Title: Sounds of Santa Fe Steam Locomotives CD

Seller ID: sfrh1001

Stan Kistler, in conjunction with the Santa Fe Railway Historical and Modeling Society, has produced a sound CD of Santa Fe steam locomotives in action from original recordings made 50 to 60 years ago by Lew Harris, S. Johnson, Stan Kistler, and Ed Ripley. Most sequences were recorded in southern California.

In the 21 tracks on the disk we hear Pacific 1371 on local train No. 54 approach, make a station stop at Arlington and rapidly depart. There are several sequences of 2900 Class 4-8-4s racing through Arlington at high speed. One of my favorite segments, recorded from several blocks away, has two passenger trains passing through Riverside on a summer night in 1950, both with 2900 Class 4-8-4s.

Freight trains are also covered. Consolidation 1964 climbs the Box Springs grade on the San Jacinto branch with an 18-car local freight. There are several cuts of 3800 Class 2-10-2s working heavy freights. One sequence finds 2-10-2 3876 putting on a show with a 60-car drag freight working up the 1% eastbound grade through Arlington.

Smaller power is not neglected. Mike 3133 switches a local freight at Riverside on January 27, 1950. An extra freight pulls out of San Bernardino with 2-8-2 3230 bound for Los Angeles. In another cut we hear 0-8-0 797 switching cars in San Bernardino “B ” yard while Alco S2 2352 works nearby.

There is an interesting sequence recorded at Colton Tower in 1950 where first, Southern Pacific “GS ” 4-8-4 4437 gets underway westbound with train No. 5, the Argonaut. Then Santa Fe mike 4065 pulls up to the home signal and the engineer whistles for the board. The SP train bangs over the doubletrack crossing and heads uphill to Bloomington. When it clears the plant, the towerman lines the route for the Santa Fe 4065 to proceed to San Bernardino. A bit later, 2-10-2 3869 barks up the 1% grade eastbound towards the tower.

While most of the recording were made in 1950, three were included for their historical value from later periods. One, of the Railway Club of Southern California “Farewell to Steam ” special, has 4-8-4 3759 starting on the 2.2% eastbound grade leaving Pasadena on February 6, 1955. Another, recorded in the last summer of revenue steam operations on the Santa Fe, has 2-10-4 5025 assisting a four-unit set of 200 Class F7s on an eastbound approaching Mountainair, New Mexico, in August 1957. Finally, restored Santa Fe 4-8-4 3751 works the Tehachapi grade between Bena and Caliente on a passenger special in December 1991.

Price = 11.95 USD

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