If you have a chance and can get to the Pomona Fair grounds they have a number of the Santa Fe engines and cars as well as a U.P.Big Boy on display. At least they did 15 years ago before I moved to Virginia as my wife would drag me to the Pomona State Fair every year back when I still lived in the San Fernando Valley. I would go just to see the giant outdoor 'F' scale as well as indoor "Orange Empire "O" scale Railroads and as a topper I would go out to see all the Old Steamers in the Full Scale RR museum. I believe they had 2 of the 3700 series engines with both types of Santa Fe tenders and many other engines from Santa Fe and Union Pacific. Good luck with your research and I'll look through my Library to see if I have anything I can add to your research.

Rio Grande Dan

I live about a mile away from the fairgrounds but haven't visited in many years. Based on the Railway and Locomotive Historical Society's collection list at http://www.trainweb.org/rlhs/collection/collection1.html I don't see any Santa Fe 3700-class locos there now but they do have a 3450, a heavyweight horse-express car and a wood caboose from the '20s that could be useful reference for my 1939 ATSF interests. Thanks for the tip!

The outdoor large-scale layout is still there and usually operating on Sundays (plus every day during the L.A. County Fair, I believe). The O scale layout under the racetrack grandstands was removed several years ago when the grounds management decided they could try to make some money by renting out that space -- that action generated a lot of ill will from model railroaders.

That massive "O" scale Model Railroad under the race track is one of the best inspirations I ever had to get me to actually build my first Model RR. First time I ever visited it was when I was around 8 years old in 1960 & well that's the first time I ever attended the fair so I don't know if the RR was actually there then but I went almost every year after that with my mother and Father until around 1970. I do remember that RR had mountains over 12ft tall I have no Idea how many main lines or how long they were but it's size was something like 30X70 foot and the operators booth was above the RR in a room with windows on 3 sides so they could observe the trains from the air. I was talking to my father about the engines there and he said that 10 years ago they sold or donated 5 engines to the Smithsonian in Washington DC so maybe the 3700's were included in that donation I do remember the 3450. Is the 1870 4-6-0 Union Pacific Engine still there? Well anyway glade I could be a little help for you.

Dan

Well, we're getting kind of off-topic but it's still about trains. Thanks for the memories about the layout.

Here's a newspaper article about the Citrus Empire O scale club layout's 50th anniversary in 1998: http://www.railroadinfo.com/modelrr/empire.html

According to the L.A. Division of the NMRA, "The O scale club was formerly located in the Los Angeles County Fairgrounds at Pomona. Their modular group is still active. They have use of a member's home layout in a garage building in West Covina."

As for the real thing at the Fairplex, I don't see a UP 4-6-0 on the list (see link to their collection in my previous message) but there is a Big Boy and the 9000 4-12-2.

Thanks for the links!! It has grown a bit since I saw it 16-1/2 years ago to 25X105 thats one big lay out. Hope you find more about your Proto Type and keep us posted as you build.

Dan

Until now, I wasn't sure if the lettering included "Inc." or not. After much searching, I discovered a heavyweight baggage car in the background of a locomotive photo. Although the left part is obscured by the loco, it clearly shows the lettering to be:

RAILWAY EXPRESS

AGENCY, INC.

The Microscale 87-1043 for Santa Fe Head End Cars (1924-1971) decal does not include the ", INC." so I'll have to piece it together from other letters.

The photo is of ATSF 3461 in 1940 on page 223 of Santa Fe Locomotive Development, Larry E. Brasher, Signature Press.