| A Picture Tells A Story
(continued)
The next picture we have is a fairly typical shot of The E.P.
Ripley standing in front of Main Street Station.
The photo is stamped with no. 179-4, and was taken by Santa Fe photographer Don
Erb. Unfortunately, the caption has been torn away
from the back, and other than it being a very nice shot of my favorite engine,
there's really not a lot about the photo to distinguish it, other than the fact
that it, too, was taken by the Santa Fe for their company files.
Prominently displayed on
the Station platform end, however, is the official herald of the Santa Fe
Railway, and we can see clearly the passing siding that allowed one train to
pass another here a the station. In fact, those with eagle eyes will be able to
make out a conductor standing near the switch track at the back end of the
train, as if preparing to throw the turnout for the arriving C.K. Holliday.
The final shot shows the Ernest S. Marsh in a very similar position as
the Ripley.
This photo, also by Don Erb and
numbered 179-25, is interesting in that it shows the engine with whitewall
tires, and no stars on the wheel hubs! Technical aficionados
will also note that items not generally visible to park guests can be seen,
such as the bottom of the air compressor peeking through a bit of steam below
the front cab door, and the battery box visible on the tender. For some strange
reason, this professional photographer managed to cut off the front of the cow
catcher!
Each photograph is an 8" by 10" print on glossy paper, and is exceedingly
sharp.
So there you have it. Three "portrait" photographs of three
Santa Fe & Disneyland locomotives, taken by official photographers of the
Santa Fe Railway! The Santa Fe may have given up their sponsorship in the
mid-1970s in a fit of bruised egos, but for a few years at least, it seems the
mighty Santa Fe had a bit of affection for a small narrow gauge railroad in
Anaheim which bore its name.
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