Thursday, September 20, 2012

The Oak Park Society Of Model Engineers H.O Scale Model Railroad Club. Oak Park Illinois USA. Wednsday, March 23rd, 2011.

I took this photograph back in March of 2011, at the Oak Park Society of Model Engineers,H.O Scale Model Railroad Club.

For many years dating back to the steam era, the former Atchinson, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad was known for it's very plain and hardly noticed cabooses, with plain railroad stencil ATSF reporting marks on the sides.

Begining during the year of 1966, the Santa Fe began rebuilding their steel cupola caboose fleet at the company's Cleburne Texas railroad shops facility. Many refinements such as cushion underframes, fewer windiws which were now smaller and sealed, air conditioning as well as the familiar bright vermillion red color scheme wth the large yellow circular "Santa Fe" logo were introduced on these rebuilt cabooses.

Some Santa Fe cabooses lasted in to the mid 1970's in the plain brown color scheme, and were used on transfer and maintenance trains. Some of these were later retired and preserved at a few museums in the plain brown pre 1966 ATSF color scheme.

Most Santa Fe cupola cabooses were retired in the later vermillion red and yellow color scheme.

Thanks.
Eddie K.

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