ATSF diesel switchers on branch line freights?

[thomasjmdavis]

Are you sure that's not in yard service?  I don't know either way, but that would be my guess.

There is a similar photo on the cover of the most recent Warbonnet (SFRH&MS magazine) that shows a H12-44 with a mixed train local (per the caption) on a bridge over UP tracks at Lansing, Kansas in 1965.  So switcher on a local is certainly plausible, and the view is very similar as well.

Tom D

[Ron McF]

Was this something unique to the Santa Fe?  Considering the variety of locos the BN MUed to F7s (and F3/9s) it seems a little surprising.

Possibly one reason why ATSF F7s rarely MU with SD24s was that many (if not most) ATSF 200 class F7 A-units didn't get nose MU connectors until late in their life, after they were moved to Texas (and away from the areas where the SD24s operated).  Prior to that an F7 set with an A unit on each end often couldn't MU with anything.

Regards,
Ron

[nkalanaga]

Maybe that's also why the BN had their Alco in the middle, although I'm sure that at least some of their Fs had nose MU connections.