The F-7 superseded the F-3 in production in 1949 and Santa Fe orders from that point were delivered as F-7's. F-7 passenger units continued their numbers upwards from where the F-3's let off. The 37 class of F-7 passenger locomotives was comprised of A-B-B-A sets 37LABC through 47LABC plus one single b-unit numbered 48A.
They had the same basic appearance as the late 16 class F-3's except the D/B had a circular fan rather than a pair of slits covered with "chicken wire." In this class the 1949 delivered units 37-41 had a 36"D/B fan while 1951 delivered units 42-47 and 48A had a 48"D/B fan.
Some of these units were delivered with horizontal-slit grilles, but all were changed to the vertical-slit type early on. Stewart's F-7A "Phase II" has vertical-slit grilles and a 48"D/B fan but it is not painted and lettered for Santa Fe. Detail Associates vertical slit grilles would need to be applied over Stewart"s or Athern's Santa Fe lettered F-7 horizontal slit grilles in order to model units 37-41. A 48" D/B fan from Highliner B-unit kit could be installed to model units 42-47 and 48A.
The 300 class of F-7 passenger locomotives were built concurrently with the 37 class and they were identical in appearance to the 37 class except they were arranged in A-B-B sets instead of A-B-B-A, apparently the only reason they were assigned to a separate class. 1949 delivered units 300LAB through 305LAB had 36"D/B fans while 314LAB had 48" D/B fans. All had vertical slit grilles, so the same modifications mentioned for the 37 class would also apply to modeling the 300 class.
While in Amtrak service two of the 300 class F7A's (304L and 315L) and one F-7B were repainted into the yellow warbonnet paint scheme, but Amtrak apparently did not like the yellow scheme and no further units were repainted while Amtrak was using the 300 class units.
The 325 class passenger F-7's came about because the Santa Fe desired some locomotives geared for dual service, either passenger or freight. Built with compromise gearing for 80 MPH, the first units of the class were numbered in with the 300 class as number 306LAB through 316LAB when delivered in May 1950.
When more regular passenger units were delivered in late 1952, the dual service geared units were renumbered into a separate class units 325LAB through 335LAB, and the new 100 MPH units took the vacated numbers 306LAB through 314LAB. More dual service 325 class locomotives were delivered in 1953 numbered 336LAB through 340LAB and 341LA through 344LA. Intended primarily as protection power in case of failure of a normal passenger locomotive the units of this class did spend a considerable portion of their time in freight service, even in their early years.
325 class units had three variations in appearance. Units 326LAB through 331LAB had 36" D/B fans and horizontal slit grilles, making these units identical to both the Athern and Stewart models. Units 325LAB and 332LAB through 335LAB had 36" D/B fans and vertical slit grilles. Units 336LAB and upwards had a 48" D/B fan and vertical slit grilles as in the late 37 class.
If you want to leave your Stewart or Athern passenger F-7's unmodified you will need to number them in the 326LAB through 331LAB group as these seem to be the only passenger F-7's built with the same appearance as these models.
Class engine 37LABC sits at La Grange ready for delivery to the Santa Fe in September 1949. This locomotive set is the first true F-7 passenger locomotive delivered to the Santa Fe. The F-3 style dynamic brake slits were replaced with fans and the "chicken wire" side grilles were replaced with stainless steel side grilles. Twin sealbeam headlight is in place but they were later moved down and a Mars light was fitted in the top housing. - Santa Fe, John McCall Collection
Page 31 Third Quarter 1991 Santa Fe Modeler transcribed in altered form for the web by Russell Crump
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Class engine 325 was most likely built with vertical slit grilles as photos of it as early as 1950 show it with that type. The vertical slit grille was apparently used on most Santa Fe passenger F's except the 326 through 331 sets, but photo show that a few other units acquired horizontal slit grilles during shop visits. Photos of 31LA, 35LABC, and 303L show that they had horizontal slit grilles at one time or another, other units probably did also, but all seem to have ended up with vertical slit grilles.
Apparently the only sure way to determine what type of grille any given locomotive had at a particular time is to use photos for reference. Some passenger F'3's are also known to have acquired D/B fans at some point in their careers as well, and some units originally equipped with 36" D/B fans had them replaced with 48" fans during shopping or wreck rebuilds.
As with the freight F's and the 16 class passenger F's the 300 and 325 class units underwent modifications over the years. Different air horns were installed, grab irons were added above the windshield and up the right side of the nose and radio antennas were installed. Most of them had wrecking lugs and nose MU installed on the A-units, and all had the fuel tank skirting removed. Photographs are a "must" to determine how any given unit was equipped.
The 16, 37, 300 and 325 classes remained pretty much intact aside from normal attrition through early 1971. When Amtrak took over passenger service in May 1971, surviving units of the 16 and 37 classes that were to be used in Amtrak service were renumbered into the 300 class. A-units filled some previously vacated "L" numbers as well as newly created numbers 300C through 314C plus 315L. B-units filled vacated numbers and spilled over into the 315AB through 321AB numbers. The 325 class was retained by the Santa Fe for freight service and was not used by Amtrak.
Some unrenumbered 16 class units were also transferred to freight service and were used mostly on branchline trains in Kansas and Texas until the last one was retired in 1972. After Amtrak stopped using the 300 class F-units between January and July 1973, the surviving operational units were also transferred to freight service and were renumbered into the 325 class in September.
When the 325 class was transferred to strictly freight service after Amtrak took over passenger operations, the Santa Fe decided to give them a freight color paint scheme. The first few repaints featured a blue warbonnet on A-units in place of the former red on the silver carbody and a blue stripe along the lower carbody on B-units. Seven A-units (325,327,329,332,335,338,and 343) and several B-units received the bluebonnet scheme. The blue scheme was apparently not well received and subsequent units were repainted with yellow warbonnets. Most of the remaining 325 class units received the yellow scheme before going into the CF-7 rebuild program, but 342L became the last A-unit to operate in the clasic red warbonnet passenger scheme and it went to the CF-7 program still wearing red.
F-7 47C was the last A-unit of the 37 class. She guides her train to a stop at Albuquerque in April 1966. Lower headlight has been equipped with twin seal-beam lamps. Note the container mail cars.
This excellent overhead view of 303LAB shows the 36-inch dynamic brake fan immediately aft of the horns and steam generator fittings on the boosters. Boosters carried the steam generator while the cab unit carried a water tank. Fittings at end of roof on cab unit are for the water tank. Photograph made approaching Dallas Union Terminal in 1956. Gordon Bassett Collection
Booster 349A waits at the Bellville, Texas yard in 1971. Note the small hostler's air horn at the end and the marker lamp. Unit is painted in the yellow warbonnet paint but also shows the "Santa Fe" lettering which was added to B-units in early 1954. Jay Miller Collection
page 32 third Quarter Santa Fe Modeler transcribed in altered form for the Web by Russell Crump
Stewart's Santa Fe passenger F-7 is beautifully painted and most modelers will likely be content to run them as is with only the addition of Kadee couplers and a road number. Thier details make them correct for units 326LAB through 33LAB as delivered.
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F-7 number 40 leads the westbound Fast Mail out of San Bernardino in 1950. This excellent roof view shows the 36" D/B fan and several good steam generator details. Note the late version of the Mars light. - joun McCall Collection
At Fort Worth in the late 1960's 37C has just arrived from Brownwood with train 78 and awaits arrival of the Texas Chief. At this late date in her career, 37C has recieved lifting lugs on her nose, an assortment of grab irons andswapped her as built horizontal-slit grilles for vertical-slit grilles. - John McCall
F-7A number 44 leads an A-B-B-A lashup over Raton Pass with El Capitan in June 1954. Sharp eyed modelers will note the 48" D/B fan on the lead unit. 44 has also recieved the new Leslie S5-T five chimer. -John McCall Collection.
Page 33 Third Quarter Santa Fe Modeler transcribed in altered form for the Web by Russell Crump
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Several variations in the nose emblems used on yellow warbonnet 325's emerged as these units were repainted over a period of time. Some units (334, 340 and 341) had a solid blue emblem with a blue stripe running up and over the headlight to the base of the windchield as well as below the emblem. Others (326, 339, and 341) had an outline tpe nose emblem with solid blue stripe up and over the headlight. Another variation was found on 328 with an outline emblem and blue stripe above the emblem bun not below it, and 331 and 333 had a solid emblem with no stripe. Renumbered units 346 and 347C had an outline type emblem with no stripe.
The 325 class dwindled in numbers into the late 1970's as more of the A-units went into the CF-7 program and B-units were retired. F-7A 347C (originally 39C) and F-3B (originally 35A) were saved and stored at Albuquerque with the rest of the Santa Fe's historic lovomotive collection. Eventually donated to the California State Railway Museum at Sacramento, they are on dispaly having been cosmetically restored to the red warbonnet passenger paint scheme, the only remaining Santa Fe F-units.
Mostly in 1969, seventeen B-units from the 16, 37 and 300 classes and nime from the 200 class were rebuilt into radio control equipment (RCE) cars numbered 10 through 35. The carbodies were gutted, traction motors and fuel tanks were removed and ballast was added to compensate for the weight of the removed equipment. Radio receiver equipment (used in mid-train remote controlled helper service) was installed allowing a tranmitter equipped locomotive on the head end to control the mid-train helpers without a crew on board. These RCE cars remained in service until locomotives with on-board receiver equipment eliminated the need for separate RCE cars and they were then scrapped. All were off the roster by the end of 1982.
Fourteen B-units, one from the 200 class and 13 from the 16 and 37 classes, were converted to road slugs in 1972 for use in potash trains originating in Calsbad, New Mexico. Diesel engines, generators, fuel tanks and all other equipment was removed from from the car bodies and concrete ballast was added to compensate for the lost weight. The traction motors were retained and drew their power from a powered control unit that was mated with the slug. Six 200 class F-7A's were initially equipped as the control units for the first six road slug conversions but they were replaced by CF-7 control units after about six months of service. The balance of the road slugs had CF-7 control units from the time they were placed in service. After several years of operation, the road slugs were retired and scrapped - all were off the roster by early 1983.
Blue warbonnet F-7A 329 heads up an A-B-B-A lashup with every unit wearing a different paint job at Kiowa, Kansas in October 1975! This train of mostly grain hoppers is about to depart Kiowa for Enid, Oklahoma and points south.
F-7's 339 and 303 and an unidentified B-unit pull a westbound freight over Ach Creek west of Pawnee Rock, Kansas in April 1970. Pure lashups of passenger F's on secondary mainline trains such as this one were quite common at the time.
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