What year did Santa Fe go to the Yellow and Blue colors for their engines?
Are you asking when the Santa Fe adopted blue and yellow for road switchers and yard switchers, replacing black with silver zebra stripes? The answer is 1959, with the second delivery of EMD SD24s. The first units of the 900 class, along with the first 800-class RSD-15s, were delivered in the zebra stripe scheme, but the Santa Fe was disappointed with that look on its newest, top-class mainline power. After trying zebra stripes with billboard “Santa Fe” lettering, the road adapted the blue-and-yellow colors it had used on freight F units since 1953, and included the large road name on the side of the hood. It took several years for all the older switchers and road switchers to be repainted, but the blue-and-yellow scheme was used on all new freight locomotives until 1972.
The Santa Fe’s first freight diesels, the 100-class FTs of 1941-1945, initiated the use of blue and yellow for freight power, although the yellow was a lighter shade and the blue and yellow were originally divided by a vermillion pinstripe. The pinstripe was phased out between 1943 and 1949, and in 1953 the yellow shade was changed to the “chrome yellow” used on the passenger units since 1937.
So long,
Andy
Thanks for the info. The reason I asked is that I have gotten back into the hobby after a 30 year break. I found this old Burlington all rusted and not runable. I have primed it and I’m going to use it as scenery. Half of the engine will be painted, and painters will be working on the other half…to give it a realistic feel.
Just a note. I thoroughly enjoy your articles in MR.
I am enclosing a picture of my latest project. The trestle is scratch built. The waterfall extends above the tracks, and if you look closely you might notice a skinny dipper near the kayakers at the bottom whitewater.
The layout is a 10’ x 16’ HO. I have tried to create each scene with photographic realism. I would appreciate your comments.
My best,
Harold Wolf
