Dear US Railfans,
I’m seriously looking to get a BROADWAY LIMITED Santa Fe E8, which, in my opinion, has a more realistic shell than present Proto 2000 one (particularly the nose). So, I’d like to hear owners’ opinion, regarding running characteristics and, above all, the colours: is the mythic “Warbonnet” in the right shades?
Besides, which trains did they haul along Santa Fe system?
Thanks a lot.
Hello ETR 500. and welcome electronically to USA.
I grew up close to the Santa Fe and also close to the Burlington in Illinois. Family trips included rides on some long Santa Fe distance trains, and they had F7’s and F3’s. E8’s as well as PA’s would be on short connecting trains. There were exceptions, however, and the E8’s would operate with E6’s for some long distance trains. A single E8 looked good with only two coaches behind it.
Hi, ETR_500.
Good questions about BLI’s Santa Fe E8. But before I go into the BLI model, let me give you a short history of Santa Fe E8’s.
The Santa Fe E8’s, dating to 1952-53, were not the typical E8 but actually extensive rebuilds of the venerable Santa Fe E1’s dating to 1937-38. Santa Fe called their rebuilt E1’s E8m’s. Essentially from all outside appearances the Santa Fe E8m’s looked identical to standard E8’s. The number series for the E1’s were #2-#9. The E8m’s were numbered #80-#87. Here is a great resource for Santa Fe diesel numbers that any Santa Fe modeler should have bookmarked:
And this is an interesting site about Santa Fe E1’s with some information about the E8m conversions:
Ok now that we have a basic history, let’s take a look at the BLI model.
Not bad at first glance. Here is the link to the BLI website with the multiple Santa Fe E8’s offered:
Now let’s take a look at a real Santa Fe E8m, courtesy of RailPictures.net:
Time to compare the BLI model with the prototype; bearing in mind the photo I posted is of a late era 84L, so ignore the cinder caps, roof grabs, radio plate, engineer side nose grabs, multi-chime horn, and overall grime. But hey wait a minute, I see a glaring mistake right away…do you?
BLI chose the number 4L. What the
Funny this should come up because I just encountered this with my research for the “pike size passenger train” contest. It seems that some of the units did retain their old number for a while after the rebuild. The picture that first surprised me is on page 227 of Santa Fe Early Diesel Daze by McCall. It is a 1952 picture of one of the newly rebuilt E8ms clearly displaying #2 instead of #89. Puzzeled I pulled out all the Santa Fe books and as it turns out the numbers 2, 4, & 5 are prototypical for the Santa Fe E8m.
The original 2A after rebuild was renumbered to 2L and carried this number from 10/52 to 2/53 when it was renumbered to 89L.
The original 2B after rebuild was renumbered to 4L (aka BLI model) and carried the number from 1/53 to 2/53 when it was renumbered to 81L.
The original 5L retained its 5L number from 1/53 to 2/53 when it was renumbered to 83L.
So for a period of one month - these number are very prototypical.
What I find is unprototypical about the model is the trucks. The Santa Fe E8ms retained the original E1 trucks. The E1 trucks are much more delicate and frail looking than the modern A-1-A truck that the model has.
Most Models of Santa Fe’s war bonnet use too dark of red in my opinion. The model in the photo here continues that trend. Glad to see prototype picture.
Thanks for the info Gandy. I was wondering how BLI could screw up so badly. Apparently they are right on, at least for a short time. Then the flush number board also corresponds nicely with the early style Santa Fe E8m too.
I’m with you on the trucks, but then the only really prototypical Santa Fe E8m I’ve ever seen are brass imports.
Hello Heartland Division (Garry) and thanks for your kind answer and for your welcoming.[:)]
Hello Southwest Chief… What can I say? Thanks for your “encyclopaedic” [bow] reply. You have been really exaustive. I have read thirstily all what you have written.
Thanks Gandy Dancer for your appreciate explanation.
In Service. the A!A 80 class ‘rebuilds’ were assigned to replace ‘branch’ steam passenger hauling such as La Junta - Denver. I don’t recall seeing any 80 class 'B’s.
To my eyes the Santa Fe’s passenger red was a ‘signal’ or stop-sign red that turned ‘tomato’y’ as it aged. It was made by DuPont - and was a laquer. The model paint that was ‘right on’ (and matched my ATSF DuPont color chips) was Scalecoat II Red.
The ‘SILVER’ was actually Aluminum PAINT, but in the sunlight looked ‘silver’
Prototype paints actually lighten with age, not darken.