The Book Project

Each year, the Society strives to bring out one to three books about the history or modeling of the Santa Fe or reprints of significant company documents. The Society has published these books in several series of interest to both railfans and modelers alike. Members receive these books at a discount, typically 20 percent. The major series are:

  • Rolling Stock Reference Series.  This series of eight books provides an overview of Santa Fe work equipment, refrigerator cars, boxcars, tank cars and open top (hopper, flat and gondola) cars.  A supplemental book is the invaluable Listing of Freight Cars by Class and Number 1906-1991.  Future books in this series will cover covered hoppers and gondolas (1959 to present), flats, stacks and autoracks and the Santa Fe’s intermodal equipment.
  • Passenger Car Reference Series.  This series of five books and two reprints covers the Santa Fe’s head end cars, coaches, chair cars, dining, parlor and beverage cars, business and special purpose cars, and sleepers.  The two reprints cover doodlebugs. Supplemental materials provide lists of passenger consists.
  • Painting and Lettering Guide Series.  This series of three books aimed at the modeler provides a comprehensive overview of the Santa Fe’s painting and lettering practices over the years.  Volumes are available on freight cars, steam locomotives and diesel locomotives.
  • Regional History Series.  This series of books provides an in-depth look at different sections of the Santa Fe, with a focus on divisional histories and highlights on lines and areas of particular interest.
  • Commodity Series.  This series of books examines the different lines of business that the Santa Fe pursued, with a focus on the interaction of business needs with rolling stock and operational requirements.  Perfect for the general historian or operations oriented modeler.
  • General History Series.  This series of books provides a general overview of Santa Fe operations and history, including personal stories.
  • Reprint Series.  The reprint series reproduces critical Santa Fe documents that help tell the story of the railroad in its own words.  It includes time tables and other materials.

Each series is described in detail below.

Rolling Stock Reference Series

The Rolling Stock Reference Series volumes comprehensively evaluate different classes of Santa Fe freight rolling stock. Written by noted authorities on the particular car type or class, these books present a comprehensive, definitive and illustrated guide to Santa Fe freight rolling stock. Books include:

  • Vol. 1.  Work Equipment.  By W.W. Childers.  This is the classic and authoritative guide to work, maintenance and equipment cars of the Santa Fe Railway. The book consists of 254 pages and hundreds of photographs and drawings of Santa Fe maintenance-of-way, wrecking and other special equipment. Photos were re-scanned to provide as much detail as possible given age and contrast. The book covers Roadway Machinery, Special Service Equipment, Tool Cars, Shop & Supply Cars, Air Dump Cars, Tank Cars, and Bunk & Boarding Cars. The appendices include Roster, Locomotive Tenders, Painting and Lettering guide, and much more. This is essential for the Santa Fe modeler.  Available as a digitally scanned reprint.
  • Vol. 2.  Refrigerator Cars: Ice Bunker Cars 1884-1979.  By Keith Jordan, Richard Hendrickson, John B. Moore and A. Dean Hale.  This is the classic and authoritative guide to refrigerator cars of the Santa Fe Railway. The book consists of 288 pages and over 400 photographs and drawings of Santa Fe equipment. Photos were re-scanned to provide as much detail as possible given age and contrast. The book covers Nineteenth Century (1884-1900), truss rod, USRA style and ARA cars, USRA and ARA rebuilds, Santa Fe’s “new” steel 40 foot cars, and 50 foot cars. There is also an extensive discussion of the Santa Fe’s efforts to rebuild and modernize its refrigerator car fleet. A separate chapter covers Ice Cars from 1908 through 1971. Appendices cover painting and lettering, slogan assignments, roster information and diagrams of selected equipment. The definitive source for information on this important class of Santa Fe cars.  Available as a digitally scanned reprint.
  • Vol. 3.  Furniture and Automobile Box Cars.  By Richard H. Hendrickson.  The books consists of 156 pages and over 300 photographs and drawings of Santa Fe equipment.  Chapter 1 provides an overview of why furniture and automobile boxes developed.  Chapter 2 addresses early furniture cars (Classes Fe-A through Fe-I) while chapters 3 through 5 follow the development of the class from steel underframe to steel rebuilds (Classes Fe-J through Fe-20).  Chapter 6 addresses the World War II period (Classes Fe-21 through Fe-25).  Chapter 7 addresses developments in the 1940s and 1950s (Classes Fe-26 through Fe-30) while Chapter 8 touches on the double door cars of the modern era (Classes Fe-31 through Fe-42).  The book concludes with a chapter on painting and lettering and rosters, Fe-class car advertising slogan assignments and selected car diagrams.  Available.
  • Vol. 4.  Santa Fe Boxcars 1869-1953.  By John C. Dobyne III.  This book consists of 258 pages and over 400 photographs and drawings of Santa Fe boxcars.  It includes chapters on Historical Background, Truss-Rod Underframe Cars, Composite Boxcars, Forty-Foot Steel-Sheathed Boxcars, Fifty-Foot Boxcars, and a chapter on painting and lettering.  It is supplemented with extensive information on railroad abbreviations, car builder abbreviations, rosters, affiliated line information, and tables provides characteristics of various classes and groups of Santa Fe boxcars.  Out of Print.
  • Vol. 5.  Santa Fe Tank Cars. By Richard H. Hendrickson and Richard W. Pelouze.  This book consists of 110 pages and over 200 photographs, 17 in color, plus numerous drawings and charts.  Chapters include: Early Santa Fe Oil and Water Cars, The First Steel Underframe Tank Cars, Bigger is Better, Second Hand cars from the KCM&O, Innovation, the First Diesel Fuel Cars, Postwar Welded Tank Cars, A Small Scale Experiment, Last and Largest Santa Fe Tank Cars, and Miscellaneous cars. Appendices include an All-time Roster and Painting and Lettering guide.  Out of Print.
  • Vol. 6. Mechanical Refrigerator Cars.  By John B. Moore, Jr.  This book consists of 192 pages, 175 black and white and 77 color photos, and 39 diagrams.   It includes chapters on Santa Fe MTC Cars – History and Operations, MTC Cars (24 classes), Insulated Refrigerator Car History, Insulated Refrigerator Cars (17 classes), Paint and Lettering, and a Color Gallery.  Together with the Refrigerator Cars: Ice Bunker Cars 1884-1979, it provides a complete history of Santa Fe refrigerator car classes.   Available.
  • Vol. 7.  Santa Fe Open-Top Cars: Flat, Gondola and Hopper Cars 1902-1959.  By Richard H. Hendrickson.  The final and authoritative work by Dr. Hendrickson on Santa Fe’s open-top cars in the Ga- classes, which includes, interestingly enough, covered hoppers, log cars, sulphur gondolas, ore cars, cross hoppers and ballast cars, among others.  This book consists of 320 pages and 759 images.  It includes 19 chapters on such topics as Introduction and Historical Background, Early Flat Cars and Gondolas Built Before 1902, Flat Cars 1902-1944: Classes Ft-A through Ft-V, Post-World War II Flat Cars: Classes Ft-W through Ft-17, Flat Cars Built or Modified for Special Service, Logging Cars: Classes Lg-1 through Lg-4, General Service Drop Bottom Gondolas 1902-1930: Classes Ga-O through Ga-26, General Service Drop Bottom Gondolas 1931-1959: Classes Ga-46 through Ga-102, Mill Gondolas 1902-1944: Classes Ga-6 through Ga-63, Postwar Mill Gondolas: Classes Ga-68 through Ga-108. Sulphur Gondolas, Gondolas Built or Modified for Special Service, Ballast Gondolas and Hoppers, Ore Cars, Cross Hoppers, Covered Hoppers 1936-1952: Classes Ga-45 through Ga-79, Covered Hoppers 1954-1959: Classes Ga-88 through GA-119, Air Dump Cars, Painting and Lettering, and provides extensive roster information.  Available.
  • Vol. 8.  Santa Fe Box Cars: The Shock Control Era 1954-1995.  By Charles Slater.  This book consists of 288 pages, 317 black and white and 74 color photos, 75 diagrams, appendix, roster.  Beginning with the 500 Bx-66 Class cars of 1954—one of the last classes of box cars to come lettered from the builders with name train slogans on the car sides—it completes the story of box car development up to the BNSF merger of 1995. This was the colorful Shock Control and Super Shock Control era.  Chapters include The Last of the Name Train Slogan Cars, “Shock Control” Underframes – A New Era in Box Car Construction, Later Fifty-Foot Shock Control Cars, Super Shock Control Cars, Forty-Foot Rebuilds, Other Fifty-Foot Rigid Underframe Cars, Fifty-Foot Auto Parts Cars, Sixty-Foot Auto Parts Cars, Eighty-Six Foot Auto Parts Cars, Appliance Cars, Beer and Liquor Trade Cars, Other Former Refrigerator Cars Changed to Box Cars, XF Food Loading Cars, Fifty-Foot General Purpose Cars, and Sixty-Foot General Service Cars.  It also includes appendices on Paint and Lettering, Bx Class Interiors, and Bx Class Roster. 288 pages, 11×8½ coil bound, 317 black and white and 74 color photos, 75 diagrams, appendix, roster.  Available.
  • Listing of Freight Cars by Class and Number 1906-1991.  By Larry Occhiello.  This invaluable guide, derived from the “live lists” maintained by the railroad of the cars then on the line, provides lists of all Santa Fe car classes from 1906 through 1991, including class designations, number of cars built, and the number of cars in service in subsequent years.  Out of Print.
  • Vol. 9.  Santa Fe Hoppers & Gondolas: 1960-1995. By Charles Slater.  This volume on Santa Fe’s hoppers and gondolas will cover everything in the Ga class that Santa Fe owned from 1960 to the BNSF merger in 1995.  It picks up where Richard Hendrickson left off in his excellent book Santa Fe Open-Top Cars: Flat, Gondola and Hopper Cars 1902-1959, Rolling Stock Reverence Series volume seven.  Also included are two cars, one gondola and one ore car, that were listed in Hendrickson’s book but not shown, the Ga-76 class 65-foot mill gondola and the Ga-107 class Hurley ore car. Charlie’s book features 107 classes with roster and painting and lettering guide.  Soft cover 256 pages with a coil last-flat binding, color images throughout.   Available.
  • Live Stock Operations: History, Equipment, Facilities & Modeling by J. Stephen Sandifer.  Before the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe drove its first spike, it was understood that the shipping of live stock would be critical to its success. One of the first actions was to intercept the Chisholm Trail 65 miles south of Abilene near Newton where over 40,000 head were shipped in 1871. By the end of the 1872 the majority of the rail cars owned by Santa Fe were stock cars. As the Santa Fe continued to move west, it caught more cattle at Great Bend, Dodge City, and Granada, Colorado. In 1884, Santa Fe shipped 800,000 head of cattle from Dodge City alone. The railroad maintained a Live Stock Department catering to cattlemen, ranchers and packers. But live animals were trouble to ship. Damage claims were higher than any other commodity, and government regulation were stronger. The shipping of live stock peaked in the 1920s, but by 1930 things had begun to change. Trucks proved to be more convenient and often faster transportation for small shippers and short distances. In the end, Santa Fe loaded just 62 cars of stock in 1972, the last year of live stock operations. But for over a century, live stock, birds, fish, and a myriad of other animals went on Santa Fe all the way. Painstakingly researched and liberally illustrated, this is the story of Santa Fe’s live stock operations, from its history, to equipment, to infrastructure—such as stock yards and feeding stations required to maintain the business. Along the way this volume touches on the rules and regulations governing the traffic, rodeo and circus trains, Railway Express shipping, as well as modeling this fascinating part of Santa Fe’s legacy. This book combines features of both the rolling stock reference series and the commodity series.  256 pages 11×8½ soft cover, over 300 black & white photos and diagrams and over 140 color photos, appendix, roster, plus modelers notes.  Available.  Supplemental information on Santa Fe live stock operations is available to those who purchased this book by entering as a password the first word of the second paragraph of Chapter 2.
  • Vol. 10.  Santa Fe Painting and Lettering Guide. By John R. Signor.  This guide builds on the work of the late Richard Hendrickson and others as to the painting and lettering of Santa Fe freight, passenger and maintenance of way equipment. The original work, first published in 1990, and reprinted with additions and clarifications in 1991, and again in 1998, has been reorganized in a somewhat chronological format beginning in approximately 1910, and includes new information to bring it up to the date of the BNSF merger in December 1996. With modern printing methods color—where available—is used throughout. Also new to this volume, original Santa Fe painting and lettering drawings—redrawn for clarity—have been included. Primarily designed to aide Santa Fe modelers, this volume will also appeal to the Santa Fe historian as it covers Santa Fe promotional campaigns in detail from the stand point of its rolling stock for a period of over 90 years. Available.

PASSENGER CAR Reference Series

 The passenger car reference series comprehensively evaluates different types of Santa Fe and Pullman passenger equipment used in Santa Fe’s renowned passenger operations. Written by noted authorities on the subject, these books present a comprehensive and sometimes colorful yet definitive guide to Santa Fe passenger equipment. Books include:

  • Vol. 1.  Head End Cars.  By Frank M. Ellington and Joe W. Shine.  Long out of print, Frank Ellington and Joe Shine’s pioneering 1973 work on the head end cars of the Santa Fe was long sought after by collectors. During 1998, the SFRH&MS  completely updated and redesigned this important book as an easy-to-use reference work, with entirely new layouts, based on the original content of the book, and updated it with additional material gleaned from old Santa Fe Modelers and High Irons and various experts in the field. Additional sections not part of the original work include a chapter on 2600 series rider cars, and a chapter on painting and lettering with color photos. This is our second printing with a few minor typographical corrections and a new cover image. 160 pages, 12×8½ wire bound, soft cover.  Available.
  • Vol. 2.  Coach, Smoker & Chair Car Genealogy.  By John B. McCall.  This is the work of esteemed Santa Fe historian John McCall, who has an extensive history of Santa Fe titles to his credit. With 284 pages, 28 of which are full color, and comprehensive appendices, this book is a must-have.  Chapters include 19th century wood cars that survived through 1902, first generation 20th century wood cars, steel underframe/wood body cars, all steel cars, lightweight cars, cars converted to chair car, and Hi-Level cars.  Available.
  • Vol. 3.  Dining and Beverage Service Cars of the Santa Fe – Featuring Service by Fred Harvey.  By John B. McCall.  For over 90 years the names of the Santa Fe Railway and Fred Harvey were synonymous with passenger trains and hospitality of the finest quality. Noted Santa Fe authority John B. McCall not only details the dining and beverage service cars once owned by Santa Fe, but also explores that unique partnership. Richly illustrated with hundreds of photos and period menus and ephemera, many in color.  The book comprises 336 pages (116 color), 659 black and white and 242 color images.  The book is divided into three parts.  Part One – The Heavyweight Cars, including Composite & Buffet Library Cars, Dining Cars, Lounge Cars, Parlor Cars, and Café Observation Cars; Part Two – The Lightweight Cars, including Baggage Lounge Cars, Dining Cars, Lounge & Parlor Observation Cars; and Part Three – Service by Fred Harvey.  Appendices include selected china and silver patterns and external paint schemes.  Hardcover.  Available.
  • Vol. 4.  Business & Special Purpose Cars.  Expanded from work by Frank M. Ellington and Joe W. Shine.  For over a century Santa Fe Railway’s management and executives had at their disposal a fleet of railroad cars designed for business. Completely self-contained, a Business car served as a mobile office and allowed an official to visit his territory first hand, and stop and talk with employees on the way. Often these cars were also used for entertaining VIPs.  The first cars built expressly for this purpose were delivered in 1893. While designed with a certain amount of comfort in mind, they were not opulent or extravagant. (There were exceptions, such as Car 17 built for Santa Fe President E. P. Ripley in 1907).  Santa Fe was unique in also having a fleet of “junior edition” Business cars for the more prosaic service of a Division Superintendent, a tradition that was carried into the heavyweight era. Reflecting the move to lightweight, streamlined equipment for revenue service, Santa Fe began purchasing similar equipment for its business fleet in 1949.  Rostered alongside the Business car fleet was a wide variety of interesting special purpose cars. For a railway system as large and as old as the Santa Fe, it found itself in need of educating and training its employees as technology advanced. More over, it needed ways to monitor motive power, track infrastructure and other systems in order to make sound business decisions. This training and analysis needed to be mobile in order to bring it to the far reaches of the system. This volume covers in detail these cars, from wooden “Official” cars of the 1890s through the sophisticated stainless steel cars of the 1950s and more recent Director’s cars, to such esoteric equipment as Dynamometer cars, Locomotive Simulators and “theater” cars. Its all here, including the memories of those who served aboard them, illustrated with rosters, diagrams and hundreds of photos.  248 pages, 11×8 coil bound, 347 black & white and 120 color photos, 78 diagrams.  Available.
  • Vol. 5.  Sleeping Cars.  By Michael W. Flick, Dennis J. Kogan and Terry W. Lehmann.  A comprehensive overview of Santa Fe sleeping cars from the wood car era through the heavyweights to the end of the lightweight era, this volume covers Wooden Sleeping Cars, Wooden Sleepers Acquired from the Pecos Valley and Northeastern, Wooden Emigrant Sleeping Cars, Wooden All-Section Tourist Sleepers, Wooden Sleeping Car Assignments, Heavyweight Sleeping Cars, Heavyweight Cars Purchased for Work Service Only, Heavyweight Cars purchased for Business or Special Purpose Use, Foreign-Line and Pullman-Owned Heavyweight Sleepers used on AT&SF Scheduled Trains, 1950-1959, Lightweight Sleeping Cars, Lightweight Sleeping Cars Not Built, Lightweight Sleeping Car Assignments, Foreign Road Sleepers on the Santa Fe, Santa Fe Sleepers on Foreign Roads and Dormitory Cars.  The book comprises 406 pages, 459 photos (41 in color), 101 drawings, 58 maps and ephemera, Appendix (including Glossary of Santa Fe Lightweight Sleeping Car Names and Reservation Cipher Code).  Hardcover.  Available.
  • The Doodlebugs. by John B. McCall.  The Santa Fe Railway Historical & Modeling Society is proud to offer The Doodlebugs by John B. McCall. First published in 1977, and long out of print, The Doodlebugs has long been sought after by collectors. Reprinted in its entirety with new color scans, The Doodlebugs is an in depth study of Santa Fe’s nearly six-decade association with the gas electric motor passenger car. These interesting pieces of equipment, used primarily on Santa Fe’s lightly used branch lines, linked small towns with cities. Profusely illustrated, The Doodlebugs tells the story with a rich variety of photos and drawings, many of them rare.  256 pages, 8-1/2 x 11 case bound, profusely illustrated, 26 color pages. Out of Print.
  • Son of Doodlebug. by John B. McCall.  In the years since The Doodlebugs was first published in 1977, John B. McCall has continued to gather material on this interesting Santa Fe subject. Son of Doodlebug is a pictorial supplement to the original work. Hundreds of photographs, some in color, are arranged geographically to show the Bugs in action. A chapter on scale models, maps, timetables, and assignment charts are included.128 pages, 11×8½ perfect bound, profusely illustrated, 8 color pages.  Out of Print.

Painting and Lettering Guides Series

The painting and lettering guides series provide definitive guidance to modelers seeking to properly replicate the Santa Fe’s distinctive painting and lettering schemes for freight cars, diesel and steam locomotives.

  • Santa Fe Railway Painting and Lettering Guide for Model Railroaders, by Richard H. Hendrickson, the leading historian of American freight car practice during the steam and early diesel eras.  This 68-page, spiral-bound book (to facilitate review while modeling) covers general painting and lettering practices, paint colors, aging and weathering effects, and some issues to think about with dates for changes from one painting and lettering scheme to the next.  It then includes passenger car paint schemes from 1910 to the end of the passenger car era, with separate sections on painting and lettering.  Freight cars are addressed next, starting in 1910 and continuing to the 1980s.  The final section addresses way cars (caboose cars) and maintenance-of-way equipment.  The book is supplemented by appendices on Santa Fe car classes, Santa Fe tank car dome/band color schemes, Santa Fe slogans and system maps used on cars from 1940-1947 and similar helpful hints. Out of print – being rebuilt for more details!
  • Santa Fe Railway Diesel Locomotive Painting and Lettering Guide for Model Railroaders, by Stephen Priest, a former Santa Fe employee and editor for the National Model Railroad Association and of Railroad Model Craftsman. This 240-page book provides an in-depth look at the humble beginnings, development, and modifications to the many paint schemes worn by Santa Fe’s diesel fleet, ranging from the first locomotives delivered in 1934 to the last SD75M to arrive on the property in 1995. This book features many never-before-published images covering most types of Santa Fe motive power. Included are 274 color and 80 black and white photographs, 76 renderings, three painting timelines, and image and drawing indices.  Available.
  • Santa Fe Railway Steam Locomotive Painting, Lettering and Detail Guide for Model Railroaders, by Larry Brasher and Stan Kistler, respectively a significant student of Santa Fe motive power development and one of the most noted steam locomotive photographers in the Western United States.  An illustrated guide to the painting, lettering, and detailing of Santa Fe steam locomotives – all eras – with hints on paint mixing, and weathering tips.  88 pages, 11×8½ coil bound, 152 black and white and 29 color photos, 24 diagrams.  Available.
  • Santa Fe Painting and Lettering Guide. By John R. Signor.  This guide builds on the work of the late Richard Hendrickson and others as to the painting and lettering of Santa Fe freight, passenger and maintenance of way equipment. The original work, first published in 1990, and reprinted with additions and clarifications in 1991, and again in 1998, has been reorganized in a somewhat chronological format beginning in approximately 1910, and includes new information to bring it up to the date of the BNSF merger in December 1996. With modern printing methods color—where available—is used throughout. Also new to this volume, original Santa Fe painting and lettering drawings—redrawn for clarity—have been included. Primarily designed to aide Santa Fe modelers, this volume will also appeal to the Santa Fe historian as it covers Santa Fe promotional campaigns in detail from the stand point of its rolling stock for a period of over 90 years. Available.

Regional History Series

The regional history series presents a comprehensive overview of construction, operations and unique equipment and challenges on various divisions of the Santa Fe, each written by authors who have painstakingly gathered information on the division. Books include:

    • Los Angeles Division, by John R. Signor.  The AT&SF Railway and its predecessor companies were active in Southern California for 116 years. Much has been written about the Santa Fe in this region of mountains, desert and sea, its vast orange groves and perpetual spring. Under the all-encompassing title of Santa Fe’s Los Angeles Division, this volume was conceived to augment these works by tracing the long and involved operating history of the Santa Fe Railway as it first helped to create Southern California, then later adapted to cope with its explosive growth. Hardcover.  Available.  There is also a CD with supplemental information.
    • Santa Fe’s Illinois Division, by James A. Brown.  The Illinois Divison of the Santa Fe Railway provides an informative and lively account of the story of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway in Illinois, from the charter of predecessor road, Chicago & Plainfield in 1859 through merger with Burlington Northern in 1995. Although the Illinois Division ultimately stretched to Kansas and Oklahoma, the geographic scope of this book is confined to the Illinois Division as it existed for over half a century: from the bumping post at Dearborn Station to Fort Madison, Iowa.  464 pages, 8-1/2 x 11 library bound with dust jacket, 246 black and white and 157 color photos, 44 maps, notes, bibliography, appendix, and index. Available
    • Santa Fe to the Bay: Growing Up on the West End of the Valley Division Second District, by Patrick D. Flynn, photography by Gerry Salsig.  At first glance, this is an album of the photography of the late Gerry Salsig. But is more than that. It is a labor of love, written by a friend who grew up with the photographer—testimony of an eye witness and his friends as they made a journey typical of that made by many of us who, while growing up, became fascinated with the railroad known as The Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe. Not only does it describe the innocence of several friends from the East Bay area of San Francisco as they began to explore their railroad world and experience the sights, sounds and people connected with it, but the author, Patrick D. Flynn—who later became a dispatcher employed by the Santa Fe—adds considerable depth from an insider’s point of view as to how Santa Fe operated the west end of the Second District of the Valley Division under time table and train-orders over a three-decade period beginning in the mid-1960s and on into the mid-1980s.  144 pages soft cover, 60 black and white and 188 color photos, 24 maps, timetable and operating ephemera.  Available.
    • Santa Fe on the Great Plains: The Photography of Lee Berglund, by Roger Ziegenhorn and Robert D. Walz.  Lee Berglund was a prolific photographer from Larned, Kansas, who documented the Santa Fe on the Great Plains encompassing Kansas, eastern Colorado – as far west as Trinidad and Denver – western Oklahoma, and northwest Texas as far south as Slaton. We see, through Lee’s lens, the history of the Santa Fe’s last 30 years in this territory at the heart of the Santa Fe. During Lee’s active years – 1964 to 1995 – the railroad experienced great changes.  The book allows the reader to see all these changes, beginning with Lee’s home turf, the Great Bend District, followed by a look at Santa Fe branch line railroading, Great Plains style. And in the final four chapters, the focus is primarily on Santa Fe’s mainlines on the Great Plains.  152 pages, 276 photos in color, full color map, timetable reproductions. Perfect bound. Available.  
    • The Joint Line: 1880 – 1995, by Robert D. Walz.  On August 1, 1899, the Santa Fe and the Colorado and Southern began operating the Santa Fe’s line between Denver and Pueblo in a truly joint and integrated fashion. The two companies envisioned that the employees of the line, whether from the ATSF or the C&S would be employees of the new Joint Line. In 1918 the USRA nationalized the nation’s railroads and brought another player to the Joint Line. The Santa Fe’s and Rio Grande’s main lines basically paralleled each other between Denver and Pueblo, and the USRA forced the two to operate as a single, double-track railroad. When the USRA handed the railroads back to private ownership, the ATSF and D&RGW decided to continue to operate the two lines as if they were a single, double-track railroad shared with the C&S. From that time until the BNSF merger in 1995, the three involved railroads both cooperated and competed with one another.  The book is richly illustrated with track charts and over 250 period views (over 80 in color) including the work of Otto Perry as well as contemporary photographers.  Available.
    • The Orient: Kansas City, Mexico & Orient Railway, by Robert E. Pounds and John B. McCall.  The dream of promoter Arthur Edward Stilwell, the Kansas City, Mexico & Orient Railway never made it to Kansas City and never made connections with the Oriental trade. Financed without the aide of Wall Street “money trusts,” the railroad was constructed in many disconnected sections in Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas and the states of Sinaloa and Chihuahua in Mexico. Attempts to link the already-built line from the Mexican seaport of Topolobampo, Sinaloa, and the rest of the system were halted by the formidable Sierra Madre range and revolutionary activities in Mexico. And in the United States, progress was slow, due to lack of funds. In fact, Stilwell lost control of the railway in 1912 and it was in the hands of receivers more than once. Were it not for the discovery of oil in west Texas in the ‘twenties, the KCM&O might not have survived to the Depression. As it was, the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway bought it in 1928, completed some of the lines in Texas, and waited for improving business conditions that never came.  Richly illustrated. 344 pages, 11 x8 1/2 library bound, 313 black and white and 39 color photos, 36 maps and diagrams, Index. Available.
    • Santa Fe’s Colorado Division Speedway, by Robert D. Walz.  On May 17, 1937, the Santa Fe Railway inaugurated a new high-speed diesel-powered luxury train—The Super Chief. It was scheduled to cover the 202 miles between Dodge City, Kansas, and La Junta, Colorado, at an average speed of 87.2 miles per hour. On February 20, 1938, the schedules of virtually all of the passenger trains were speeded up on this stretch of track on the northern passenger mainline, which quickly became known as the “Speedway.”  The Speedway was, at various times, a major part of a division and at times a division in itself. Author Walz explores the history of how the Santa Fe built through this country, how it served the towns and industries along its lines and how it operated the railroad from the 1870s through 1995.  160 pages, 150 photos, 18 in color, maps, timetable reproductions, and bibliography. Perfect bound. Available.
    • Santa Fe’s Raton Pass, by Jared V. Harper and John R. Signor.  More than 25 years have passed since Jared Harper’s pioneer work on Raton Pass was first published. This is a second edition of this important work, not only to bring it up to date, to take advantage of recent trends in photo restoration and printing technology, but also to expand on the original with the considerable amount of material that has come to light on the subject in the intervening years, especially on the coal mining industry that surrounded the pass from the beginning through the middle 1950s. 160 pages, 11×8½ perfect bound, 240 black and white and 10 color photos, 9 timetable reproductions, 21 maps, 17 diagrams, Modeler’s Notebook, Bibliography.  Available.
    • Steel Trails: Chasing Arizona Trains in the 1950s, by J. R. Knoll.  This is a pictorial look at the Southern Pacific and Santa Fe railroads in Arizona.  Sections include Southern Pacific mainline and Nogales branch as well as the former SPdeM near Nogales. The Santa Fe pictures are divided among the Peavine, Grand Canyon branch, and the Santa Fe mainline. The Saginaw & Manistee steamers, small and large, and the Magma Arizona complete the main parts of the book. Apache, Kennecott’s Ray line and the Ajo open-pit are also included.   Maps and vintage photographs. 11×8½, 114 pages soft cover.  Available.
    • The Heart of the Santa Fe: The Middle Division, by Robert D. Walz.  This book tells the story of the aptly named Santa Fe’s Middle Division.  Because of frequent boundary changes, it is difficult to define precisely what was included in the Middle Division, so the author included all the territory covered by the Middle Division of the Santa Fe at some point in its history.  This division covered the middle part of Kanas, and, until it merged with much of the Oklahoma Division, was all in Kansas (except for a mere 1.9 miles in Nebraska). It was also the heart of America’s “Wheat Belt,” and the revenue from its traffic furnished much of the capital for the expansion of the Santa Fe. In addition to freight traffic, the Middle Division saw all the main line through passenger trains, including those between the eastern end of the system and the West Coast, between the eastern end of the system and Colorado, and between the eastern end of the system and Texas. The Middle Division also had an extensive network of branch lines. The author covers all this and more.   192 pages, 11×8½ perfect bound, 193 photos 39 in color, maps, charts, tables, and bibliography. Perfect bound. Available.
    • Santa Fe’s New Mexico Division: Varnish, Coal, Copper and Cattle by Robert D. Walz. This volume continues the author’s divisional histories.  As is usual, the territory of the New Mexico Division changed over time. This volume covers the history of the territory of the New Mexico Division from 1877 to 1995 as it was constituted in 1942. At this time, the division had a main line with associated branches that ran from La Junta, Colorado, to El Paso, Texas. The Division was unique in that passenger traffic was five times greater than freight traffic through most of its history.  Almost all of the Santa Fe’s famous passenger trains traversed the division at one time or another.  Coal and copper, zinc, and iron ore constituted the bulk of online freight traffic throughout the history of the division.  The division was one of the more scenic stretches of railroad on the Santa Fe’s system and attracted photographers such as Otto Perry, Richard Kindig, Preston George, Stan Kistler, Steve Patterson and Joe McMillan, all of whom provided photographs for the book.  196 pages, 240 photos 70 in color, maps, charts, tables, appendices, and bibliography. Available.
    • Santa Fe’s Eastern Division: Where It All Began by Robert D. Walz.  This volume continues the author’s divisional histories published by the Santa Fe Railway Historical and modeling Society.  As is usual the territory of the Eastern Division changed over time.  This volume covers the history of the division as well as the Kansas City Terminal Division and the Southern Kansas Division, from 1869 to 1995.  In 1948 the Southern Kansas Division was split between the Eastern and Oklahoma Divisions and then in 1965 when the Oklahoma Division was terminated The Eastern Division got the parts of the old Southern Kansas Division which had belonged to the Oklahoma Division.  The book discusses the main lines from Kansas City to Emporia through Ottawa and Topeka as well as the main from Ottawa to Tulsa, the Kansas City Terminal Division and all associated branches.  Heavy passenger and freight traffic characterized the division.  It was also a division with significant industry, especially in the Kansas City area.  The division, because of its heavy traffic, attracted many well-known photographers such as Otto Perry, Preston George, Bill Gibson, Bill’s son Art, Ray Hilner, Wes Kranbeck, Lee Berglund, Imre Quastler Lynn Aldrich, and Lance Garrels all of whom provided photographs for the book.  256 pages, tables, appendices, 238 photographs. Available.
    • Santa Fe’s Missouri Division by James A. Brown.  This installment of a series of regional histories published by the Santa Fe Railway Historical & Modeling Society examines the Missouri Division of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe. The Missouri Division extended westward from Fort Madison, Iowa, to Sheffield, Missouri, on the east side of Kansas City. The St. Joseph District, a branch line that extended northwest from the mainline at Henrietta, Missouri, to St. Joseph, Missouri, is also examined. Historical coverage begins with the planning and building of the line across Missouri and Iowa that occurred from 1883-1888, and extends beyond the consolidation of the Missouri Division with the Illinois Division in 1956, to the merger of the ATSF with the Burlington Northern Railroad in 1995. Included in this volume are over 270 images, tables of data and appendices.  Available Summer 2024.

The books in this category examine the different lines of business that the Santa Fe pursued, with a focus on the interaction of business needs with rolling stock and operational requirements.

  • The Santa Fe and Grain Story, by Robert D. Walz. The Santa Fe and Grain Story tells the history of the Santa Fe’s role in the transportation of grains and grain products over the last century. Wheat was the most important grain to the railroad, which had extensive lines throughout the Midwest, including the major wheat-producing states of Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. Eastern Kansas, Missouri and Illinois added corn-growing territory to the story, and eastern Texas featured rice. Other important grains were barley, oats and grain sorghums, all of which are discussed to some extent.  This book is the first in a series to be produced by the Santa Fe Railway Historical & Modeling Society discussing the Santa Fe’s involvement with important commodities shipped on its lines.  203 pages, 11×8½ perfect bound, 216 black and white and 81 color photos, appendix. Available.
  • Live Stock Operations: History, Equipment, Facilities & Modeling by J. Stephen Sandifer.  Before The Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad drove its first spike, it was understood that the shipping of live stock would be critical to its success. One of the first actions was to intercept the Chisholm Trail 65 miles south of Abilene near Newton where over 40,000 head were shipped in 1871. By the end of the 1872 the majority of the rail cars owned by Santa Fe were stock cars. As the Santa Fe continued to move west, it caught more cattle at Great Bend, Dodge City, and Granada, Colorado. In 1884, Santa Fe shipped 800,000 head of cattle from Dodge City alone. The railroad maintained a Live Stock Department catering to cattlemen, ranchers and packers. But live animals were trouble to ship. Damage claims were higher than any other commodity, and government regulation were stronger. The shipping of live stock peaked in the 1920s, but by 1930 things had begun to change. Trucks proved to be more convenient and often faster transportation for small shippers and short distances. In the end, Santa Fe loaded just 62 cars of stock in 1972, the last year of live stock operations. But for over a century, live stock, birds, fish, and a myriad of other animals went on Santa Fe all the way. Painstakingly researched and liberally illustrated, this is the story of Santa Fe’s live stock operations, from its history, to equipment, to infrastructure—such as stock yards and feeding stations required to maintain the business. Along the way this volume touches on the rules and regulations governing the traffic, rodeo and circus trains, Railway Express shipping, as well as modeling this fascinating part of Santa Fe’s legacy. This book combines features of both the rolling stock reference series and the commodity series.  256 pages 11×8½ soft cover, over 300 black & white photos and diagrams and over 140 color photos, appendix, roster, plus modelers notes.  Available. Supplemental information on Santa Fe live stock operations is available to those who purchased this book by entering as a password the first word of the second paragraph of Chapter 2.

General History Series

The books in this category examine the different lines of business that the Santa Fe pursued, with a focus on the interaction of  business needs with rolling stock and operational requirements.  The books in this category cover a wide range of Santa Fe topics, ranging from dieselization (the One Spot Twins), depots, consists (A Quarter Century of Santa Fe Consists), employee recollections (Watching the Trains Go By) and even audio recordings!  Books and media include:

  • Stan Kistler’s Santa Fe in Black and White, by Stan Kistler with John R. Signor.  The Santa Fe Railway with its long history of superior passenger service, signature red and silver warbonnet-painted locomotives, massive steam engines and transcontinental franchise from Chicago to the Pacific Coast, touched the lives of generations of the shipping and traveling public, and indeed figured prominently in the affections of many–a fondness that lingers today, even more than two decades after the railway itself has been lost to merger.  While many have recorded the comings and goings of this great transportation system over the years, since the mid-1940s, one photographer has stood out.  Working predominantly in black and white, Stan Kistler captured the essence of what was the Santa Fe–the people, the operations, the equipment and facilities and the fleeting moments all frozen on small celluloid frames coated with silver halide emulsion.  This then is a tribute to Stan’s seven decades of black and white photography.  It brings together in the 180 pages of one volume a retrospective of Stan’s work, all personally selected by him.  11×8½ hardback, 175 photos. Available.
  • Santa Fe Depots of the Plains, 2nd Edition, by Frank M. Ellington.  This compendium of Santa Fe wood frame depots in Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, Oklahoma, Texas and New Mexico was designed by the author to accomplish two purposes: to assist Santa Fe historians in gathering depictions of what was in Santa Fe wood-frame depots and to afford the modeler “accurate-for-that-structure drawings.”  Available.
  • The One-Spot Twins, by Larry E. Brasher.  This book tells the story of the pioneer diesel-electric locomotives that assured the success of the transition from steam to the diesel-electric locomotive on the Santa Fe Railway.  Written in large part by a man who lived with, and on, the One-Spot Twins through their entire early Super Chief service, this is also the story of early multiple unit road diesel development on the Santa Fe as it really happened.  Chapters cover: The origins of the Diesel Electric Locomotive, Early Developments at Winton and EMC, The Men Behind the Dream, The One-Spot Twins As Built, Early Testing, The First Super Chief, Making the Twins Work – the Maintainers, The Engineers, The Lightweight Super Chief, Rebuilding, and Later Service History.  Softcover, 128 pages, 11×8½, profusely illustrated, one color plate, Bibliography, and Maintainers Roster.  Out of print.
  • Sounds of Santa Fe Steam Locomotives (CD), by Stan Kistler.  This CD of the sounds of Santa Fe steam locomotives includes 21 tracks totaling 54 minutes recorded by L. Harris, S. Johnson,  S. Kistler,  and E. Ripley.  All but one were recorded in California.  One was recorded near Mountainair, New Mexico.  Available.
  • Santa Fe Depots: Gulf, Colorado & Santa Fe Railway, by Robert E. Pounds and William W. Childers.  This book continues the work of the late Robert E. Pounds in documenting Santa Fe depots.  This volume is a route-by-route and station-by-station look at the depots of the Gulf, Colorado & Santa Fe Railway of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway System.  The book uses a format developed by John McCall for the listing of stations and arrangement of accompanying data that had been used in three previous  books on Santa Fe depots.  The GC&SF ran from the Gulf Coast tidewater up to the Arbuckle Mountains of Oklahoma.  It served its territory from 361 depots.  256 pages, photos, drawings, hardcover. Available.
  • Watching the Trains Go By…A Narrative of  a Santa Fe Railway Man, by Harry J. Briscoe.  This is a personal account of a man who rose from stenographer to the transportation clerk in Slaton, Texas, to General Manager Eastern Lines, at Topeka, Kansas.  Along the way Mr. Briscoe made stops in Topeka (twice), Oklahoma City, Chicago (twice), Amarillo (twice), La Junta, Wellington, Emporia, and San Bernardino.  The book offers unique insights into the inner workings of the Santa Fe during the period 1937 to 1982.   Illustrated, 11×8½, 160 pages perfect bound. Available.
  • Cumulative Index to the Periodicals and Publications of the Santa Fe Railway Historical & Modeling Society and its Predecessor Organizations, 1969-2001, by Eric L. Hiser.  The Santa Fe Railway Historical & Modeling Society and its predecessor organizations, including the Santa Fe Modelers Association, the Santa Fe Modelers Organization, and the Santa Fe Railway Historical Society have been actively engaged in the gathering, preservation, and dissemination of information about the Atchison, Topeka, & Santa Fe Railway and its various predecessors, subsidiaries, affiliates, and partners for over thirty years.   The Society’s books and magazines have produced a relatively comprehensive picture of the Santa Fe, its locomotives, rolling stock, operations, structures, track, and ancillary equipment and operations, as well as such important Santa Fe auxiliaries as the Fred Harvey Company and Railway Express Agency.  Unfortunately, until the publication of this work, no comprehensive index to this treasure trove of information has been available to the historian, modeler and railfan.  11×8½ spiral bound 276 pages.  Available.
  • Trademarks of the Santa Fe Railway and Peripheral Subjects, by Richard W. Pelouze.  This is the fascinating history of the development of the Santa Fe Railway’s different logos and graphic designs over the years. Covers logos used in advertising and on locomotives, rolling stock, trucks, buses, boats, airplanes, structures, forms, uniforms, menus and dinnerware. Illustrated throughout with black and white photos and drawings with notes at the end of each chapter. 82 pages soft cover.  Available.
  • A Quarter Century of Santa Fe Consists – on CD, by Fred W. Frailey. Up to the writing of this book in 1974, despite the large amount of published material about passenger trains, little had been written about the entire passenger service of any major railroad. Frailey brought it all together for theSanta Fe in the eventful quarter century between the end of WW II and the coming of Amtrak.  During these 25 years, the heavyweight name trains of the past moved into oblivion, the fleet of Chiefs grew in size and number–and then, too, faded away.  This book presents it all, consists, equipment assignments, extra sections, the mail and express business and interactions among trains.  The SFRH&MS has republished this long out of print classic on CD.  Available.
  • Santa Fe Depots: The Eastern Lines, by Robert D. Walz.  This book continues the work of the late Robert E. Pounds and William W. Childers in documenting Santa Fe depots.  It contains a route-by-route and station-by station look at the depots of the Eastern Lines Grand Division of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway system, using a format developed by John McCall for the listing of stations and the arrangement of accompanying data, that has been used in four previous books on Santa Fe depots. The Eastern Lines of the Santa Fe covered by this book ran from Chicago on the east end to Boise City, Oklahoma on the far west.  Lines also ran from Ottawa, Kansas to Tulsa, Oklahoma, from Superior, Nebraska through Wichita to Wellington, Kansas and from Newton to Arkansas City, Kansas, and Purcell, Oklahoma.  The Santa Fe had depots or towers at more than 620 stations in this territory ranging from small one-room wood frame boxes to large masonry edifices with more than 20 rooms.   Hardcover 208 pages, 568 photos, and index.  Available.
  • Santa Fe Steam Compendium Volume 1, by Joseph A. Strapac.   This book catalogs the known steam locomotives operated by one particular railroad business enterprise over the course of its corporate existence, commonly known as the Santa Fe Railway. It is the first of two volumes, addressing the locomotive wheel arrangements used on the Santa Fe beginning in the 19thCentury.  In effect, this publication is a database—a formal collection of tables, summarizing and cross-referencing the more than three thousand steam locomotives owned and operated by the Santa Fe between 1869 and 1983. These tabulations are the result of dozens of man-years of labor, beginning with the efforts of anonymous clerks in the offices of forgotten locomotive manufacturers and railroad corporations.  Eventually Professor Sylvan R. Wood, Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College, Stillwater, Oklahoma created a locomotive roster database for the Santa Fe.  (This is not a reprint of Iron Horses of the Santa Fe Trail.) This publication is a digital, updated version of that original database.  590 pages, tables, folio drawings, 492 photographs.  Hardcopy out of print.  Available on CD.
  • Santa Fe Steam Compendium Volume 2, by Joseph A. Strapac.  This continues the work done by the author in volume 1 with a catalog of the steam locomotive wheel arrangements introduced in the 20th century. In these pages, you will find text, images and detailed roster information for 4-4-2, 2-6-2, 4-6-2, 4-6-4, 2-8-2, 2-8-4, 4-8-2, 2-10-0, 2-10-2, 2-10-4 and the Mallets.  Like the first volume, this is a database—a formal collection of tables summarizing and cross-referencing the above-listed wheel arrangements.   Like the first volume this is not a reprint of Iron Horses of the Santa Fe Trail which was based on the work of Professor Sylvan R. Wood.   This publication is a digital update of the original data base.  Most of the images in this book were scanned from very high-quality originals that were not available when Iron Horses of the Santa Fe Trail was published in 1965.  All photos are high-resolution with considerable detail, so you can enjoy the images of the digital version on a large monitor. 595 pages, 760 photos, folio drawings and tables.  Out of print.
  • Forty Years on the Santa Fe Railroad 1921-1961 by B. M. Naylor, edited by Fred Friedman and John Taylor.  B. M. Naylor, a track maintenance and construction supervisor for the Santa Fe Railway in New Mexico from 1921 to 1961, upon his death left a fascinating story of his time with the railway. Naylor was an on-the-ground eyewitness to many of the changes on the Santa Fe, so the book is a time capsule for both early railroading and life in New Mexico. His narrative provides rare glimpses into the hard life of a railroad track gang worker as well as his difficulties as a supervisor and married man with family responsibilities.  Naylor is humorous, fair, helpful to others, and always candid, revealing both his greatest fears (snakes) and personal pleasures, which ranged from fishing to gardening.  Naylor’s book adds descriptions of places that are now railroad ghost towns as well as the effort involved in getting to and from such locations prior to convenient, more modern transport.  Forty Years on the Santa Fe Railroad will transport the reader to a refreshingly different time and place.  The book concludes with an afterword by Bob Walz on modeling maintenance of way opertions. 128 pages, more than 70 photos, some of them rare.  Available.
  • Santa Fe Passenger Train Compendium compiled by Michael W. Flick and John R. Signor. The Santa Fe Railway is well remembered for its passenger trains. Indeed, articles on these trains and their operations, written by many different authors with contributions by even more individuals, have appeared many times over for nearly a half century in the publications of the Santa Fe Railway Historical & Modeling Society and its predecessors under the names of the High Iron, Santa Fe Modeler, The Santa Fe Route, and the Warbonnet.    Compilers  Michael W. Flick, an acknowledged expert on Santa Fe passenger trains, and John R. Signor, long time editor of the Warbonnet, have brought to this compendium not only articles of their own, but have  also gathered together dozens published as far back as the early 1970s. Many required updating, and corrections and additions were made if necessary. Color images were added if available, as some original articles were produced when only black and white was suitable for publishing, though some of the source images had actually been in color. For some articles, additional material was added, and some original material was created to fill some gaps for specific trains and operations for which nothing had been written prior to this compendium.  While this compendium is by no means a complete or comprehensive review of all Santa Fe passenger trains, it does place within one cover the broad scope of Santa Fe passenger train articles published by the SFRH&MS and predecessors in a convenient and accessible single volume.  576 pages, hard cover with dust jacket, 543 black and white photos and 283 color images, 16 maps. Available.

  • The History of Santa Fe Rail Testing and Rail Test Cars by W. Brock Lowman .At its peak, the Santa Fe system was comprised of about 11,000 miles of rail stretching from Chicago in the east to Los Angeles in the west, serving 11 states in-between. At the insistence of the U.S. Bureau of Safety following increasing numbers of sudden, sometimes catastrophic, rail failures, America’s railroads, including the Santa Fe, endeavored to develop effective and efficient methods of detecting defects in rail before they caused further problems.  In this volume, Santa Fe rail test car veteran W. Brock Lowman chronicles the company’s efforts to develop rail detection equipment, from the early American Railway Association magnetic test cars of the 1920s to Santa Fe’s custom Chevrolet C-20 Suburban Hi-rail vehicles with ultrasonic testing equipment used into the early 1990s. The author also takes the reader through a typical work-day testing rail. Included is an overview of typical rail faults and a primer on ultrasonic testing. Over 130 photos, plus roster of Santa Fe’s rail testing vehicles.  Available.

  • The Santa Fe in Transition:  A PIctorial HIstory by  Ira Silverman. In many ways the Santa Fe’s fame was rooted in a diverse mosaic. Iconic passenger trains, unique advertising and public relations, and even the paint scheme on its diesels made famous by model trains were all part of this tapestry. But by the end of the 1960s all railroads were struggling. The image of the Santa Fe was untouched, but management faced many challenges with the completion of the interstate highway system and the introduction of jet airplanes.  The Santa Fe looked to meet this challenge with intermodal service, the fastest freight train in the world, more powerful locomotives and new signal and telecommunication systems.  Eventually the passenger trains were given to the government, but up to the very end Santa Fe bought new passenger equipment and marketed its services creatively.  This book documents the changes from the late 1960s to the mid 1970s. The pictures were all taken by a career railroader who is proud of restoring the “Chief” name to the public eye.  Available.

Company Reprint Series

The Society periodically gathers and reprints significant documents originally prepared by The Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway that are of use to rail historians or modelers. Books include:

  • Santa Fe System Standards, Vol. 1, from Kachina Press.  To the casual rail fan this series will be of only nominal interest, but to the dedicated Santa Fe historian and serious modeler, this first of three volumes on the engineering and architectural standards of the Santa Fe Railway will be a welcome addition.  This volume includes: standard signs, switch stands, stockyards, track scales and houses, road crossings, open and ballasted deck timber trestle bridges, and much more.  Available.
  • Santa Fe System Standards, Vol. 2, from Kachina Press. This volume introduces standard depots and related buildings, section and bunk houses, interlocking towers, highway crossing signals, and a survey of signal standards.  Available.
  • Santa Fe System Standards, Vol. 3, from Kachina Press.  The focus of this volume is roundhouses and ancillary structures–fuel and water facilities, turntables, shop area buildings, and related standards.  There are also expansions of areas introduced in the first two volumes in response to reader suggestions and data availability.  Available.
  • 1891 Santa Fe Employees System Time Table. In 1891, the Santa Fe proper consisted of nine divisions: Chicago, Eastern, Southern Kansas, Middle, Southern, Panhandle, Western, New Mexico and Rio Grande.  This volume is a reprint of the Employee Timetables that went into effect on March 15, 1891.   Out of Print.
  • 1905 Santa Fe Employees System Time Table.  In 1905  the Santa Fe was organized into four subordinate organizations: Eastern Grand Division, Western Grand Division, Gulf,Colorado & Santa Fe and the Coast Lines.  This volume reprints the employee timetables of each subordinate organization that were in effect in 1905: Gulf,Colorado & Santa Fe (GC&SF) in effect December 18, 1904; Eastern and Western Grand Division as well as the Coast Lines in effect June 4, 1905. Available.
  • 1910 Santa Fe Employees System Time Table.  By 1910 the Santa Fe organization had continued to evolve.  The Coast Lines now had five subordinate organizations and the Gulf, Colorado & Santa Fe had four divisions.  Along with the Eastern Lines Grand Division and the Western Lines Grand Division, the Santa Fe had, in effect, four grand divisions.  The employee timetables for all subordinate divisions and subordinate railroads for 1910 are included in this volume.  The Eastern Lines, Western Lines and Coast Lines went into effect on January 9, 1910, and the GC&SF on February 27, 1910.  Available.
  • 1919 Santa Fe Employees System Time Table.  In 1919, American railroads were all controlled by the United States Railroad Administration.  The USRA retained the Santa Fe’s traditional organization of four grand divisions.  This volume reprints the employee timetables in effect at various times in 1919:  November 30 for the Eastern Lines, Western Lines, and Coast Lines except the Valley Division (October 13); SFP&P Lines (June 2); and the GC&SF (October 26). Available.
  • 1928 Santa Fe Employees System Time Table.  As with other volumes in this series, this one reprints the Santa Fe Employee Timetables that were in effect in 1928.  The Eastern Lines, Western Lines and Coast Lines all were in effect on March 4.  The GC&SF had varying in effect dates: Beaumont Division on October 2, 1927; Galveston Division on May 15, 1927; Northern Division on December 18, 1927; and Southern Division on March 4, 1928.   Available.
  • November 29, 1942 System Employee Timetables.  These were the first employee timetables reprinted by the Society and are in four volumes.  All of these were in effect on November 29, 1942, and remained in effect through the rest of World War II.  Available as a  CD.
    • Volume One Eastern Lines. This was the oldest of the Santa Fe’s Grand Divisions and its territory extended west from Chicago to Newton, Kansas, and south to Purcell and Tulsa, Oklahoma.  Available.
    • Volume Two Western Lines.  The Western Lines stretched from Newton, Kansas, through Colorado into New Mexico and down from Wellington, Kansas, into Oklahoma and Texas.  This was the largest grand division on the system. Available.
    • Volume Three Gulf Lines.  The Gulf Lines comprised the GC&SF, which ran from Galveston to Purcell, Oklahoma; Temple to Sweetwater, Texas; High Island to Longview, Texas; and Somerville to Silsbee, Texas.  Available.
    • Volume One Coast Lines.  The Coast Lines comprised all the Santa Fe lines west of Albuquerque and Belen, Arizona, including lines from Albuquerque to Los Angeles and San Diego, Barstow to San Francisco, Ash Fork to Phoenix, Arizona, and the Sunset Railway (alternating with SP every five years).  Available.
  • Santa Fe Modeler – The Jared Harper Years.  This set of reprints reprints the  Santa Fe Modeler.  Available as a set or as individual volumes:
    • Volume 1, November-December 1977 through November-December 1980.  Available.
    • Volume 2, January-February 1981 through November-December 1983.  Available.
    • Volume 3, January-February 1984 through November-December 1986.  Available.

Occasional Monographs

The Society occasionally publishes monographs covering subjects that are too  broad for a Warbonnet article, but not large enough for a book.

  • An Organizational  History of the Santa Fe 1969-1995, by Robert D. Walz.  One of the most confusing aspects of Santa Fe history has been what division a particular location or line belonged to at any point in time.  At various times La Junta, Colorado, belonged to the Western, Arkansas River, Colorado, Panhandle, or Kansas Division as well as the Eastern Region.   This monograph tells the story of the changes in the Santa Fe’s organization throughout its history.  It looks at the Santa Fe’s organization by giving a snapshot of what was in existence at particular points in time and discusses the changes in between. For each snapshot there is a John Signor-drawn map visually showing the Santa Fe’s organization at that time.  56 pages, 12 maps, 28 photos, addendum.  Available.

Books in Development

The Society has a number of books and projects about the history, operation and modeling of the Santa Fe in development. Members and visitors who have information that they would like to make available to support these projects are encouraged to contact the Society’s Editor or the lead author.