Nostalgia & History > Chasing Santa Fe 102 on Tehachapi

=15.6pxIn 1989 my friend Mike Maggiolo and I spent three days around Tehachapi, Trona, Bakersfield, etc. At Edison we stopped to photograph SDP45 SP3200 tied down there when out of the fog came an eastbound TOFC train behind ATSF 102. We hopped back in the car and proceeded to race ahead for more shots, pacing the train part of the way. After a few shots we raced ahead to the old Tunnel ½ location. It was there Mike said, “Someone is slipping.” Sure enough. ATSF 102 was out of sand.
 
Dispatch instructed the train to go as far as they could, which ended at Bealville. Before Bealville we watched the train at Tunnel No. 2. After a hard climb the train stopped at Beaville where they would told they would get another locomotive from a nearby westbound. This was accomplished and the train made it the rest of the way to Mojave

---

---

---

ATSF 102 at Tunnel No. 2 on November 15, 1989. – Tony Johnson photo
 

---

---

---

Photo #1 - ATSF 102 at Tunnel No. 2 on November 15, 1989. – Tony Johnson photo

Photo #2 & #3 - ATSF 102 at Bealville on November 15, 1989. – Tony Johnson photo

---

---

Help has arrived.

---

Tony:

Great photos!  Nice to see you posting here and hope to see more!

Regards, Jim Evans

Last photo is a great catch. I think I only caught a kodachrome and a warbonnet in the same photo once.Nice group of photos.

Jim B

Thanks Jim. I've been away too long.

Love those locos!

Bill Deaver
Tehachapi, CA

jimB Wrote:

> Last photo is a great catch. I think I only caught
> a kodachrome and a warbonnet in the same photo
> once.

There was a period of about a year and a half, from mid-1989 to the end of 1990, where photos of red and silver FP45's and SPSF-painted Santa Fe units were possible.  This consist is more extraordinary for catching a Super Fleet red and silver FP45 and a blue and yellow FP45 (either 5993 or 5995) in the same consist.

The 102 in these photos is the FP45 built as the 108, now preserved in operating condition at the Southern California Railway Museum (Orange Empire) in Perris, CA.

Sure enjoyed these photo's.   Ed

Keep posting Tony. As Harold would have said, "Want to buy a Duck"?

Robert Morris
Dunsmuir, CA
Robert Morris Photography

photobob Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Keep posting Tony. As Harold would have said,
> "Want to buy a Duck"?

That's not all Harold would say!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/06/20 15:41 by TonyJ.

Evan_Werkema Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

>
> The 102 in these photos is the FP45 built as the
> 108, now preserved in operating condition at the
> Southern California Railway Museum (Orange Empire)
> in Perris, CA.

Far be it from me to challenge Evan.  However, the 102 in this photo has the "as built" passenger pilot.  The 108 at Perris had to have the pilot replaced because the original pilot was destroyed in an accident.  Now, it is possible these were shot before that accident, but it seems odd to me.  

Nick Tharalson,
Marion, IA

ntharalson Wrote:

> the 102 in this photo has the "as built" passenger
> pilot.  The 108 at Perris had to have the pilot
> replaced because the original pilot was destroyed
> in an accident.  Now, it is possible these were
> shot before that accident, but it seems odd to
> me.  

This FP45 received a snowplow pilot in place of its original passenger pilot some time between July 5, 1991 and August 31, 1991.  That was two years after TonyJ's photos above and over a year after the locomotive received its final Santa Fe road number of 98.  I have a page of photos and text documenting the history of this FP45 at the following URL:

http://atsf.railfan.net/atsfpres/atsf98.html

...and for what it's worth, there are many, many other places online where you can look up the complete renumbering history of Santa Fe's FP45's and prove to yourself that the 102 pictured above started life as the 108:

http://old.atsfrr.org/resources/CrossetGene/ATSF_all-time%20diesel%20roster/0100.htm
http://trainweb.org/jfuhrtrain/FP45data.htm
https://www.thedieselshop.us/ATSF.HTML
http://www.trainpix.com/ATSF/EMDORIG/FP45/INDEX.HTM
http://www.trainweb.org/emdloco/33100.htm

Note the tank standing up on the second unit in pics 4-5-6.

Love No. 1!

Randy Lundgren

Evan_Werkema Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ntharalson Wrote:
>
> > the 102 in this photo has the "as built"
> passenger
> > pilot.  The 108 at Perris had to have the
> pilot
> > replaced because the original pilot was
> destroyed
> > in an accident.  Now, it is possible these
> were
> > shot before that accident, but it seems odd to
> > me.  
>
> This FP45 received a snowplow pilot in place of
> its original passenger pilot some time between
> July 5, 1991 and August 31, 1991.  That was two
> years after TonyJ's photos above and over a year
> after the locomotive received its final Santa Fe
> road number of 98.  I have a page of photos and
> text documenting the history of this FP45 at the
> following URL:
>
> http://atsf.railfan.net/atsfpres/atsf98.html
>
> ...and for what it's worth, there are many, many
> other places online where you can look up the
> complete renumbering history of Santa Fe's FP45's
> and prove to yourself that the 102 pictured above
> started life as the 108:
>
> http://old.atsfrr.org/resources/CrossetGene/ATSF_a
> ll-time%20diesel%20roster/0100.htm
> http://trainweb.org/jfuhrtrain/FP45data.htm
> https://www.thedieselshop.us/ATSF.HTML
> http://www.trainpix.com/ATSF/EMDORIG/FP45/INDEX.HT
> M
> http://www.trainweb.org/emdloco/33100.htm

This is why you DON'T challenge Evan.  Thanks for the info.  

Nick Tharalson,
Marion, IA

SD45X Wrote:

> Note the tank standing up on the second unit in pics 4-5-6.

Santa Fe installed onboard flange lubricators on a number of locomotives starting around 1987.  The SF30C's were the only model that carried the oil tank externally, on the running board behind the fireman's side of the cab where you see it on 9514.  The tanks were only on the units for a few years - not sure if Santa Fe changed over to solid stick lubricators instead or just abandoned onboard lubrication altogether.

Evan_Werkema Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> SD45X Wrote:
>
> > Note the tank standing up on the second unit in
> pics 4-5-6.
>
> Santa Fe installed onboard flange lubricators on a
> number of locomotives starting around 1987.  The
> SF30C's were the only model that carried the oil
> tank externally, on the running board behind the
> fireman's side of the cab where you see it on
> 9514.  The tanks were only on the units for a few
> years - not sure if Santa Fe changed over to solid
> stick lubricators instead or just abandoned
> onboard lubrication altogether.
 First-nice pictures...and second I can personally confirm that "onboard lubrication" was indeed abandoned altogether in the last few years in favor of 'tough love'. And, as an aside (no pun intended), crews prefer on board lube over the stick lube 10-1. Okay, I'm guessing at that figure, but the rest is true.