Where can I find a roster of Series E diesels AT&SF had operational during the 1960s?
The numbers (quantity) that I have couldn’t possibly have powered all the passenger trains AT&SF had operational between Chicago and CA, Kansas City and Texas, as well as Albuquerque-El Paso, LA-San Diego, and other short runs where E diesels were used.
Your conclusion is 100% correct-- E-units powered none of SFe’s Chicago-California scheduled trains after the late 1940s. Steinheimer got that pic of E’s on a troop train (?) west of Needles in the 1960s, but don’t recall any such pic of a regular train.
If not the E’s, what did AT&SF use to power their many passenger trains in the 1960’s?
F-7’s…lots of them put together like building blocks, along with PA’s, a few FM’s, DL109 & 110’s …eventually F & FP45’s, U30CHs and the oddball GE cowl units…
All of Santa Fe’s E units (E1A, E1B, E3A, E3B, E6A and E6B) were purchased and placed in service prior to WWII. Prior to the end of the war, Santa Fe made the decision to purchase and operate F series locomotives with passenger gearing and steam generators to power their passenger trains. The first of these were 11 A-B-B-A sets of FTs that were delivered in 1946. See the following link for the specifics:
http://atsfrr.net/resources/funits/ft-pas.htm
The FTs were followed by 21 A-B-B-A sets of F3s, again with passenger gearing and steam generators, that were delivered between November, 1946 into 1949. See the following link for the specifics:
http://atsfrr.net/resources/funits/f3-pas.htm
In 1949, the F3 series was replaced by the F7s. Santa Fe continued to purchase this new model for passenger service. See the following link for the story on this group:
http://atsfrr.net/resources/funits/f7-pas.htm
The original E1 series units, as well as the “box cabs” were rebuilt by EMD into E8m in 1953.
Hope this helps clarify Santa Fe’s passenger power situation for you.
The first Santa Fe passenger FT the #167LABC was built in February 1945. It had steam generators in the B units, passenger gearing and was delivered in freight colors. Another 10 Santa Fe FT ABBA sets were converted to passenger units in 1946. No FTs were delivered to any railroad in 1946 and EMD built the last FTs in late 1945. Santa Fe FT sets converted to passenger were the #158LABC-166LABC and the 168LABC.
By a quick look around the rosters online and my sources at home it appears Santa Fe entered January 1960 with 21 E units in its passenger stable. These were: E3A #11L, E3B #11A, 4 E6A #12L-15L, 3 E6B #12A-13A, 15A, 7 E8Am #80L-81L, 83L-87L, and 5 E8Bm #80A-84A. The E8Am #82L was wreck retired in August 1959. It appears the slant nosed E units were retired in 1968 and traded to EMD for F45s and the remaining E8ms were all retired in 1970. When Gene Crossett’s rosters are online again these retirement dates can be confirmed.
E’s were made for smooth riding on flat land. F’s were the hill climbers since all wheels were powered. The E’s probably wound up down Texas way.
Gene Crosset’s rosters are alive and well! Here’s the link:
http://atsfrr.net/resources/CrossetGene/index.htm
EDIT: Gene Crosset’s data indicates the E8ms were traded to EMD for GP38s sometime in the 1970’s.