No gold bonnet for me, and absolutely no nose m-u, Leslie chime air horn, radio antenna, or any extra post-1960 grab irons. I'm with Laidoffsick - those who want those appliances can add them to their PA's after they receive them. Personally, I model 1953, so I can handle the stack in either position, original or Vapor 4740 steam generator stack, and wipers mounted at either the top edge (1949 and later) or lower (1946-49) windshield edge. Santa Fe was by far the first carrier to move its Alco windshield wipers to the top edge. Some others did it later, and some never did. PA2 and PA3 units were built with top-mounted wipers.
I saw the gold-bonnet engine spotted on the team track at Fullerton. I was riding my bike home from St. Mary's school (making my customary inspection at the depot en route) and there was the 53L, muttering unevenly to herself, coupled to several of the 1938 Budd cars with their trucks sprayed with gold paint. Of course, I turned in and went up for a closer inspection. A Fullerton policeman tried to run me off, but Trainmaster Frank Rose quickly intervened and told the cop to let me go wherever I wanted. God bless Frank Rose. He was a good man and a mentor to me- my idea of a good Trainmaster and a good railroader. He was not heavy on discipline, and he could take a long switch list and do the job as well or better than the Trainmen who worked for him. Sometimes Mrs. Rose met him at the depot and he took her to lunch. He was killed in an auto accident later in the 1960's, near the entrance to the Rivera Yard.
