and industrial decals added to whatever this thing is.

Heavily weathered UP 60' single door boxcar.

Atlas tank car from the 70's (?) upgraded with Gold Medal Models brass end plates, walkways and railings.  Really improves the appearance of this model and brings it up to 21st century specifications.  Note the weathered trucks and especially treatment of the MT wheels.

Detail of the rust weathering flowing down from the top of car.

Pyrofax Gas tank car, released originally by Atlas in very late 90's.  The plastic railings are much improved over previous releases.  This tank is still available today.

MR 60' waffle car, slightly weathered.  I have another of these cars weathered much heavier.  Yellow cars look great with a little rust applied.  The photo robs the cars of the subtle weathering applied here.

ATSF 60' single door boxcar.  This is an Atlas model custom painted and decaled.  This Bx-101 car is turning pink with age.  Notice the uncommon black Santa Fe lettering in the 10' Cirlce Cross.  Note the contast in color with the repainted wide cupola caboose, a very nice Atlas model. (I added the caboose to this photo just for contrast.)

 

Thanks for viewing this blog.

 

You can see a video of this train on YouTube at the following link:



                                             http://youtu.be/uFFM92d4b80