I was considering getting a BL ATSF 4-8-4 and was wondering what would look better heavy weight or stream lined? Can you also provide car type ie. budd standard 52 seat coch, pulman 8-1-2 sleeper, ect.
BTW: I don’t have a set era.
Pardon me, but you didn’t really ask this question!
When Uncle John began to buy streamlined passenger cars to equip their Super Chief they simultaneously ordered streamlined locomotives to go with them i.e. diesels. Not to say that they would never have taken a turn on the point of a streamlined consist but it is most likely that their Northerns would have been more at home at the head of a string of heavyweights.
You could go a mixture if you want–I’ve seen photos of ATSF 4-8-4’s pulling THE CHIEF on Cajon Summit when the heavyweights were being replaced by ‘streamlined’ cars and the train was an interesting mixture. Evidently it wasn’t an ‘overnight’ switch. There were several trains that ran a mixture of heavyweight and streamlined cars pulled by steam locomotives. Rio Grande’s ROYAL GORGE is just one example, it was a mixture for some time even after the diesels took over.
However, if I remember correctly, the SUPER CHIEF, which replaced the earlier train on the Santa Fe, was all new–from the Diesels to the streamlined observation. But the original CHIEF was a pretty interesting mixture in the late 'thirties and early 'forties.
Tom
Heavyweight cars would generally be more prototypically correct. Besides, heavyweights are much more handsome, and more often with the impression of opulence, than lightweight cars.
Mark
Just buy 16 of each (various subtypes) then mix and match at your leisure!
Actually, I agree with Mark (as usual). Probably why I run my heavyweight EXPOSITION FLYER and my heavyweight/streamlined mix of ROYAL GORGE far more often than I do my CALIFORNIA ZEPHYR. There’s just something about steam power and standard Pullmans that looks like it shouts Class!
Tom
Ditto^ I think steamers and heavy weights have more character and look better together. But as mentioned, you would see things all mixed up. Making money on a run was more important than making sure everything matched.
And WHY haven’t you picked an era yet??? That’s one of the first things your supposed to do!
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, lets see (I know you proly don’t know this so sorry if you think I’m trying to chew you out) I’m only 2 1/2 years into the hobby, the layout I have now started from a starter set then I added track.
LOL and stimulate the economy, too.[(-D]
I guess NOW would be a perfect time to pick one then[;)]
Hi!
As a long time ATSF “nut”, I agree that a heavyweight set would look better with the steamer. Of course you would often see steamers with diesels pulling streamlined trains, but that was usually only for helper service.
Funny thing, I truly enjoy the look of a diesel powered train pulling a string of streamlined cars, and have several for my layout. But seeing a steamer pulling a set of heavyweights is absolutely fascinating to me.
ENJOY,
Mobilman44
Folks:
I think green heavyweights look great, especially with steam. They also look great with early road-switcher diesels such as an RS1 or GP9, and of course electrics.
Depends on the Train
Santa Fe 4-8-4’s pulled ‘Heavyweights’ (one word) clear into the Diesel eara (Grand Canyon LTD) until E’s & F-3’S took over ‘name-train’ passenger traffic.
ATSF #3751 WAS a REBUILD which today is used for EXCURSIONS.
‘STREAMLINED’ (CORREGATED S.S.‘) Cars were post war (mid 1940’s) endeavors to re-establish passenger traffic on the Santa Fe. Athearn’s’ Streamline’ cars roughly represent those built by Budd Corp.
Another couple of considerations here. What kind of track are you going to be running this on? What brand of equipment are you considering? Walthers (and Branchline) heavyweights like very large corners. I have a few that I had to modify to get around 30" radius corners. If that is the case look to the light weights, they seem to go around 24" curves OK. On the other hand if you are talking about Athearn Blue Box shorties, or the Rivarossi/AHM/IHC type with couplers on the trucks then this is not an issue.
One of my personal favorite trains is a Santa Fe PA on the point of some heavyweights.
I am certain that the 37xx class 4-8-4’s were occasionally grabbed for power on the streamliners. Especially during World War II when all power was in short supply.
As the others have stated. Get one, … umm I mean Get one soon,… well I mean choose one NOW. Not choosing will divide your dollars, time, and research in too many ways to do any one thing with quality and satisfaction.
My opinion:
Streamlined cars look best with streamlined diesels or steamers (I think Santa Fe had one, called the blue something)
Heavyweights look best with steamers. (I thinking about getting an S-2 Northern [or a CB&Q or NP protype] and some heavyweights to have a steam exursion train)
As for picking a prototype,
I picked one out based on paint schemes and regions. If you already have a good Santa Fe steamer and a good Santa Fe diesel, you could go with a transition-era Santa Fe.
[quote user=“Been Nothing Since Frisco (BNSF)”]
I was considering getting a BL ATSF 4-8-4 and was wondering what would look better heavy weight or stream lined? Can you also provide car type ie. budd standard 52 seat coch, pulman 8-1-2 sleeper, ect.
BTW: I don’t have a set era.
[/quote
If you decide to run the Santa Fe Chief, bear in mind, that train had no coaches. Just sleepers, pullmans and the neccessary cars like baggage, diner, observation, etc. Happy railroading.
Dick
Texas Chief
I would go with a mix my self, like heavy weight baggage, RPO and some good old some old pullman green sleepers or maybe mix it up with the sleepers and have a UP or PRR pullman. But have your chair car, dinner, observation stream lined and you know get your dome car’s. Think of it this way, if you wanted to ride on or run a train how would it look? Make it how you want it. Like the SP train I made, is how I would want it to look its almost 20+ cars lol but I dont care. Dont worry about you know a big SF fan saying thats not how the real one was (I have had that happen to me with my SP train) Have fun with it make it your own.
Two brief remarks: Somewhere in print I remember seeing a photo of the Texas Chief headed up by a “clad” (20th-Century-Ltd style) steamer, prob. a Northern, that was identifed as late 1930s. The cars were definitely not streamlined in the fluted sense. I assume that makes them “heavyweights.” Sadly, this is not part of Santa Fe’s BNSF’s proprietary photographs.
OTOH: Why not have both: You can recreate the wonderful “steamer helping diesels with Super Chief” mountain-pass pulls (El Cajon??) circa 1940. It would call for no more expense than a hybrid that probably never existed. Only prob. is: the steamers weren’t clad and I don’t think were Northerns. Go to bnsf dot com and look for the picture gallery.
“Never mix, never worry.”
Heavy Hudson 4-6-4 #3460 was the only streamlined loco the Santa Fe had and ran. As near as I can tell from the references I have – Worly’s “Iron Horses of the Santa Fe Trail” (a must have for Santa Fe Modelrs), McCall’s “Early Diesel Daze”, and Farrington’s “The Santa Fe’s Big Three” – it looks like the “Blue Bird” or “Mae West” (their names) or “Blue Goose” (modern railfans & modeler’s name) was originally assigned to the 1938 Super Chief, then switched to the Chief, and then as more and better diesels arrived finally to other numbers trains but allways run between Chicago & La Junta Colorado.