SANTA FE MODELER

Volume 14 Number 3
Third Quarter, 1991
THE FREIGHT LOCOMOTIVES

Ft's road numbers 100 through 199 and 400 through 430

Electro-Motive's 1939 demonstrator locomotive carried model designation FT, these initials standing for Freight, Twenty-seven hundred horsepower, under EMC's early model designation system. (the 2700 HP stemming from the total HP of an A-B set, EMC's intended sales package for the FT). The FT demonstrator carried road number 103 and did a barnstorming tour of the Santa Fe and many other railroads throughout the country in early 1940 turning in an impressive performance everywhere it went. It was made up of four separate power units of 1350 HP each for a total of 5400 HP, a close equivalent to the HP rating of the most modern steam locomotives of the day including the Santa Fe 's new 3765 class 4-8-4's and 5001 class 2-10-4's.

The FT thumbed its nose as it rolled past the water plugs where steam engines were compelled to stop all too frequently. At the end of the run it was just "fill her up and check the oil" and head out on another train instead of a visit to the roundhouse for the labor intensive servicing required by a steam locomotive prior to another run.

Santa Fe's management was sufficiently impressed with 103's performance to place an order on October 1, 1940 for production units-the first railroad to do so. Santa Fe's FT deliveries began with two A-B sets numbered 100LA (in December 1940) and 101LA (in January 1941), "L" (for lead) units having a cab and "A" being cabless boosters. Road numbers on 100A and 101LA are said to have been painted out during early operations so that the only visible number on the quartet was on the lead unit number 100. This may have been done because of early rumblings from the labor unions about multiple unit diesel locomotives requiring multiple crews.

Santa Fe intended to use their FT's as 4-unit 5400 HP locomotives, so 101LA was quickly renumbered to 100BC, "B" being a cabless booster and "C" being equipped with a cab. A new A-B-B-A set was built and numbered 101LABC, giving two full A-B-B-A locomotive sets. This very early renumbering was only a small hint of many subsequent renumberings to be inflicted on the 100 class during their service lives.

Before any more FT's were delivered, the railroad labor unions confirmed the Santa Fe's fears when they decreed that every cab unit must have a crew even though it was completely unnecessary for the operation of the locomotive. Of course, the railroad was not about to pay a second crew to sit in the cab ofa trailing unit and do nothing, so management decided subsequent locomotives would be arranged in A-B-B-B sets rather than A-B-B-A to eliminate having a second cab and changed the first two locomotives to A-B-B-B sets as well.

FT-A's 100C and 101C were renumbered to 102Land 103LandnewFT-B's numbered 100C, 101C, 102ABC and 103ABC, plus another new A-B-B-B set numbered 104LABC, were also built. By September 1941 the Santa Fe had five A-B-B-B sets of FT's in operation numbered 100LABC through 104LABC. Although EMC's (by this time it had become EMD - Electro-Motive Division of General Motors Corp.) intent was to market the FT as A-B sets permanently coupled by a drawbar, the Santa Fe early on requested couplers on all units.

Four 100-class FT locomotives pose for the company photographer at Winslow, Arizona just before V-J Day (August 15) in 1945. From left to right, 142C sports a later version of the Santa Fe badge plate (see modeling notes) and a slight difference in the headlight housing. Units 118L, 130L and 121L are all graduates from La Grange class of 1943. -Santa Fe, John McCall Collection

Page 8 Volume 14 Number 3 Third Quarter, 1991 Santa Fe Modeler transcribed in altered form by Russell Crump

Subsequently, all of the Santa Fe's FT's, with the possible exception of the original two A-B-B-A sets, were delivered with couplers on both ends of all units, greatly adding to the flexibility of these units and making the shifting around of locomotive consists much easier.

The 100LABC set was well-photographed as it worked across the system with a dynamometer car in its very early days of service and testing. Because of all these early photos, it is generally not understood by most Santa Fe fans that its A-B-B-A configuration was quickly changed to A-B-B-B. The number 100 set spent the rest of its days in service with a single FT-A 100L as there was never another FT-A built with or renumbered to number 100C.

All locomotives from 105LABC through 151 LABC were built between March of 1942 and June of 1944 as A-B-B-B sets rather than A-B-B-A as commonly thought. By the time the 152LABC set was being built, the labor unions had relented and agreed that only one crew per diesel locomotive was required even if it contained more than one cab. Thereafter, all locomotives from 152LABC and up were arranged in A-B-B-A configuration and most of the earlier locomotives were changed to AB-B-A sets as well.

Electro-Motive's FT demonstrator 103 heads up eastbound #4 at Nelson, Arizona on March 9, 1940 on one of its first demonstration runs. The FT's performance resulted in the Santa Fe placing the first production order for FT's with EMC. Venerable dynanometer car 29 is immediately behind the trailing unit. Note the absence of dynamic brakes. -Gordon Bassett Collection

To accomplish this, boosters 100C through 151C were renumbered to numbers 152AB and upwards and new cab units were built and some older cab units were renumbered to go with the renumbered B-units from the early locomotive sets to create locomotives 152LABC through 179LABC. For some reason, new cab units were never built to go with units 100LAB through 104LAB. This resulted in A-B-B sets 100LAB through 104LAB and four-unit sets 105LABC through 179LABC in service, most being AB-B-A.

FT 100L was at San Diego on February 14, 1941 when R. P. Middlebrook made this photo. This is one of the best black and white photographs which clearly illustrate the factory paint scheme of the FtA-units. Note the red separating stripes, the bronze Santa Fe nose badge and the black roof and pilot. The yellow paint was a creamier shade that used on the later passenger and freight units. "Santa Fe" lettering on the side was a gold bronze color. -Stan Kistler Collection

Since the last locomotive built with new cab units was 179LABC, higher numbered FT's from 180 through 199C and 400 through 430B were all renumbered from lower numbered units. The primary reason for renumbering many of the FT's again after all the trouble it had been to get most of them into AB-B-A sets was because the railroad desired to move many of them to other parts of the system after the completion of their World War II duties. War demands had kept most of them on the western end of the system for the most part and the new assignments often did not require full four-unit locomotives. So, the 100 class was again largely renumbered for reassignments.

Most of the renumbered FT-A's were from units 105C through 179C although not all of these "C" units were renumbered. Most of the locomotive sets numbered 180 through 199 that were created by this renumbering were of A-B-B configuration, but some were A-B-A. This was probably influenced by where the locomotives were to be assigned.

The second cab unit for the first cross-country trip of the 100 did not have any numbers in the number boards. Shown here at Topeka in January 1941 (left to right), she will become the first 101L and here booster, 101A. Behind them are the 100A and the 100L cab unit on the point (with flags). In March 1941, cab unit was numbered 100C and in September 1941 renumbered to 102L.

Page 9 Volume 14 number 3, third quarter , 1991 Santa Fe Modeler Transcribed in altered form by Russell Crump

Locomotives renumbered to 400 through 430 were initially set up for use in branchline or secondary line service to replace steam locomotives in those assignments, mostly in California, Texas and Oklahoma. The 400's varied from single cab units to complete A-B-B-A sets. The single unit and two unit 400's were equipped with footboards and rear headlights, which they retained until deliveries of new GP-7s allowed their return to mainline freight service.

Later yet, the railroad renumbered many units to again create A-B-B-A sets, but most units involved in this renumbering did not get their original numbers back. Most of this renumbering came out of the 400 series, but some units did retain their 400 series numbers to the end of their careers.

The shot of 117LABC in early 1945 near Cajon, California illustrates the as-delivered A-B-B-B configuration of all Santa Fe FT sets 102LABC through 151LABC acquired from 1941 through late 1944. 100LABC and 100LABC were also reconfigured to A-B-B-B in response to the operating union's demand requiring a crew in every cab unit. When the unions relented on this demand, most ot the early FT sets were reconfigured to A-B-B-A shortly after World War II. -Stan Kistler Collection

Some units were renumbered as many as six times over the course of the years. Total FT numbers produced for the Santa Fe was 155 cabs and 165 boosters.

Santa Fe's FT-B's were equipped with hostler controls that would allow limited operation of the booster unit. These rudimentary controls were located at the left rear of the engine resulting in an extra porthole on the left side of all Santa Fe FT-B's. This fifth porthole was mounted on hinges and could be opened by the hostler so he could see where he was going. The hostler could also operate a small air horn which was located on the upper end wall of the carbody nearest the hostler control station. All Santa Fe's F-3, F- 7 and F-9 booster units had hostler controls, hinged porthole and small air horns.

The red separating stripe was abbreviated by the Santa Fe on units repainted in the company shops. Cab units maintained the red stripes as shown here and it was eliminated entirely on boosters. 122L was at San Bernardino in February 1947 when R. P. Middlebrook made the picture. -Stan Kistler Collection

From the time they were built and into the early 1950's the freight FT's wore the familiar blue/yellow Santa Fe freight colors with a nose emblem known to railfans as the "catwhisker" design. This nose emblem featured a square Santa Fe herald on the nose door and three horizontal yellow stripes, "catwhiskers," extending from the herald around the nose to a point below the windshield.

In February 1951 an eastbound extra pulled by FT 144 passes the highway 138 grade crossing at Pine Lodge. Note the marker lamp at the left of the badge plate on the nose. Speculation is some units assigned in Cajon Pass helper service received this modification in 1950's thus eliminating the need for oil marker lamps at the rear end of the helpers.

Page 10, Volume 14 number 3, third quarter 1991 Santa Fe Modeler Transcribed in altered form for the web by Russell Crump

Text & pictures continued on Page 11

Added to the WWW 04-22-96
Updated 08-12-2002