Tom your layout is always a joy to look at, but I find your writing to be truly inspired. The stories that go behind the trains give so much insight to how your railroad operates, and its management is to be highly commended for excellent operations.
@GG1 4877 posted:Tom your layout is always a joy to look at, but I find your writing to be truly inspired. The stories that go behind the trains give so much insight to how your railroad operates, and its management is to be highly commended for excellent operations.
Thanks, Jonathan. We are part of the Santa Fe and have high standards to meet. 
And I do enjoy writing a story to go with a photo, trying to give readers a taste of life and railroading on the Texas plains.
For me, it is a way to wind back the clock to a time when, well, first, when there still was a Santa Fe Railway (i.e., before 1995). And I don't stop there. I go back to the early 1950's, the transition era when Santa Fe had diesels, but steam was still in service too. I was a little kid then and can let my mind drift back to the sights and sounds that I remember. Fred Gurley was President of Santa Fe then, and it was perhaps in its finest hour. Everything was ship-shape, passenger service was unexcelled by any other railroad, locomotives were washed frequently, and the railroading was the real stuff. My layout is staged in west Texas, and I try to include some real characters that I knew on the railroad, plus some fictional folks who have genuine Texas farm family names. And, finally, I can imagine myself grown up then, and working with them. I knew a lot of railroaders from this era. When I hired out as a Fireman, all of the Engineers on my division had steam experience, most as Engineers, and some only as Firemen. So, really, it's a way to escape into a less complicated way of life, when people interacted with each other and respected traditional masculine virtues -- just for a little while, taking a breather, so to speak.
Got an Atlas ATSF GE 44 Ton locomotive for Christmas. Even though it's Monday I'll post it 😉.
The Santa Fe Super Chief meets a Tinplater on the Paradise & Pacific Club layout in the McCormick Stillman Railroad Park, Scottsdale, AZ
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@Lou1985 posted:Santa Fe's only Alco DL109, number 50, leads train number 12, the eastbound Chicagoan.
Outstanding!!! Thank you! 😎
PW Lionel 2333 from 48-49 don't have much Santa Fe, HAGD
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@Sitka posted:PW Lionel 2333 from 48-49 don't have much Santa Fe, HAGD
I am not a Santa Fe fanatic, I but I do appreciate the railroad and the livery. My layout slants more toward the Pennsylvania RR as well as other roads in the northeast (hence, my layout's name). However, the collector in me saw a set of these great Lionel iconic classics at a good price. So, I have the exact same set.
I added the "B" unit of the same late 1940's vintage a few months after I bought the double "A" units. I came upon the "B" unit by pure chance. On a whim, I stopped in an old antique shop in Northern Harford County, Maryland on the way home from teaching my private students one Saturday. The shop had a display case at the back of the store with some post-war, Lionel trains in it. The "B" unit was sitting on a shelf with a sign that read, "Box Car $25.00". Several of the port hole lenses were missing and the body needed cleaning. I argued the price with the owner saying that the box car had holes in it and the appearance was a mess. He would not relent on the price. So, acting grudgingly, I gave him the $25.00. I knew I had just hit the jackpot! I took the "B" unit to the now defunct train shop where I bought the "A" units and said to my friend, the now late George Stanton, the shop's owner and Lionel repair man extraordinaire, "George. Will you fix my box car?" George, the curmudgeon's curmudgeon, responded something like, 'THATS NO DAMDED BOXCAR!!!' I told Geroge the story that told above in this post to which George responded, "Go back and see if the guy has another 10 of those box cars. I'll give you the $250.00 to buy them all!"
About two weeks later, I got a phone call from George saying to drop into his shop. He had something he wanted to show me. I walked in and was shown a set of the Lionel extruded aluminum passenger coaches that went with the original Santa Fe Diesel set. George had just bought them in another collection that was being liquidated. George quoted me a price and added his normal, "If you pay in cash, I don't charge sales tax." Though my train budget was rather strapped after the engines and the "B" unit, I went to the bank and came back the next day with the cash. Here they are below.
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@Randy Harrison posted:I am not a Santa Fe fanatic, I but I do appreciate the railroad the livery. My layout slants more toward the Pennsylvania RR as well as other roads in the northeast (hence, my layout's name). However, the collector in me saw a set of these great Lionel iconic classics at a good price. So, I have the exact same set.
I added the "B" unit of the same late 1940's vintage a few months after I bought the double "A" units. I came upon the "B" unit by pure chance. On a whim, I stopped in an old antique shop in Northern Harford County, Maryland on the way home from teaching my private students one Saturday. The shop had a display case at the back of the store with some post-war, Lionel trains in it. The "B" unit was sitting on a shelf with a sign that read, "Box Car $25.00". Several of the port hole lenses were missing and the body needed cleaning. I argued the price with the owner saying that the box car had holes in it and the appearance was a mess. He would not relent on the price. So, acting grudgingly, I gave him the $25.00. I knew I had just hit the jackpot! I took the "B" unit to the now defunct train shop where I bought the "A" units and said to my friend, the now late George Stanton, the shop's owner and Lionel repair man extraordinaire, "George. Will you fix my box car?" George, the curmudgeon's curmudgeon, responded something like, 'THATS NO ****ED BOXCAR!!!' I told Geroge the story that told above in this post to which George responded, "Go back and see if the guy has another 10 of those box cars. I give you the $250.00 to buy them all!"
About two weeks later, I got a phone call from George saying to drop into his hop. He had something he wanted to show me. I walked in and was shown a set of the Lionel extruded aluminum passenger coaches that went with the original Santa Fe Diesel set. George had just bought them in another collection that was being liquidated. George quoted me a price and added his normal, "If you pay in cash, I don't charge sales tax." Though my train budget was rather strapped after the engines and the "B" unit, I went to the bank and came back the next day with the cash. Here they are below.
Randy Great story, now that's the way to make a deal!!
You have a nice looking decal on the front of that F3 had to repaint the power unit due to battery leak but runs fine, in fact I degreased a couple times, and changed the brushes and springs out, got a little better performance out of it always ran better in Reverse, so I decided to move the motors around and runs so much faster, like the old Lionel commercials they use to make. Again, WTG nice looking layout also! God Speed! Mark
Just a demo video for conventional stuff I have on the FS forum.
I think the engineer is exceeding the track speed in this part of my layout.
Moving 2900 class 4-8-4 number 2921 onto the turntable.
@Ron H posted:ATSF EMDs
Nice looking scene Ron.
@Dallas Joseph posted:Nice looking scene Ron.
Thanks Dallas.
Says it all for a Sunday 😁
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The cabooses in the above picture are MTH, so here is a Lionel version
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@VegasTrains posted:The Santa Fe Super Chief meets a Tinplater on the Paradise & Pacific Club layout in the McCormick Stillman Railroad Park, Scottsdale, AZ
Those are my favorite Lionel passenger cars. Do you have the catalog number on them, please?
Cataloged in Lionel V. 2, 2003, 4-car set: 6-15312. A 2-car add on set followed a year later: 6-29152. I was fortunate to find 2 new sets of each about ten years ago. They are beautiful, the exterior and interior details are very well done. These sets are hard to find at a reasonable price today. I have always wondered why Lionel never followed up with a diner (with or without sounds) and a combine to add on to these sets.
@VegasTrains posted:Cataloged in Lionel V. 2, 2003, 4-car set: 6-15312. A 2-car add on set followed a year later: 6-29152. I was fortunate to find 2 new sets of each about ten years ago. They are beautiful, the exterior and interior details are very well done. These sets are hard to find at a reasonable price today. I have always wondered why Lionel never followed up with a diner (with or without sounds) and a combine to add on to these sets.
Thank you.
Roy, there was a time I was really happy to have these cars and hoped for some add-ons. I am still happy to have them but I'm not waiting or hoping for add-ons. These spectacular aluminum cars are "traditional scale." Why oh why and where oh where is a Lionel Scale 21 inch aluminum set? Many of the 21 inch "painted" plastic sets have been great. But Santa Fe needs to be real aluminum. Everyone knows it.
I like the added on details these cars have, especially the full width diaphragms. The shiny tops are really nice, too.
Good afternoon Sante Fe fans and hopefully Spring is getting closer…. I’m tired of winter…. Happy Railroading Everyone 
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And a good Sunday afternoon to you too, Larry. Seems like we’ve seen those Santa Fe photos before. ☺️
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@Yellowstone Special posted:And a good Sunday afternoon to you too, Larry. Seems like we’ve seen those Santa Fe photos before. ☺️
Vern , I could be wrong but I think I've seen this one before too . 
Soooo............can't maneuver well so...........
............here's a shot from my files. MTH Premier AA lashup with nonpowered B and A heading the MTH streamline passenger set.
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Happy Santa Fe Sunday
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@Dallas Joseph posted:Vern , I could be wrong but I think I've seen this one before too .
............here's a shot from my files. MTH Premier AA lashup with nonpowered B and A heading the MTH streamline passenger set.
Ha ha! 
Yes you have, Dallas. I just wanted to see if Larry picked up on it. Good memory. 👍
@Yellowstone Special posted:Ha ha!
No biggie here . Thanks , You gave me the opertunity to go to my files instead of trying to maneuver around the layout Vern. Getting close to getting my new titanium parts .
In defense of Larry ,Vern......he just likes to show off those Santa Fes . He seemed really excited when he finally had them running on the layout.
( your photo was also certainly worthy of giving it a second go around Vern 
)
@Dallas Joseph posted:No biggie here . Thanks , You gave me the opertunity to go to my files instead of trying to maneuver around the layout Vern. Getting close to getting my new titanium parts .
In defense of Larry ,Vern......he just likes to show off those Santa Fes . He seemed really excited when he finally had them running on the layout.
( your photo was also certainly worthy of giving it a second go around Vern
Titanium parts? Hmm.
Yes, Larry does seem enthusiastic about his Santa Fe stuff. By the way, you have a beautiful Santa Fe passenger train, even if it IS MTH. Or, is it? 🤔
Thanks, Dallas and happy trainin’. 👍
Wow, now that’s what I’ve been waiting for, to see if anyone picked up on my duplicate pictures, you are so correct, these are pictures I’ve posted earlier on this fun to review thread…. I will submit some new pictures next week, but, I sure do love this Sante Fe Sunday thread. @Yellowstone Special, Vern, thank you for the likes and keep posting pictures of your Sante Fe trains and @Dallas Joseph, thank you to, you guys are fun fellows and I will do new pictures soon. Happy Railroading Everyone
@leapinlarry posted:Wow, now that’s what I’ve been waiting for, to see if anyone picked up on my duplicate pictures, you are so correct, these are pictures I’ve posted earlier on this fun to review thread…. I will submit some new pictures next week, but, I sure do love this Sante Fe Sunday thread. @Yellowstone Special, Vern, thank you for the likes and keep posting pictures of your Sante Fe trains and @Dallas Joseph, thank you to, you guys are fun fellows and I will do new pictures soon. Happy Railroading Everyone
Very well, Larry. Looking forward to the new photos.
@Yellowstone Special posted:Very well, Larry. Looking forward to the new photos.
Ditto. 
A late era "Office Chief" making its daily 7:30 am station stop in Phoenix. Today's passengers got lucky as this normally two coach train drew a lounge instead to the delight of all the passengers on this lightly traveled route through central Arizona. Posted today because the ATSF does not operate this train on Saturday or Sunday if it can be helped.
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2900 class 4-8-4 number 2903 leads the eastbound Chief.
@Lou1985 posted:2900 class 4-8-4 number 2903 leads the eastbound Chief.
Lou1985, is that Santa Fe Post Office car a 15" K-Line? Sure looks like one. If yes, do you know the product number? I have a 8 car WP California Zephyr I'd love to add that too, I would just need to change the nameplate, if I can find one! Thanks!
Awesome ATSF train by the way!
@WesternPacific2217 posted:Lou1985, is that Santa Fe Post Office car a 15" K-Line? Sure looks like one. If yes, do you know the product number? I have a 8 car WP California Zephyr I'd love to add that too, I would just need to change the nameplate, if I can find one! Thanks!
Awesome ATSF train by the way!
Yup. The RPO is a K-Line car. It came from the K-Line Empire State Express set.
Here’s another view of my Sante Fe trains for today. Happy Railroading Everyone 
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Chomping at the bit in anticipation of MTH shipping these to the dealers, 30-68240/1/2/3.
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This Sunday a Santa Fe GE 44-ton switcher moves some refrigerator cars in a transfer move.
Here’s some attempts at short videos, hope they turn out ok. Happy Sante Fe Sunday. 
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