Does anybody miss the Santa Fe Railroad?

[Anonymous]

Does anybody on this forum miss the old Santa Fe Railroad before it was merged into BNSF? I certainly do, I really think that the old Santa Fe Railroad has the most stylish logo/paint scheme of all the railroads, I also believe that the Santa Fe Railroad was a favorite among many railfans and they sure get alot of recognition, I still act like that the BN and the ATSF railroads are two different railroad companies.

[ironhorseman]

Where I am there's still pleanty of red warbonnets, but the blue&yellows are fast fading. BNSF around here still operates like the old ATSF: fast and lots of trailertrains. However, the biggest difference is the orange paint and the NS units tagging along all the time. Oh and it's all Dash 9s all the time. Never see the old old GEs anymore. I know most people hate their operating record but I think they were still nice to look at.

[AlcoRS11Nut]

kinda...when ATSF was around i didn't really care that much about ATSF, mainly cause everyone was "Santa Fe this" and "Warbonet that"...kinda got sickening. Kinda how everyone oogles at the Daylight or an ALCo PA, yeah they are nice looking but "get over it" (for lack of better words). To me there are a lot of Railroads equal to or better then the ATSF...but then again thats me. But now that BNSF is around...i do/did like ATSF better then BNSF, so now i miss ATSF cause i don't like BNSF. (if that makes anysense what so ever)

[David_Telesha]

QUOTE: i didn't really care that much about ATSF, mainly cause everyone was "Santa Fe this" and "Warbonet that"...kinda got sickening. Kinda how everyone oogles at the Daylight or an ALCo PA, yeah they are nice looking but "get over it" (for lack of better words). To me there are a lot of Railroads equal to or better then the ATSF...but then again thats me.

I agree and still feel the same way. No offense to anyone - to each his own - but over-rated comes to mind when I here SF, UP or SP and some others.

[Anonymous]

Yes and No.
Allan.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by David_Telesha

QUOTE: i didn't really care that much about ATSF, mainly cause everyone was "Santa Fe this" and "Warbonet that"...kinda got sickening. Kinda how everyone oogles at the Daylight or an ALCo PA, yeah they are nice looking but "get over it" (for lack of better words). To me there are a lot of Railroads equal to or better then the ATSF...but then again thats me.

I agree and still feel the same way. No offense to anyone - to each his own - but over-rated comes to mind when I here SF, UP or SP and some others.

[#ditto] and [#ditto]
In other places than this forum, I have been virtually accused of blasphemy for saying I dislike the Santa Fe. It was a good railroad but way overrated. Same goes for the red and silver. I don't mind the blue and yellow warbonnet. If I had to point to one thing that makes me dislike the ATSF, its the fans I've met who act superior to you when you say the your favorite railroad is not the Santa Fe.

[Anonymous]

i Greatly miss the one and only true railroad the SANTA FE!!!!!

Now all we see is barfbonnets, pumpkins, wedgie, and sewer pickles,
Heathan Pageans!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[eolafan]

I tend to always miss a really high quality company, whether railroad, airline or any other company that provided a good quality service for a competitive price that goes out of business for whatever reason.

[Modelcar]

....Well I'm not that into paint decor's, etc....but years ago I had an occasion to be on a project in Az...Kingman to be exact and of course the main line passes right through there and I really enjoyed being able to consume the sights of railroading they {Sante Fe}, provided...Both passenger and of course a bunch of fast freights. It sure appeared like a high quality operation that I was observing at the time. The power lash ups always looked up to the job of moving the freight and then watching the passenger trains making their stop there in kingman with their double decker silver sided passenger cars....It all looked first class...{This was just before Amtrak}....They would come down the grade in the evening with their "Mars" light cycling and make their stop there at the Kingman depot....It all was very impressive.....

[Murphy Siding]

Modelcar: Can you describe a Mars light cycling? I've seen pictures of them on locomotives, but never quite understood how they moved. Thanks

[K. P. Harrier]

I miss the old AT&SF, especially the Haverty warbonnet colors WITHOUT any green and Santa Claus combinations. Too bad Haverty left … But just wait till everything starts being painted black …

[bnsfkline]

I miss the BN more.....no real expeirence of true AT&SF until 9 years after the merger, I lived more along the BN

[andrewjonathon]

I kinda of miss tSanta Fe as with any fallen flag. However, it happened, we can't go back in time and so 10 years later it is time accept it happened and move on.

[Modelcar]

MS....I never did see a Mars light in detail {to see the design of it}, but just from what I did see in the operation of them, I'd say the light was mounted {inside the inclosure}, on an angle and then the mount itself rotated swinging the light in a very wide projected angle...It would shine on the trees there in Kingman as it approached the depot....but of course while rotating.

[Anonymous]

At least that there are still the red and silver warbonnets with the BNSF on the front but you can barely see it, at least that they didn't cover the Santa Fe logo on some of them, I've been noticing that there are more of the NS units on the BNSF line, I once saw an Illinois Central engine on a BNSF line.

[Anonymous]

I do know what you mean by what you said, I like it better when BN and ATSF were two different railroad companies, ATSF sure does get alot of recognition I can tell you that much, one railroad company I feel is underrated is the Missouri Pacific, nobody seems to talk about Mo-Pac anymore, Mo-Pac is also one of my favorite railroads.


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[Anonymous]

I remember feeling dissapointed when Burlington Northern merged into the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway, I was shocked about it, at first I couldn't get into the ATSF but now I can't get enough of them, I still wi***hat BN and ATSF are still two different railroad companies.

[Anonymous]

A message to CNW8835,

To admit it I also like the blue and yellow Santa Fe engine than the red and silver engine.


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[Anonymous]

Before the mergers of all the railroad companies wasn't the ATSF Railroad the largest railroad company?

[Anonymous]

BN was the railroad company I've had alot of great memories with, I used to watch the trains go by from my uncle's trailer on the BN line from Portland to Pasco over in Finley, Washington, I didn't really get involved with ATSFuntil a couple years ago.

[Anonymous]

Were there also alot of the ATSF engines with the yellow and red trim? They seem to be alot rarer than the yellow/blue and the silver/red warbonnet.


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[Murphy Siding]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Modelcar

MS....I never did see a Mars light in detail {to see the design of it}, but just from what I did see in the operation of them, I'd say the light was mounted {inside the inclosure}, on an angle and then the mount itself rotated swinging the light in a very wide projected angle...It would shine on the trees there in Kingman as it approached the depot....but of course while rotating.

So, did the light beam swing side-to-side,in a steady pattern? I understand the Mars light was there to make the train more visible to bystanders(?). I'm more curious what it looked like to the observer, as the train went down the track? Thanks

[tree68]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Murphy Siding

QUOTE: Originally posted by Modelcar

MS....I never did see a Mars light in detail {to see the design of it}, but just from what I did see in the operation of them, I'd say the light was mounted {inside the inclosure}, on an angle and then the mount itself rotated swinging the light in a very wide projected angle...It would shine on the trees there in Kingman as it approached the depot....but of course while rotating.

So, did the light beam swing side-to-side,in a steady pattern? I understand the Mars light was there to make the train more visible to bystanders(?). I'm more curious what it looked like to the observer, as the train went down the track? Thanks

There are/were a couple of different brands/types on the market. IIRC, one simply swung the beam in a circle. Another painted a figure 8. There's one in the emergency services world that oscillates up and down as it swings back and forth - more cycles than just a figure 8.

I saw the lights in use on the IC in the 70's - Depending on where you are in the pattern you'll usually see a flash or two per cycle, usually in kind of a synchopated rhythm for the figure 8 lights.

Two major manufacturers of the lights were Mars and Gyralight.

On IC (and many others as well) the lights had a clear and a red bulb - the clear for normal ops, the red was for emergencies (ie, stopped on the tracks). IC (and others) also tried the "Oscitrol" which had three lamps stacked vertically, two clear and one red. I never saw the red used on that one, but the two clear lamps flashed alternately, like some ditch lights do today.

SP's famous light cluster included a fixed headlight, an oscillating clear, and an oscillating red light.

[spbed]

If you need a ATSF fix look up my web site listed below

http://vgalleries.com/members/railfan1/The+Trainfan.vrg

Then go to the California Aug-Sept gallery & scroll down until you see Barstow & you will find a real/true ATSF war bonnet.

[:)]

Originally posted by UnionPacificRR6737
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Living nearby to MP 186 of the UPRR  Austin TX Sub

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