Hi folks. Did all Santa Fe 4-8-4 Northerns have the dark gray fronts on them, or was this only exclusive to #3751 ?.
Tracklayer
check out this site. it might helps a bit with the ATSF 4-8-4 Northerns.
http://www.steamlocomotive.com/northern/atsf.shtml
and also compare these pictures of #3751
and #3759
hope this helps!
Thank you earthqu8ke. Yes, it does help. Now let’s see what others might have to say about it.
Tracklayer
The standard smokebox front color for Santa Fe steam was a color called Tarpon Gray.
Wait a minute. Didn’t you post this question a few months ago? http://www.trains.com/TRC/CS/forums/945739/PrintPost.aspx
Andre
This question does come up fairly often, and we tend to answer it with the same answer. The real answer is yes and a qualified no. The Tarpon Gray was used system wide for many years, but in my many Santa fe books, I also have a few pictures in the 1955 to 57 era that show the shops stopped doing this in the last days of steam. That is the reason this probably keeps coming up. Both the Northerns and the some of the 5011 class Texas types ended up with black smoke box fronts in the very late steam era, since they were used a little longer than the older steam power.
You have to to a little research on a particular number locomotive and actual date to use a black smoke box door correctly, but they did exist. The paint and lettering on the 3759 at Kingman in the park setting is not accurate.
Hello Andre. I guess I had totally forgotten about that. I probably sat the loco aside after the first time and moved on to other things. Well, this time I’m either going to do the work on it or leave it as it is and put it behind me… Thanks.
Tracklayer