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Santa Fe FT Prototypes

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  • Member since
    April 2016
  • 20 posts
Posted by ShotgunLebowski on Saturday, May 14, 2016 11:34 PM

I've also ran into a problem with the Nose Herald. The Build in MR Sep 1997 specified some of the micro scale decal sets for FT Units. But I can't find the right nose herald decal in them. Not sure if they were modified(87-12, 87-77) , I also have 87-794(numbers) and 87-101. 

  • Member since
    July 2001
  • From: Shelbyville, Kentucky
  • 1,967 posts
Posted by SSW9389 on Monday, May 9, 2016 2:42 PM

All Santa Fe FTs were coupled, no drawbars. Other railroads that purchased some of this type of FT: D&RGW, Southern, Mopac, and Cotton Belt. Both ACL and Rock Island removed drawbars on some units and replaced them with couplers. Cotton Belt removed drawbars from its remain FTs during rebuild.

ShotgunLebowski

Yeah, the information I have seen seems to indicate most of the Santa Fe FT's were coupled. There is a Kadee that will work for the Stewart Hobbies kits to allow for this. 

John

 

COTTON BELT: Runs like a Blue Streak!
  • Member since
    April 2016
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Posted by ShotgunLebowski on Monday, May 9, 2016 1:47 PM

Yeah, the information I have seen seems to indicate most of the Santa Fe FT's were coupled. There is a Kadee that will work for the Stewart Hobbies kits to allow for this. 

John

  • Member since
    February 2002
  • From: Mpls/St.Paul
  • 13,892 posts
Posted by wjstix on Monday, May 9, 2016 9:11 AM

As FT was originally designed to only operate in A-B or A-A drawbar connected sets. The back of the A units and front of the B units were only designed for drawbars. (The A-B units in effect were back-to-back, so the open space in the B unit where the cab would have been if it was an A unit was at the rear. That is where a steam generator and water supply could be located if a railroad wanted to use their FT's in passenger service.) There wasn't even a door separating the A and B units. Because of that, I imagine pics of the full end of an A unit are fairly rare.

ATSF wanted to be able to use A and B units separately, so EMD jerry-rigged up a coupler that could be used so there were working couplers on both ends. Beginning with the F2 in 1945, all subsequent F-units were designed to be able to have couplers on both ends of both the A and B units.

Stix
  • Member since
    April 2016
  • 20 posts
Posted by ShotgunLebowski on Saturday, May 7, 2016 3:37 PM

Some good photos in that. I suppose you could theorize that the hoses on the front right of the booster would have connected to the A on the Rear Right. 

John

  • Member since
    August 2003
  • From: Collinwood, Ohio, USA
  • 16,367 posts
Posted by gmpullman on Saturday, May 7, 2016 12:00 AM

I found a decent article about the 100 series, especially the 103, with one shot of the end of a B unit, John. (pg. 10)

http://www.atsfrr.com/resources/Sandifer/FT/FTWarbonnet.pdf

I'm guessing since some the FTs were drawbar connected (not the Santa Fe's) for part of their life It might be tough to find the end of an A unit. I'll look through a few of my books when I get home.

I hope that one photo helps a little...

Ed

  • Member since
    April 2016
  • 20 posts
Santa Fe FT Prototypes
Posted by ShotgunLebowski on Friday, May 6, 2016 11:45 PM

I am trying to find Photographs that show the rear of the A-Unit. I have the Stewart FT Sets Undecorated and the Cal Scale Detail Sets for them. Looking for information on what hoses were on the back, but also the lift ring locations. It seems like in some of the photos I have found that there are lift rings similar to what is found on the nose. But I can't find an up close shot anywhere and zooming on older pictures goes grainy pretty fast. 

John

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