ATSF Transcon 1989

Main line trains on the Santa Fe between Flagstaff and Barstow in 1989. Lots of older power and a few Kodachromes too.

[@Sacto1654]

Wow, the distinctive "chug" of the FDL prime movers on the C30-7's and the growl of the 645's on the SD40/45 units.

[@N330AA]

The blue yellow scheme has to be the best RR livery in the US

[@TheSantaferailway]

Miss these awesome times, sure bnsf runs lots of trains too, but will never have the nostalgia that Atchison Topeka & Santa Fe will ever have, gr8 vid!!!

[@peterhanahoe4913]

This is fantastc, lots of excellent shots but I particularly like the one at 2:00. Speed, smoke, colour, its got it all !! I recognise a lot of the locations too. Not bad from 5000 miles away, top stuff.

[@scoobycarr5558]

After the failed merger that was the "SPSF" or Shouldn't Paint So Fast, it looked like the Santa Fe was on the verge of failure just like former merger partner Southern Pacific. But in 1988 it got a forward thinking new manager by the name of Robert Krebs, and the Santa Fe never looked back after that. The Santa Fe even brought back the Warbonnet as a way to profess its new "tough guy who bounces back in a big way" image. Not even Union Pacific could have improved that big and so quickly.

[@rossbryan6102]

SOUTHERN PACIFIC NEEDED SANTA FE A HELL OF A LOT MORE THAN SANTA FE NEEDED SP! MIKE HAVERTY WAS THE REAL GUIDING LIGHT OUT OF CHICAGO! LEAVING SANTA FE ,HAVERTY CREATED A REAL POWERHOUSE WITH KANSAS CITY SOUTHERN!! KREBS WAS A BUSINESS MAN, BUT HAVERTY IS A BUSINESS RAILROADER!

[@mark_wooley001]

Great mix of classic power ...

[@joelkirchner8476]

So many great elements in this video!

[@Tom-Lahaye]

Real nostalgia, you could really spot locomotives in this time, because there were more than just a handfull of different types. I could spot EMD GP's 30, 38, 38-2, 40, 40X, 50 and 60, then SD's 40-2, 45, 45-2, 45-2B, and the F45. GE models B23-7, C30-7 and Dash 8-40B. The GP40X and SD45-2B were really nice catches, as these were very small series. I could have missed one or two other types.

[@johnsonbeckenelly2026]

Williams, Arizona heading east to Flagstaff through Belmont

[@robadams8057]

Loving all the yellowbonnets. "Tanks" a lot.

[@robadams5799]

Look at all those gorgeous Yellowbonnets! 5:15 and 16:58 - Look at the thick, black smoke coming from those locomotives!

[@blackflagqwerty]

I recognise a lot these places from MSTS

[@trainknut]

Streamlines Seligman Sub? I've got that.

[@alexpaumen3937]

I love those bright K3LAs that they put on their locomotives.

[@royscreen61]

Great stuff,thanks for uploading

[@Nicola636128]

Excellent video! Well done!

[@scoobycarr5558]

Back in the day when the Santa Fe ran the Transcon between Winslow in Arizona and Belen in New Mexico, the Santa Fe would often operate its trains left-handed just like over Cajon Pass in California. It's basically the exact same kind of operation under BNSF in today's modern era.

[@glennfoster2423]

The left hand operation was between a natural crossover, a la Frost, just East of Crookton, Arizona (until the line relocation between Crookton and Williams Junction) all the way to the Dalies, New Mexico at the interlocking (yes! there was an in interlocking tower, open 24 hrs.). The instruction in the Albuquerque Division instructed trains to keep to the left between A and B, for instance, Winslow and Gallup, and that remained in effect until the installation of TCS (CTC) on the First and Second Districts.

[@elizabethpate2740]

I like the state of Illinois for Santa Fe trains.

[@jw4620]

It's all here, including double wide bridge meets. Thanks!

[@Greatdome99]

Over the Colorado River at Topoc.

[@glennfoster2423]

​@@Greatdome99To pick, correct spelling.

[@glennfoster2423]

Ok, stupid autocorrect, Topock.

[@tommyhunter1817]

Seeing all the videos now days of these old geeps rolling down bad track on po-dunk shortlines makes it hard to believe this is (was) real.

[@ivanmckinney1881]

I'LL BE BACK.......FOR THE REST.....I'LL BE NEEDING MORE........TISSUES........R.I.P........

[@kelvintorrence5994]

I see they had a yellow and red engine from when they merge with s.p. and their people called them shouldn't paint so fast s.p.s.f.

[@andrewquagliano8288]

I miss seeing those lashups.

[@TD_loves_IANR]

Those GE’s were always smoky!

[@Juan_A_Garcia]

Excelente video!! Saludos.

[@MetroVick]

Fantastic video.

[@timpriddy349]

The bluebonnets are disappearing......you see them on switch detail or local buckets with those silly big road numbers....Always preferred the western style numbers

[@easyamp123]

I don't know if anyone else caught it but the second locomotive in the set, starting at 9:36, is one of only 10 EMD gp40x's that at&sf ever had and one of only 23 ever made. Excellent catch! Can't quite make out the number but I think it is 38** something

[@Tom-Lahaye]

Did find the same, because I was wondering which of the Geeps had slanted radiator grilles, I started browsing the Wiki site with all the EMD types and found it only could be a GP40X, they were the only Geeps ever made with these style of grilles. The number I could make out was 3809, stop the video at 9:48 and that gives the clearest image of the number. Leading the pack is 4001, the second in the number series of the ATSF GP60's.

[@SouthwestRailfanProductions]

Do ya hear that whistle coming down the line i figure that it’s engine 649 she’s the only dash nine that will sound that way on the atchinson Topeka and the Santa Fe

[@willx666x666]

you have wat they call tha ....goood stuff..... (ric flair)

[@tanzianempire8761]

My mom was 11 at this time.

[@kansasstatealerting2424]

No cabooses?

[@fmnut]

A 1982 government ruling on a labor dispute allowed the elimination of cabooses on most trains. Some states had "caboose laws" that kept them in service on some railroads until the late 1980s. These were eventually overturned in the courts. They were definitely gone from the ATSF by the time of this filming.

[@kansasstatealerting2424]

fmnut Oh that’s sad :(

[@McCloud19250]

20:49 Was the best shot

[@WSOR6604]

Crazy cool...

[@smallworld7537]

cool vid

[@emdsd40-24]

How many yellow bonnet locomotives work and are still working today?

[@Greatdome99]

Check various Heritage loco sites on the net.

[@David-nl1zt]

Train watchers correct me if I'm wrong, but why did it feel like the Santa Fe back in the 80's and 90's was running trains at higher speed then they do today? Maybe it's just my imagination, but it always felt like they were at max track speed in most places.

[@glennfoster2423]

The maximum speed authorized in the timetable was 70 mph for freight and 90 for passenger trains, subject to restricted curves, etc. specified in the timetable.

[@philipvandyke5980]

Nice and wish all shots were on the sunnyside. Over 21000 views and only400 thumbs up. Like they could do better

[@texastrainfan56]

3:05 could someone explain exactly what those Boxcars are for? First time ever seeing something like that

[@fmnut]

They were called "Thrall Door" cars, a play on the terms "all door" and Thrall, the owner of the patent and manufacturer. There were 4 sliding plug doors and no solid sides to the car. All doors ran in separate tracks and could be moved from one end of the car to the other. The idea was to reduce or eliminate damage caused when unloading long lengths of lumber out of standard box cars with fixed sides and narrow doors. They were generally replaced by center beam flat cars as advanced plastics allowed lumber to be wrapped and transported out in the open instead of in box cars.

[@SPNGLovato18]

Hello, can I use the footage as well as other ATSF videos you have for a music video? If not, that’s fine. Thank you.

[@fmnut]

Feel free. Send me a link to the finished product if you wouldn't mind. Thanks.

[@SPNGLovato18]

@@fmnut you’re welcome! I’ll try to

[@fmnut]

@@SPNGLovato18 do, or not do, there is no try.....;-)

[@SmithConductor]

100th Like!

[@toolsteel8482]

Trains and freight cars were seemingly devoid of graffiti back in those days; wait , 1989, that’s not even that long ago.

[@Milepost1965]

What ever you do if it is within your power, do all you can do to save the war bonnets, BNSF is in the process of repainting the historical war bonnets.

[@fmnut]

Every one I've seen in the last few years looks like hell. Why save something that looks like crap?

[@Milepost1965]

@@fmnut restore and repaint, think positive.

[@fmnut]

@@Milepost1965 I'd rather see them put the money into treating their employees better. Dirty engines pull just fine if they're maintained mechanically.

[@patriksiegfried5050]

The Santa Fe era was wonderful, but since AT&SF and BN merged, BNSF broke the Warbonnet myth, and that's a shame. I really don't like current BNSF.