Santa Fe Passenger Car Question

[CBQ Fan]

I picked up KATO #106-1401 (SET E) SANTA FE PASSENGER SET from MBK a week or so ago.  I have to wonder where they dug it up from.  It was clearly run based on the dirt I am cleaning off of the wheels, but no big deal considering the price.

So to my question, how, when and where did Santa Fe run these cars?

[thomasjmdavis]

Brian,

Short answers- Pullman delivered them in 1942, and some ran until Amtrak, although in the late 60s they saw less use, as cars delivered in the late 40s- early 50s could handle the lower demand of the late 60s. 
Assuming your set is similar to mine, there is one car lettered "Pullman" which would have been original delivery until the late 1940s.  The shadow stripe cars were in use late 1940s until about 1951 to 53 (individual repaint dates varied).  The shadow striping did not hold up well to the mechanical car washers and blowing sand in the Southwest.  The other 2 tone gray car would be the 50s repaint.  I think some lasted in that paint scheme throughout the rest of their time on the SF, others were painted solid gray sometime in the 60s.

The cars were used all over the system- and often to cities with nearby military bases, or between cities with a lot of government travel- as the section berths were what the govt would reimburse for.   They saw use on the San Francisco Chief, Grand Canyon, the Chicago-KC trains, and on lots of secondary routes. I believe they were also used for a while as transcon sleepers with the B&O, running on the Chief on the ATSF (replaced with 10-6 cars sometime in the early 50s).  Take a look at consists on the GMBUS site, or in Frailey's SF consist book.

As a side note, I have always wondered if the cars were originally intended to have fluting, but the stainless steel was redirected to the war effort (given that these were the only smoothside sleepers on the Santa Fe). 

[Point353]

I picked up KATO #106-1401 (SET E) SANTA FE PASSENGER SET from MBK a week or so ago.  I have to wonder where they dug it up from.  It was clearly run based on the dirt I am cleaning off of the wheels, but no big deal considering the price.

Did the product description contain any information to suggest that the set was used?
Otherwise, MBK asserts that everything they sell is new:
https://support.modeltrainstuff.com/hc/en-us/articles/202970083-Are-all-of-your-products-sold-new-

[CBQ Fan]

Did the product description contain any information to suggest that the set was used?
Otherwise, MBK asserts that everything they sell is new:
https://support.modeltrainstuff.com/hc/en-us/articles/202970083-Are-all-of-your-products-sold-new-

Not that I can recall.  They priced it at $100 and considering how old the set is and the fact that it was selling for 2.5 times that on eBay (actual bids) I didn’t look at all the details.  But the wheels are very dirty on two cars (sounds like flat spots when they roll, lol) and the box was creased in the way they all do when they have been opened. All things considered I am very happy with the purchase but is definitely the most unique order I have had from MBK.

[nscalbitz]

Sounds like it was a store demo used that they've mystically found on a shelf.
But it should have been sold over the counter in that case. But if you're happy.... 
regards dave

[CBQ Fan]

Sounds like it was a store demo used that they've mystically found on a shelf.
But it should have been sold over the counter in that case. But if you're happy.... 
regards dave

That is exactly what I think it is. It honestly may have stated it somewhere and I missed in my haste to buy it.

[thomasjmdavis]

I did see those and a couple other sets a short while back when perusing the MBK site- they were gone the next time I got back to the N scale front page.  I got a deal on several undecs years ago (in addition to my ATSF set and a Centralia)- so I was not really in the market.  Glad to know they are in good hands.

[CBQ Fan]

I did see those and a couple other sets a short while back when perusing the MBK site- they were gone the next time I got back to the N scale front page.  I got a deal on several undecs years ago (in addition to my ATSF set and a Centralia)- so I was not really in the market.  Glad to know they are in good hands.

Thank you!  I will enjoy them!  And thank you for the info!

[Cajonpassfan]

Tom D's writeup is right in the money, as usual, with one minor note: the "Valley" cars were not the only smooth sides on the Santa Fe. There were also two "Cascade" 10-5 smooth side sleepers (incidentally also assigned to transcon service  via the B&O for a time).
Otto K.

[thomasjmdavis]

Tom D's writeup is right in the money, as usual, with one minor note: the "Valley" cars were not the only smooth sides on the Santa Fe. There were also two "Cascade" 10-5 smooth side sleepers (incidentally also assigned to transcon service  via the B&O for a time).
Otto K.

Doh!  Otto is, of course, correct.  Which reminds me, a Cascade is another Brass Car side project I need to finish.

[CBQ Fan]

The saga just gets more interesting. I sat down to clean the wheels and noticed one broken coupler and all springs have been removed and incorrect coupler installed. Looks like someone tried to modify these to close couple them. Odd!  Off to the parts bin for repairs!