The new Kato SD45s wouldn't seem to fit into this scenario very well. Too bad. (I have the same problem with my Hagerstown Maryland theme.) You still have plenty of F units to choose from though.
Well, on that subdivision, you can pick one of the 'signature' ATSF stations available from Walthers, and that pretty well screams Santa Fe..... Cornerstone Series(R) Santa Fe-Style Brick Depot w/Freight House -- 11-3/8 x 3-7/8 x 2-1/4" (933-3805) -- Walthers Model Railroad Mall
I'm modelling Santa Fe in Texas in the late 50's/early 60's, the era varies though up to the present day because I can't resist buying stuff, but for the times when I go off on a tangent, for example I like steam but ATSF steam in N scale is scarcer than hen's teeth, I have my own Westfalen & Gulf Railway that either has trackage rights over the ATSF or vice versa. There's always some leeway to divert from the prototype anyway when you're half way around the world and 50 years away from the real thing, I've talked to otherwise quite knowledgeable modelers at trainshows who had no idea Santa Fe hadn't run a passenger train for 40 years let alone hadn't even existed since 1996.
Your fictional Oklahoma line that never developed into a main line is very close to the true story of the "Colmor Cutoff" which was a main line designed to get around the 3%+ grades of Raton Pass - and be north of the current Belen Cutoff. It went right across the far west end of the Oklahoma Panhandle: http://www.atsfrr.com/resources/burton/Colmor.htm I had to chuckle, though, on your "Gonnabe, OK". The actual TOWN NAME on this line was named after the chief engineer, Felt. So yeah, there was, and is, a "Felt OK". Felt, Oklahoma - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Ghosts of the Colmor Cutoff You have to find a pre-1942 map of the Santa Fe to see this route, I never really knew it existed until I got one of the McMillan books that talk about it. I remembered it when you started your post. Santa Fe Railway - Google Books I think a very 'doable' fictional scenario is to stave off the abandonment, include the now-active C&S, put Amtrak on that C&S line to Denver (Mount Dora-Clayton).... that's not stretching the truth very darn much... not really.... If you're really bad at trees, structures, and well....anything but grass and telephone poles, have I got a railroad for you.... http://www.carrtracks.com/nmsc323.htm
I bought a Bachmann Spectrum 44 ton locomotive and I am very happy with its performance. The only thing I want to do is to change out the DCC that came with it as its pretty low grade. Just getting back into the hobby after 15 years or so but N scale Bachmann back then wasn't that good but has improved greatly is this 44 ton is any indication.
Does anyone know if the Con-Cor cars in Amtrak livery (phase 2) are still available? Shops over here who sell Con-Cor products tell me they haven't seen these for a long time and, so far as they know, the creatures have been withdrawn. Maker's website suggests they are still available, but does anyone KNOW? Regards, Pete Davies
Pete, RDC's were rather rare by 1980, and Con Cor lists items for sale that they have not had in 5 years....
Top 3 brands of locos are just as stated, ATLAS, KATO, PROTO. ConCor Amtrak Superliners are available on the bay ALL the time. You might want to consider the Kato Superliners which are far superior. fatalxsunrider43
