Any Santa Fe fans out there ?...

[Tracklayer]

Up until a few years ago, I favored roads like Southern Pacific, D&RGW and so forth. Since I didn't grow up with Santa Fe right under my nose, I never really gave it a second thought. Then a couple of years ago, someone gave me a Santa Fe loco for my birthday, and from there on my collection of Santa Fe items grew like crazy.

I now have a SF Consolidation, SF Northern, a complete SF Super Chief, a full set of SF heavy weight passenger cars, a couple of SF reefers, box cars, flat cars, open hoppers, cabooses, etc. Not to mention two SF GP-40s and two modern SF diesels. Don't get me wrong, I'm very proud and grateful for my modest little collection, and went to great lengths to put it together. There were times when I'd take half a day off from work so I could be home to bid on some hard to find item on ebay.

Anyways. It's really great to see one of the SF locos come around the curve at the end of my layout at table level pulling a full consist of heavy weights, or the Super Chief, or modern diesels pulling a train of coal hoppers...

I recently bought a book on the history of (AT&SF) Santa Fe, and have been reading at it several pages a day. Very interesting. Lot's of cool photos.

Tracklayer

[james saunders]

im in love with the santa fe i love it from the steam to the diesal era i model the SF in HO

OZJIM

[Texas Zepher]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Tracklayer
Since I didn't grow up with Santa Fe right under my nose, I never really gave it a second thought. Then a couple of years ago, someone gave me a Santa Fe loco for my birthday, and from there on my collection of Santa Fe items grew like crazy.

It is hard not to collect Santa Fe equipment. Officially I model the NP and GN, but I'll bet I have at as much Santa Fe equipment as both those combined.

QUOTE: I recently bought a book on the history of (AT&SF) Santa Fe, and have been reading at it several pages a day.

Is that the definitive work "The Story of the Santa Fe" by Glenn Bradley? My favorite Santa Fe reference is still "Santa Fe Early Diesel Daze" by John McCall. I keep it on my "close" shelf instead of in the main Library.

[Anonymous]

Hi! My name is Ron and I'm a Santa Fe-aholic. [:D]

Grew up in Galesburg,IL next to the Chicago-L.A. main. After a short leave of absence from the A.T.S.F. (during which I modeled NS), I am currently growing my collection of Santa Fe diesels. Blue Bonnets are my favorite! I'm also growing my collection of Santa Fe Boxcars as well. Nothing says Santa Fe like:

Super Shock Control
A smoother ride

[Tracklayer]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Texas Zepher

QUOTE: Originally posted by Tracklayer
Since I didn't grow up with Santa Fe right under my nose, I never really gave it a second thought. Then a couple of years ago, someone gave me a Santa Fe loco for my birthday, and from there on my collection of Santa Fe items grew like crazy.

It is hard not to collect Santa Fe equipment. Officially I model the NP and GN, but I'll bet I have at as much Santa Fe equipment as both those combined.

QUOTE: I recently bought a book on the history of (AT&SF) Santa Fe, and have been reading at it several pages a day.

Is that the definitive work "The Story of the Santa Fe" by Glenn Bradley? My favorite Santa Fe reference is still "Santa Fe Early Diesel Daze" by John McCall. I keep it on my "close" shelf instead of in the main Library.

Hello Texas Zepher. It's "The Story of Santa Fe". I got it at Barnes and Noble on FM 1960 at a reduced price a few weeks ago.

Tracklayer

[Texas Zepher]

In the history, I've always found the on-off involvement with the Frisco to be interesting. I just drove through Kansas last week and noticed there are still long streches where there are still double track - one Frisco and one Santa Fe (now both BNSF). It was also sad to see other places all the ex Frisco track is ripped up.

---

I am looking at houses (for retirement) and two of the current candidates are on an ex Santa Fe branch. Timken, Alexander, Bazine, Ness City, etc. I believe the current operator is K&O. Both properties are right next to the railroad track, so I'll be able to watch the occasional train or put in my own spur for PV. The K&O have bunches of grain hoppers stored in Ness City along with a GP20 and a couple other locos.

---

And that brings up the final Santa Fe current affair.
The station in Kiowa Kansas is for sale. I am trying to decide if I want to start modeling 1:1 scale with this station. It sits right on the southern main which they are double tracking all the way to Winfield. A train goes blasting by about once every 20 minutes (see my weekend photo fun from Thanksgiving weekend http://www.trains.com/community/forum/topic.asp?page=-1&TOPIC_ID=50467&REPLY_ID=559160#559160). It would make a great model railroad / train fan hang out. It is just SOOO far away from home - I coudn't even just drive out for a normal weekend. I am wondering if anyone else would like to start a new "Kiowa Train Club".

[dgwinup]

Like their ads used to say, "Santa Fe All The Way".

(Except for my UP stuff and a pair of B & O diesels.)

Darrell, quiet...for now

[jeffers_mz]

I'm an SF fan from way back, but just recently started a ew layout when my son received a train set for his birthday. The diesel it came with was an SF GP38, and I have an SF F7 A & B and an SF GP20 from the good old days to match.

The period I'm modelling is actually the 1880's and 1890s, but the kids like diesels and aren't particular about the road name, so I fill that in for them when they're around, and run the steamers when they aren't. I want to double up all the diesels we have now plus I need one or two SF yard hogs. If anyone has a link to a smooth running short wheelbase SF switcher, I'd appreciate it.

[Anonymous]

When I was only 6 years old, my father bought me a Santa Fe train for my wood train, which I received when only being 3 years old. It consisted of a F-7 A Unit and 2 passenger cars, and it was ultimatively my favourite of all my wood trains. And when I was 9 years old, my aunt bought me my first Santa Fe F-7 A Unit for my electric HO trains. Since that moment, I am a Santa Fe fan, and also since then, I was beginning to have a growing interest in american trains of the 20th century. Before that, I was more into 19th century Wild West railroading. Now I have quite a lot of Santa Fe stuff, and altough I have ven more SP stuff, Santa Fe will always be my favourite american railroad. It´s truly the most famous US railroad, and in my opinion, it has one of the best diesel paint schemes ever. So for me, it´s Santa Fe All The Way!

[Anonymous]

I LOVE THE SANTA FE!!!!!!
best railroad there ever was
I model the Santa fe also

[Anonymous]

i'm a Santa Fe fan!

[joeyegarner]

Guess I'm with you tracklayer, I have always liked Santa Fe, not that I don't favor the others as well. D&RGW UP and #1 on my list of rolling stock and Locos Southern Pacific.......I may have mentioned it in my profile?????????
Oh yea, I picked up a couple of GP-38's today on ebay for a steal!!
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=6017357489&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWN%3AIT&rd=1

[cnw4001]

If your local PBS station runs the Daylight, Santa Fe and Trains OF The West shows, be sure to have the VCR going. Each is an hour long and are great historical flashbacks. They ran in Pittsubrgh in late October but could possibly show up elsewhere.

Just watched the Santa Fe show and it was the history of the Super Chief and featured among others several ATSF Presidents, VP"s, and other employees. A great show.

Dale

[Janafam]

I grew up in Chicago and saw the Sante Fe yards close up. Amongst all of the road it and the Burlington stood out with their clean bright metal passenger cars. I have collected Sante Fe and its competitor UP. For about the past ten years I have stayed with Sante Fe. I am mostly in the late 40's early 50's era of desiel. I have a mix of old zebra and blue/gold freight with passenger for show. I focus on freight.

[tjsmrinfo]

i model the santa fe only cause when as a kid i saw the tyco train sets with the f unit in the warbonnet scheme. like the others i dont live close to an x sf main line, the only road the are close to me are the t&p, frisco and mkt all now fallen flags. when i first saw a blue bonnet the blue and yellow freight scheme i hated the sf now as i see more of them i kinda like it.
i also model the sf premerger bur have foreign roads as well


tom

[Southwest Chief]

Santa Fe All the Way.

I'm a huge Santa Fe fan, and my HO and O scale layouts are Santa Fe based.

I'm so Santa Fe crazy I've done several repainted models for MSTS (Microsoft TrainSim).

I can't even start to begin on all the memorabilia I've collected over the years (from timetables to china/dinnerware). The item I'm proudest of though, is a Santa Fe smoke stand/drink holder. It looks great with Santa Fe glasses in it [;)] .

It also helps to have had the real Santa Fe in my backyard. I live close to the present day BNSF mainline through Anaheim/Yorba Linda California. I kind of miss the old days (old days for me at least) of all blue and yellow locos with a classic Caboose bringing up the rear. Amazing how fast things have changed.

[Texas Zepher]

Tracklayer,

I had sort of assumed this thread would become an on going dissucsion of Santa Fe related topics. However it seems many have just responded basically "yes". Did you intend it to be perpetual? If so perhaps the Subject could be changed from a question to something more befitting a Santa Fe discussion - may be something like "Trinidad Roundhouse Discussion - Where modelers chat about the Santa Fe." Substitute your favorite AT&SF round house location???

[james saunders]

lets continue this thread on for all ATSF fans to talk about the santa fe.

[SSW9389]

I grew up in a small Illinois town about five miles from the Santa Fe main. My folks would take the proverbial Sunday Drive and we would often end up in Chillicothe watching the afternoon passenger fleet on its way West. Later in life I got to visit TEXAS and later still lived in Flagstaff, Arizona for 10 years. Yes Santa Fe was a great line and I still enjoy reading, writing, modeling and talking about it.

"Middle Main, Leave it on."

[Anonymous]

I grew up along the MoPac with no Santa Fe in sight. As a kid I had an American Flyer PA-1 in the red and silver warbonnet paint. One of my friends came back from a vacation to the southwest with his parents with this comment, "There really is a Santa Fe, I saw them on vacation!" Now I live near the former ATSF, former GM&O, MoPac, UP, former SP and on and on. I model some ATSF and some UP on my layout.

[Texas Zepher]

Does anyone else have the "Depots of the Santa Fe Railroad" book? I've just noticed that they are missing documentation on an entire branch from the middle of Kansas including Ness City, Bazine, Alexander, Timken. I've gotten some information from the internet but nothing like what they give in the book.