[N&W] Re: NW Y3 becomes ATSF ?? becomes VGN USE

[nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org]

 >[OK, if N&W called them Y3s and VGN called the USEs, who knows what the
 > ATSF called them?]

Santa Foo did not use letter classes.  They referred to classes of engines 
by the first number of the series, like the 5001-class 2-10-4s and the 
3776-class Northerns.  The ex-N&W 2-8-8-2s were referred to as the 1790-class.

EdKing
___________________________________________________________
Since you asked, 1790s. Santa Fe used the number series for the class.
David Thompson
____________________________________________________________
Unfortunately the answer is painful --- They were just the "1790" class.
ATSF designated steam (and diesel) by the first engine # of the class, e.g.
the 4-8-4s were the 3765 class for 3765-3775, the 3776 class for the next group
that had modifications to the original specification, and for the last group
that were almost carbon copies of the 3776 except for material substitutions
required by the WPB in WWII, the 2900 class.

Thank goodness PRR used designations like K-4, G-5, and M-1a, since they
didn't usually even try to group the road numbers. When an engine was scrapped,
its number was vacated on the roster and the next engine coming out of Juniata
Shops (or where ever) got that road number. Scary.

BTW, if you read much on the history of Santa Fe steam you will find that they
were singularly unsuccessful with articulateds. They conjured up bad designs
faster than a lousy magician, and took successful locomotives and misused
them, blaming the locomotive for the resulting failure. Kind of reminds you of
computer software and hardware today.

Jim Stapleton
I E & W Ry
Purcellville VA