Photos and Story by Ken Hulsey
I know I've mentioned this before, but there's an incredible amount of former Santa Fe Railroad equipment still in use on the BNSF network. Nearly a decade ago, when I lived in the Mojave Desert, I was fortunate to capture numerous images of ex-Santa Fe locomotives still hard at work. And on a trip to Tehachapi one afternoon, I came across even more examples of the ATSF legacy living on, over 20 years after the merger with Burlington Northern.
For instance, I spotted a striking Warbonnet-painted Dash-9 leading a freight train at Edwards Air Force Base - the BNSF livery may be on the locomotive, but the classic Santa Fe colors shine through. Further down the line, another BNSF mixed freight was being powered by a pair of former Santa Fe GP60M units, sporting the railroad's classic navy and yellow scheme.
But the real treasure trove was at the Rio Tinto Borax Plant in Boron, where a five-locomotive switching consist included two SD40-2s, an SD45-2, a GP60, and a GP60M - all ex-Santa Fe power. And bringing up the rear of that train? An honest-to-goodness former Santa Fe caboose.
The Santa Fe may be gone, but its legacy lives on through the many locomotives and railcars still toiling away for BNSF here in California. It's quite remarkable to see just how much of that iconic railroad's heritage is still in active service, even decades later.
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