Marc: A quick question on the Santa Fe E units. Are they all in the red warbonnet livery? Thanks & have a GR-8 day!! .... Don Soper

I think so I am not sure but I believe it is in the beautiful Red

Thanks,
Jonathan

Thanks....Perhaps Marc can give a more definitive answer, I have the ATSF F-Units as the 3 color set (red, blue & yellow) the California Zepyher and the Super Chief also in red. I just bought the SCL E-series and the SP FP's version 4. Have to give this some thought as I just bought Pacific Surfliner ( love it!) but I prefer older trains and wanted to put together some appropriate passenger consists for the 60's - 70's, early 80's the latest. Thanks for your help!

Have a GR-8 day and "God Bless" ........ Don Soper

Truth is in the advertising
http://www.3dtrains.com/products/trainsets...nits_atsf.shtml
ATSF E-Unit Details
· 9 E-Unit Locomotives Painted in Santa Fe's Classic "Warbonnet" Livery

Yep - Them's the ones!

Cheers!
Marc

Just a side note, all Santa Fe E-units only wore the red warbonnet scheme. So the E1's, E3's, E6's, and E8M's would always be red.

There is a picture (b+w) I've seen of E6 #12 (and another A or B unit) that seems to have been specially painted all yellow (or similar to the F7 yellow bonnet scheme) for the Golden Gate display train. I have never seen a color photo of this display train but it certainly looks to be all yellow in the b+w photo. And it is possible considering the name of the new train, "Golden Gate". The picture I'm mentioning can be found on page 111 in the book Santa Fe Heritage Volume 1, by Stephen & Cinthia Priest.

You sure are well informed about the ATSF Matt, I wasn't sure as the F units came in all sorts of colors of the same basic livery. I just bought the Surfliner Route and as I'm into older Diesel Locos (pre-1980 at least) and I pretend Amtrack never happened in my "virtual" train world. I know both the SP and ATSF ran in and out of San Diego but not what trains where exactly. I know the SP comes in from the east from the desert but don't know if they ran any trains along the coast. Thanks again!!

Have a GR-8 day!!! ..........Don Soper

the most famous SP train of them all the DAYLIGHT ran the coast.

The ATSF San Diegan ran from LA to San Diego.

Now thats what I need, did a little search on the train-sim sight and found a Daylight trainset haven't checked it out yet. Anyone know what livery the San Diegan was in?

Thanks for all your help!
Have a GR-8 day & "God Bless" .............. Don Soper

It used the warbonnet. Really all Santa Fe passenger trains (diesel) used the warbonnet. Although the very first two diesels had a rare and unique paint scheme, but when the E1's arrived it was the red warbonnet all the way until Amtrak (when the rare yellow bonnet passenger F units could be seen)

The San Diegan saw a multitude of diesel power over the years. The first were the handsome E1's then other E units were used (like E3's and E6's). Then you could see the beautiful Alco PA's, the typical F3 or F7, the flashy E8's and sometimes even the sole Erie built ABA set #90 would handle the San Diegan. And if a diesel was not available (in the diesel era) even some steam locos would handle the train. The big 4-8-4's could often be seen on the line up till the 50's.

Well that leaves things very flexable for consist building! Thanks for the info & have a GR-8 day!! ..... Don Soper

Once AMTRAK took over the remains of the Santa Fe passenger service, they began repainting the warbonnet F's in freight colors in several experimental liveries. These engines seldom worked any passenger assignments (some yellow bonnets, notably 315L, were the exception) as most of them were regeared 62:15 for freight work. These hideous yellow and blue schemes were shortlived as most of the F's were cut up into CF-7's. Any engines out before 1971 (like the E's and the PA's) were spared the indignity and went to their graves wearing the proper red noses.

SP in San Diego was actually the San Diego and Arizona, then later San Diego & Arizona Eastern. After dieselization the road used SP power exclusively, being a wholely owned SP subsidiary: Black widow F's and Geeps, then the bloody noses on the mainline freights, mostly all B-B's because of the curves, and GE 70 tonners in black and yellow zebra stripes then gray and red on the branch lines. The dynamic equipped 70 tonners were replaced by SW800's specially equipped with dynamic brakes. These were used on the 4% Grossmont hill (steep but short) on the branch out to El Cajon, east of San Diego. This is the route of the San Diego Trolley's east line now.

As far as livery on the Santa Fe Surf Line, Matt spoke about the engines but not the cars. After 1938 all lightweight stainless steel except for the local and the Del Mar race train that ran heavyweights in Pullman green.

Yep. I grew up with PA's and 70 tonners and didn't realize what I had in my back yard until they were gone.

Thanks Herb: I lived in San Diego (well sort of I was in the US Navy). The last time I was out that way they were building the trolley from San Ysidro to Downtown. I lived in Imperial Beach when our ship wasn't at sea. I was on the USS Prairie a destroyer tender, it was old and we were often accused of being "welded to the dock", as sea duty didn't thrill me I agreed and laughed along and liberty call was as early as 1400 every day. I later was hanging around with the SP in Arizona, New Mexico, and eastern Texas. We were not involved with trains at all though, did maintenance of service structures, basicly I was doing the same job I did in the Navy which was fixing things. Interestingly I didn't pay a lot of attention to the trains except for the fact that our housing ( usually 40' trailers ) sat right beside the tracks the trains were a loud annoying pain in the ass to us, particularly at night.
Thanks for all the info!!!

Have a GR-8 day & "God Bless" ..... Don

Don,
I read your post concerning the ATSF E units. I never saw anything but warbonnet red riding to/from San Diego and Chicago in 1959/60/61 whether it was E or F. I was a CT and went to school at Imperial Beach. Glad to see another Navy guy who is a Train-simmer.

Bob Edwards
oakpalms at comcast.net

I remember the USS Prairie, was tied up beside her a couple of times and used her mess decks while ours was under repairs. I was home ported out of San Diego also, on the USS Cleveland (LPD-7).

If you really want to go back in time, I've seen some old black&white pics of the "Valley Flyer" equipment running on the San Diegan route....doubt that it lasted very long, though....then again, it's "our" railroad, so we can run whatever we please, right? I've been ignoring (as best I can) all the modern stuff on the SurfLiner route while running Marc's gorgeous ATSF F's at the head-end of various configurations of passenger equipment, as well as some solid reefer blocks filled with virtual fruits and veggies....lol....

Interesting how many ex-Navy guys are in here.....spent a lot of time in San Diego, mostly at schools at NTC, 32nd Street and over on Coronado, first as an ET and then as a DS.....my ship (USS Ashtabula, AO51) was actually homeported in Hawaii, though....

David