Anyone on here know if IRM will ever get her back up and running or if they’ll ever restore her Warbonnet scheme? Just like to know. Thanks alot. Dillon Harrison
IRM will never get AT&SF FP45 #92 to return to service. Before she was delivered to IRM,BNSF had swapped her trucks from an AT&SF F45 that had traction motors in bad order. This is where it gets even stranger. The F45(number strikes me) with #92’s trucks was sold to Morrison-Knudsen and eventually scrapped. M-K never sent IRM #92’s original trucks or IRM just didn’t bother. Right now #92 has been moved from the display area and placed indoors,because of vandalism to the interior of the cab. Nobody was watching the visitors as they were touring inside the cab & so some of the handles were damaged & some garbage was found. So for now it’s off limits to view the inside. As far as the paint scheme, some members have mentioned that they would like to see the engine back in the passenger scheme. But the current paint projects seemed to with a CB&Q SD24 & a CNW GP7. Most of the locomotives that get donated to IRM,very few of them arrive in good operating condition. John Baletto,Alsip,IL
At the Orange Empire Railway Museum in Perris,CA,we have ex ATSF FP45 #98.It is in operating condition and is used on special occasions.
Nice to know at least one of these rare engines is in operating condition. That and GN SD45 Hustle Muscle in Minnesotta.
I actually prefer the 90s super fleet red/silver warbonnet with it’s large “Santa Fe” lettering on the long hood. The original passanger warbonnet with the small black lettering looks great on classic E and F cab units, but not so much on any frame-body or cowl loco produced in the 1960s or later.
I would just like 92 repainted into fresh colors, that would look pretty nice. Right now it is just begging for a repaint. Maybe after they get done repainting the SD24 back into CB&Q colors 92 will have a better chance at fresh paint.