Well, I have to confess it's not really much of a collection. The only 'authentic' Santa Fe Railroad items I have are a few vintage postcards from the 50s . Mostly I have pins and reproduced badges. I became interested in the Santa Fe line when I first saw my father's train set as it rolled around our Christmas tree many, many years ago.
The place I bought these newest items is the Galveston Railroad Museum. The museum is housed in the former Santa Fe Union Station. They have two wonderfully restored ATSF Warbonnets numbered Santa Fe 315 and 316 among numerous other train cars and engines. The place took a huge hit during Hurricane Ike in 2008 and was under about eight feet of water but it's been refurbished and is better than ever. The progress the staff has made is remarkable.
The shot glass and pins at the top come from the museum shop and are the latest additions to a modest cache of Santa Fe items. Here is a shot I took when we visited the museum about a month ago.
Two of my vintage postcards:
Nothing in my Santa Fe 'collection' is worth more than the couple of bucks I paid for each item but I like having them on display among my sports stuff.
There is something about that paint scheme that just resonates. I had a model train phase when I was a kid, and the Santa Fe locomotives remain a favorite to this day. A number of years ago I bought a Hallmark Christmas ornament of the locomotive, which I had kept on my desk at work. I wonder where that ornament got to...
ReplyDeleteI don't think the Santa Fe was running up where I grew up, I know they were down here in Texas for awhile when we moved here. But it's all Union Pacific now. My Dad worked for Shell Oil for 40+ years and had his Shell stuff on the walls of his office at home. I suppose I might have picked up my affinity for the yellow/red from that.
DeleteI grew up literally right next to train tracks -- as in, the house shook when trains went by close -- so I definitely understand and enjoy the appeal of train memorabilia collecting. And that red and yellow of the Santa Fe is so distinctive!
ReplyDeleteI just love the logo and colors. I have a couple of B&O pieces but the Santa Fe just appeals to me more.
DeleteThose are very nice! What building is the train in the lower postcard passing in front of? Does it say?
ReplyDeleteIt's the old Albuquerque train station. Torn down about 40 years ago. They have another one that they made to sort of resemble it but it's just not the same.
DeleteNice!
ReplyDeleteMy first HO train set as a kid back in 1966 was headed up by a Warbonnet. I soon moved to Union Pacific (since yellow was my favorite color), before settling in on PRR.
Union Pacific runs right past my school a couple of times a day. My gym has glass doors that face the tracks. I just shut-up and let the kids watch the train go past rather than try and get their attention. It's hopeless.
DeleteI like trains quite a bit, but haven't had room among my other collections to start anything train-related up. Some people don't like living near train tracks, but I find the sound of the train horns and the cars banging together at the local yard to be quite comforting. It's all Union Pacific out here, so that is where my interest tends to be focused.
ReplyDeleteI grew up on a dead-end street in Jersey that ran out at the tracks so I know what you're talking about. No Santa Fe up there though.
DeleteI posted this a while back but thought you might like it,
ReplyDeletehttp://canthavetoomanycards.blogspot.com/2011/10/orange-blossom-special.html
That's some awesome stuff. I'm such a lame train stuff collector I've never thought of matchbooks. Looking down you post it occurred to me the the tracks down at the end of my block were owned by the Erie-Lackawanna line.
DeleteLooking back a few years the 6 matchbooks set me back $7.20 shipped.
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