Nostalgia & History > Santa Fe in SPSF paint

1) SF30C 9522 and GP30 2714 at Argentine Yard in Kansas City in July of 1986.

2) SD45 5402 heads Eastbound at Summit on Cajon Pass during October of 1987.

3) SD40-2 5184 is a rear helper on a Southbound loaded BN coal train on Main #1 near Larkspur, CO in May of 1990.

 

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Money shots to be sure - especially #1 - Wow!

Rich

Dramatic images.
Bob

 Great photos! I especially like the first one!!

Great lighting and composition! That red sure was bright in the sun... JG

Really nice shots! Weren't you still riding a tricycle back then? :-}

I am still lookng for a photo with both logos on the same engine.
.......................Swede..................Albony,OR...............................

Very nice! Number #2 is my favorite because it’s got “flare” along with color!

Santa Fe certainly took more pride in keeping their motive power clean compared to SP

Craig
mcmrailvideos.com
 

GN_X838 Wrote:

> I am still lookng for a photo with both logos on the same engine.

Four locomotives and two cabooses are known to have briefly carried full SPSF lettering.  They couldn't run in revenue service that way, so the photos that exist are company photos or "unofficial" views snagged by fans in the right place at the right time when the subject equipment briefly "broke cover" near the shops. 

The first two locomotives repainted in the merger scheme were done up with full initials, then had the appropriate pair of letters painted out before release into the wild.  Santa Fe SD45 5394 had a number of different treatments applied to the nose before finally settling on a red noseband with white lettering.  Company photos of a few of these variations are on:

p.56 of Shine's Santa Fe 1987 Motive Power Pictorial
p.49 of The Santa Fe Diesel V.2
p.218-219 of Santa Fe Railway Diesel Locomotive Painting and Lettering Guide for Model Railroaders

Photos of SP SD45 7551 in full SPSF lettering are harder to come by.  The only one I've ever seen (and even it looks a bit sketchy) is this one:

https://www.pbase.com/rxr/image/151820813

The other two locomotives to receive full SPSF lettering were Santa Fe SD45-2's 7219 and 7221, which were released from rebuilding at San Bernardino in mid-1986 just before the first ICC vote on the merger, and were given full lettering (albeit with mis-shapen "P's") for official photos in anticipation of a favorable decision.  The 7219 needed to be turned, so it "broke cover" long enough for some railfans to snag photos.  Official and unofficial photos of 7219 in full lettering can be found on:

p.224 of Santa Fe Railway Diesel Locomotive Painting and Lettering Guide for Model Railroaders
p.103 of The Santa Fe Diesel V.2
p.57 of Santa Fe 1987 Motive Power Pictorial
p.17 of Joe Shine's SPSF Motive Power 1986
p.103 of Bill Shippen's Burlington Northern Santa Fe 1997 Motive Power Annual
https://www.facebook.com/spsfrailway/photos/d41d8cd9/1493113407424614/

The only photo I've ever seen showing 7221 with full lettering is this photo-of-a-photo that appeared online some time ago, with 7221 mostly hidden behind 7219:

https://www.trainboard.com/railimages/data/500/001118.jpg

The two cabooses were Santa Fe 999088 and SP 4726, temporarily renumbered SPSF 998622 for the occasion.  The best photos I've seen of those cars in full lettering were official views posted by santafe199 in this old thread:

https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?11,4546629,4546649#4546649

Never cared for the scheme, although I was rooting for the merger. Nice bunch.
JB