ATSF F7 ABB #306

You might say these Santa Fe engines were the gold Standard.

My Dad was a huge fan of the Santa Fe.

When I was a kid, I watched him as he painted, lettered and detailed engines for his favorite railroad. I suspect that he played with my layout even more than I did... Sweet memories.

antlerlady, need to have my A unit worked on so I can get it back on the tracks.

Iconic paint. Great puzzle. Thanks.

Finest paint ever has my vote

@chief_clerk: If you were at the control stand in the mid 40's on the run from Chicago to Phoenix and back, you may have been my engineer.

I got my Lionel in 1956, when I was 13, with money I made from a paper route, and mowing lawns. The A+B set, track and transformer was $29.95. I think it was numbered 2356. Lionel never did follow the right numbers. Wish I still had that set.

They were a thing of beauty up close and in person. Of note is the missing door headlight (this is what Lionel based their unit on). That would be added later. Additionally, the unit should show the letter "L" just above the anti-climber. Units were ordered in 4 unit sets with the same number. Hence this would be "306 L", the "L" indicating "Lead", with the following units "A" & "B". The last cab unit in the series would be "306 C", the "C" indicating "Cab". Thanks Roger H. Oh yes, I am retired Santa Fe Railroad.....when it WAS the AT&SF!

Thanks. Taken in December 1952 at EMD's LaGrange, IL plant.

Always like the builders photos, as everything is nice and clean. I had one of these on my model layout, as did probably half the modelers in America. It was kind of a standard, of what the trains then, looked like. Thanks, RogerH.

Nice puzzle. These old Santa Fe units are certainly colorful and recognizable.

This looks a lot nicer than current Amtrak locomotives.