Nostalgia & History > And then there was the Santa Fe! This fan's favorite.

Giving homage to the SP and UP, I could not end my western threads this week with out worshipping at the altar of the Santa Fe. I first got a taste of the big blue machine in 1968 in Denver Colorado. Though it was not the epicenter of the railroad, the multi F unit lashups on the trains on the joint line hooked me on the road. Over the years I have been to every corner of what was the Santa Fe west from Chicago to Richmond and Los Angelos California. To this day, courtesy of a second home in New Mexico, I do still give one day of my trips out there to the transcon main from Belen to Vaughn. BNSF has held up the Santa Fe tradition proudly, and it is every bit the hustling railroad I frirst saw out there when warbonnets ruled. Sleek is the way I thought of Santa Fe, and though they could slug it out with the best of them, their strength was in swift. So, having bragged enough about them, just a short bounce around the rails of my personal favorite western railroad.

top...start in the middle. Joint Line south of Denver near Palmer Lake, 1978

middle...Chicago, 1976

bottom...Mojave Ca. 1981

Bill Rettberg
Bel Air, MD

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top, Chicago 1971

middle...eastbound, Kansas City, 1973

bottom...westbound on east slope of Cajon, 1981

Bill Rettberg
Bel Air, MD

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top...Just how small New Mexico can make a train look, Westbound near Willard NM. 1994

middle...Denver Colorado, 1968

bottom...Chicago, 1971

Bill Rettberg
Bel Air, MD

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It's not hard to see the attraction here.  Great series!

top...Eastbound at Cajon summit, 1992

middle...eastbound at Sand Cut heading for Tehachapi Pass

bottom...The king of S curves, Cable near the summit at Tehachapi. 1981

Bill Rettberg
Bel Air, MD

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top...westbound near Argentine Yard KC. 1973

middle...westbound near Caliente, 1981

bottom...running meet, 1981

Bill Rettberg
Bel Air, MD

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You have treated us to so many beautiful imagestoday and in the past. Thank you for sharing each one.
Bob

top...One reason I liked SF so much. The earlier paint scheme definitely gave me the feeling of being home on the B&O. Joliet Ill. 1976

middle...Palmer Lake Colorado, 1978

middle...Cajon Pass, 1981

Bill Rettberg
Bel Air, MD



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/26/20 04:18 by Roadjob.

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top...Have to put the loop in! 1992

middle...fortunately did not see this site in the west back then, except for San Bernadino in 1977.

bottom... Last visit to Tehachapi in the late 90s, with the new owner encroaching.

Bill Rettberg
Bel Air, MD

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Really nice first photo that started off this thread!

 Quality photos all around! I noticed in the fourth photo taken at Ash St. Tower in Chicago that the building painter got the initials wrong------it should read B&OCTRR----not TC....

Another great bunch! Love the GP20 and diamonds. Unusual BN caboose on joint line Santa Fe and patched, actually lookd like a tarp, Cab cupola number.
JB

All fantastic shots but really liked the F units at the tower image.
Gary

All nice photos!  Looks like they borrowed a BN caboose in that first photo?

All great as always Bill but that GE lash up at Joliet with U33C, U23B, U30CG, U25B really caught my attention.  Thanks for another great thread.

3rdswitch Wrote:
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> Another great bunch! Love the GP20 and diamonds.
> Unusual BN caboose on joint line Santa Fe and
> patched, actually lookd like a tarp, Cab cupola
> number.
> JB

Agreed on the GP20 at the diamonds shot! I can just hear the sound as the engine clatters through the diamonds; one of my favourite sounds of railroading.
Great series of photos as usual!

Brian N.

Fantastic series! Had to scroll through a couple of times to fully enjoy the Awesomeness:}

3rdswitch Wrote:
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> Another great bunch! Love the GP20 and diamonds.
> Unusual BN caboose on joint line Santa Fe and
> patched, actually lookd like a tarp, Cab cupola
> number.
> JB

Agree on the Cab cupola number JB, never saw that before.  

As I recall, Santa Fe crews ran BN trains between Denver and Pueblo over the Joint Line.  So I'm guessing this was a BN train that
got Santa Fe power in Denver to get over the hill.  As I said, it's a guess.

Nick Tharalson,
Marion, IA

What a great Santa Fe series! Very enjoyable!!

Larry

Notice the lack of housing in the joint line photos. Not like that now

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