Santa Fe’s West Texas express, train #93 & 94, 1955-c1970

 

Fred Klein, 2010, 2016

Santa Fe’s West Texas Express #93 and Eastern Express #94 connected with the San Francisco Chief in Amarillo, Texas and offered coach and sleeper service to its other endpoint, Lubbock Texas. This Amarillo to Lubbock train was a small-size feeder train that was created in 1954-55 when the San Francisco Chief started operation. The initial 1954-55 train was a gas-electric motor car, but in 1955 it became a mini-streamliner. The locomotive was an E8m (ATSF 80) rebuilt (the m designation) from an older E1 unit.

 

The train and consist are described by Andy Sperandeo in 8 pike-size passenger trains, in Model Railroader’s information station download on pike-size passenger trains. The train can be modeled with out-of-the-box cars, and the table shows what I have. I use a Life like E8 but Kato also makes these. The sleeper was initially a 10 section-3 bedroom-2 compartment PS car in the Blue series, but these were replaced by 6 section-6 roomette-4 double bedroom cars in the Valley series in 1957. I have both cars, but the Blue car is a JNJ brass car side that I glued to a Con cor car.

 

Santa Fe’s West Texas Express.

 

 

 

The whole train

 

The West Texas Express in N scale. An E8 diesel pulls a 72’ Budd baggage car, a Budd coach, and a 10 roomette-3 bedroom-2 compartment sleeper car.

 

Sleeper after 1957

 

This is 6 section-6 roomette-4 double bedroom sleeper. The 6 sections have small windows for the upper berth. This is Kato model with painted stripes to simulate corrugations on the car sides.

 

 

References

Frailey, Fred. A Quarter Century of Santa Fe Consists, RPC Publications, 1974.

Sperandeo, Andy. 8 pike-size passenger trains, Model Railroader’s information station download on pike-size passenger trains.

 

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