Nostalgia & History > Santa Fe 200 / 100 comparison

This is a pretty good example of size comparisons of Santa Fe's SD75M and GP60M units. This shot was taken on October 3, 1995 at the west end of Abo Canyon (Bridge 6). The train is ATSF 220 West, P CHLA1, with a pair of 200s facing west and a pair of 100s facing east. Pretty classy looking train, I'd say.

Looking good, John!

I know crews don't like the rough-riding 100's, but from the purely superficial perspective of a trackside viewer, I've always liked them better than the 200's. Visually, the nose headlight and dynamic brake blister make the GP60M's look more businesslike. Aurally, the 60M's usually had decent K3LA horns with a distinct, "breathless" quality that seemed to accentuate the drama of their passage on hot trains. The manufacturing standards on the K3LA had taken a turn for the worse by the time the 75M's came out, and the 200's horns tended to be shrill, whimpering, and off-pitch.

Beautiful shot and great comparison John.
JB

Nice shot, John. I had the worst time getting a
200 on the point, and only got one solid lashup
of them, in Belen in 1995. Chalk up some more
gold stars for you.

Nick Tharalson,
Marion, IA

Great picture!
Thanks for sharing.
Todd Montgomery
Eugene OR

Great comparison. I always preferred the unique look of the 100's.

Yes, agree with you 100%, classy looking train.

Great catch. Thanks for posting.

Excellent! The way we should remember Abo. And the Santa Fe.

Best regards,

Rob L.

Thats cause Nick you werent down at Ft Madison, IA. on the transcon enuff.

I'll admit I'm a Santa Fe nut, but I still don't understand why you would give up this paint scheme. This has "class" written all over it and is very identifiable.

Mike
"I'm a man, but I can change, if I have to, I guess."

I always thought the GP60M looked too short, a bit toy like, as though it wasn't meant to be pulling 'big' trains.
The Santa Fe lettering only just manages to get in on the body side and ends up a bit cramped, the red warbonnet seems to extend too far into the body side for the length of the loco, the axle arrangement gives the suggestion there is less power available. Having said this when they were in matched sets they looked good, until you compare them to a much better proportioned SD75. On the 75 and indeed GE's dash 8+9's the Santa Fe isn't cramped, the loco is well proportioned and the six axles makes it looks more like it means business and can deliver.
Just my opinion on the aesthetics.

As to the photograph, beautiful, iconic and unrepeatable.

Thanks for making a dull day a little brighter.

Steve

Aesthetics aside, the GP-60M is only 500 hp lower than the SD-75M. That's only a small difference in total output. IMHO, as a lifetime ferroequineologist (I received a Lionel set when I was 4), the GP-60 type has become the hauler of choice for short runs like the Azusa Hauler, which is in the County of Los Angeles, CA (just to satisfy the "where is it" crowd). And since I am still gainfully employed, I must be satisfied with seeing these short run locomotives. Maybe on one of my infrequent (once every few years) trips to Cajon and points north, I will be able to appreciate the six axle monsters of the midway.

Outstanding shot! I'd love the opportunity to shoot such a train today. Sure, there were plenty of warbonnets running around when I was first getting out trackside on my own, but I didn't have the photography know how to get decent shots of them. There's no scenery like that in Kansas anyway.

CHIIICOOO!!!!

Wonderful shot.......It boggles my mind on why the Railroad abandoned this Paint scheme........Thanks for sharing

What a lost marketing opportunity for BNSF in doing away with this instantly recognizable and iconic livery. It boggles the mind.

Todd Greenberg
Round Rock, TX