Below: The 161 was on the head end doing what the units had been modified to do. Notice the well used pilot and the chrome headlight rims. This image clearly shows the colored striping that ran along the sill. (Louis A Marre Collection)
Above: The 163LABC had been rebuilt for passenger service and released from the shops at San Bernardino just a few weeks prior to this image being captured at Chicago, Illinois. Notice the retention of the side numberboards and the ABBA configuration.(Louis A Marre Collection)
Established 04/22/96-Updated 02/22/2009
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Santa Fe Passenger FTs
THE PASSENGER LOCOMOTIVES
Electro-Motive FT's
Road numbers 158LABC through 168LABC
The Santa Fe's first passenger F-unit was FT locomotive 167LABC which was built with gearing and equipment for passenger service by EMD at Santa Fe's request in February 1945. Originally delivered in freight colors, it was tested in passenger service and was apparently successful enough as a passenger engine that it was repainted into the red and silver passenger scheme similar to that used on the 2 class E-1's
Between April and August 1946 ten more A-B-B-A sets, road numbers 158LABC through 166LABC were removed from freight service and converted to passenger configuration by the Santa Fe. These locomotives were used in passenger service as a stopgap until enough newer F-3 and F-7 types had been purchased to dieselize all major passenger trains. One of the big reasons for converting the FT's to passenger service was that doing so enabled the railroad to dispense with helper service over Raton Pass. The dynamic brakes were also useful on the long downgrade in western Arizona allowing better train handling.
These eleven A-B-B-A FT sets wore the red/silver passenger colors during their brief stint as passenger engines, but all of them were eventually converted back into freight configuration and were repainted in freight colors with some of them receiving the solid blue experimental paint of 1951 - 52.
Some were converted back to freight service after only two years as passenger engines, most lasted four years in passenger service, and 167LABC and 168LA made it for five years as passenger engines. Units 167BC were renumbered to 415LA and retained their passenger colors for a while for use on the Phoenix-Ash Fork passenger train. They were eventually converted back to freight, probably sometime in 1953. Some kept their dual headlights and steam generators for a time, but these items were eventually removed from most of them.
