Those are great shots - thank you for posting. I'd never seen the later 'yellow herald on the black car'. I wonder if those were still rotary dump, because the rule 'used to be' that the rotary end had to be indicated, painted yellow, etc. so you didn't end up with accidentally reversed cars with rotary end-to-end. Those are the best color shots of the cars I've ever seen.
Going to weather all mine and paint the wheels/trucks. Some of the Fox Valley wheels were not gauged right, a first for me, so when I paint them I will be regauge them. Would have done it tonight but I can't find my wheel gauge.
here's a coal load for you guy's.. four miles worth :thumbs_up: [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LsuNWjRaAo"]YouTube - Longest train officially in the world[/ame]
As I recall the York Canyon train ran with a pure set of cars with one exception. In the later days of the train there was one silver car in the consist. I was told that this was an experimental aluminum car. The "Brown" train also ran as a pure set. This train was supposed to be export coal, though I don't know the particulars of where it was exported to.
To my good friend SSW9389 and all others tuned in here. You are correct in that Santa Fe did run pure sets to start with. "Promotional Trains". This didn't last long as more coal cars were needed and older equipment was mixed in with newer types. You see, Santa Fe personal and administrators cared nothing about "Pure Sets". We railfans might but they did not. As an ATSF employee you used whatever head end power was available and the same went with the coal gons. So, before we sound off about pure sets and state only "Pure sets". We need to revisit the photos I provided and you will see a mix bag of equipment being used to make the haul. Exception being. The same type of fill and dump...as required by Kaiser Steel Mill, in order to dump the coal at it's destination. Randqust, On the earlier York Canyon coal trains, Santa Fe did use the RSD15's, as you noted. This was prior to and shortly after the 1966 date mentioned in the article from the Santa Fe Magazine. The article is discussing a new track alignment and the seamless ribbon rail installed and dedicated... into the York Canyon coal complex. If you look carefully at the ribbon cutting ceremony. The unit pictured is a RSD15. Note: the tell tail handrails. Enjoy!
Barstow I looked at the photos you supplied and counted the ribs. Paint was different, but each car had the same number of ribs. Was a different type of coal gondola used on the YK than the ones shown in the photos? I still say pure sets of the same type of cars were used on the train and I am not talking about paint.
When I saw the train in June '72, I thought it was powered with SD40's. Santa Fe, of course, didn't have SD40's then - what I saw were SD39's that arrived in June '69 - 4000-4019 ATSF SD39/SD39u Power Roster But even prototype guys can have a 'its my railroad' and because I love the RSD15's, they run my YK. I thought the earliest power was the SD24's, then the RSD15's, then the SD39's, then...whatever ran well. They tended to run with specific classes that had been equipped as Locontrol masters / receivers, so at least the lead unit and the mid-train lead unit had to be so equipped. I tried to put two 'dummy' RSD15's in the consist 20 cars back and 10 cars ahead to have mid-train helpers; even with pulling out the gears, weights, etc. it was just too much drag. Way before DCC though.
SSW9389, You are so right about the pure type of coal gon. As of the dedication in Sept. of 1966, Kaiser set the standard as to the type of coal gon to be used. Based upon or according to their method established to off load the coal. The only exception being newer types of gondolas they could off load in the same manner with established equipment. Prior to 1966: At a very early stage, anything and everything that could haul coal was pressed into service. I have a early picture of a York Canyon Coal Train. What a mixed bag of coal gons. Must be in a safe place...I can't find it. Maybe it will jump up at me when I least expect to find it. Randqust, I believe you are correct in that RSD15's were used in conjunction with the SD24's. Just not sure which locomotive hit the Santa Fe Rails first. And, I'm still working on the RSD 15 you sent me. I hope to have it back-up and running...SOON!
