----- Original Message -----
From: "John A. Swearingen" <jas@s...>
To: "BRHS list" <BRHSlist@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Wednesday, February 14, 2001 3:01 PM
Subject: [BRHSlist] a digression
> I know this is not C.B.&Q. related but I hope an occasional digression is
permitted. It is certainly an interesting question concerning an arcane bit
of railroad history. For a few days I've been perusing the net to no avail,
so thought I would inquire of the most knowledgeable railroad-minded people
I know.
>
> Was the Santa Fe's "Blue Goose" a one-of-a-kind? There seems to have been
six locomotives in the 3460 class of 4-6-4s, but I can find no evidence that
any but #3460 were streamlined. Does anyone have a quick answer to this?
>
3460 was the only SF 4-6-4 streamlined (and the only SF streamlined steam
unless you count the godawful 4-6-2 rebuild for the Valley Flyer). Although
it lost some portions of its shrouding, it remained in original form until
the mid-fifties, mostly in the Chicago-Kansas City area. The "Blue Goose"
name came from it being equipped with an air horn instead of a whistle and
seems to have been primarily a railfan term. . . When first introduced, the
PR department tried to encourage the nickname "Mae West", saying she was
curvy & sweet. Operating personnel quickly switched it to "Kate Smith"
because she was fat, loud & hard to handle <LOL>. I saw her several times
in the late-forties/early fifties passing through Medill, MO.
> Also, did the Santa Fe have any passenger cars painted in the "Blue Goose"
scheme? Model maker Rivarossi markets some, but are they accurate? I don't
recall ever having seen photographs of prototypes painted like that. Those
cars were total fiction. It appears that a color scheme similar to
Rivarossi's may have been used on the Santa Fe's only pendulum coach
immediately after delivery - which may be where Rivarossi got it . . .
>
Marshall
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