mixed a and b units

[Triplex]

I still haven't seen any evidence that the Santa Fe intermixed red & silver F units with blue & yellow units or Gp 7's or 9's during the 1950's-1960's.

You're probably right... all such photos I've seen (like this one http://railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=44543 ) are from the 70s. But why do only the 50s and 60s matter?

This ATSF argument is pretty pointless.

EDIT: Red and silver Fs definitely ran on freights in the 1960s:

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=132242

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=55157

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=55156

But here's the clincher: http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=49151 Billboard GP7 and warbonnet F7B on a passenger in 1968. This was in the time when the cowls were new, but still...

 

[Russ Bellinis]

The question was do they mix a & b units. The answer is yes, no, and sometimes depending on what railroad you model and when you model it. If you freelance, do what you want. If you model prototype, you need to know your prototype to answer the question. I was trying to point out that the Santa Fe had a specific practice during a specific era. If he isn't modeling Santa Fe, but is wanting to model another railroad prototypically, then he needs to do the research on his specific railroad. If he wants help on that railroad, he needs to ask specifically about that railroad. If you go back into the 1940's the Santa Fe # a-b-b-a sets with the same number followed by A,B,C, or L. When they numbered them that way the 4 units ran as a set. Later on in the late 1960's they changed the way they assigned the motivepower. Finding an exception in the late 1960's or early 1970's doesn't change how they did things in the 1940's 1950's or early 1960's. I didn't intend to start an argument.

 

[CCT70]

The Western Pacific regularly used F-3B units with FP-7A units all the time on the California Zephyr. It was also common on the WP to see F-7B's mixed in with GP-7's, GP-9's and GP-20,s. Even GP-40's, with no F-7A's in the consist.

B's are just another locomotive, they are just trailing units only due to their lack of a cab and cab controls. (other than simple hostler controls inside).

 

[Greg Elems]

As far as I know, ATSF F45's and FP45's weren't leased to Amtrak but the red and silver F7's were. Amtraks SDP40F's started showing up in the mid 70's which ended the lease of SP's SDP45's and ATSF F units. SP FP7's on the other hand were owned out right by Amtrak.

Greg Elems