Subject:
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Re: Santa Fe Super Chief Train Engine Registry
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.trains
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Date:
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Sat, 23 Feb 2002 06:11:13 GMT
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Viewed:
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1709 times
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In lugnet.trains, Brian Kendig writes:
> I'm confused about a couple of things; please forgive my obtuseness. ;-)
>
> (1) What are these 'sequence numbers?' Are the people who buy these Santa
> Fe engines making them up, or do they appear somewhere on the box or on the
> model itself?
>
> (2) The list shows people who purchased their engine(s) on 2/19 through
> today's date! Are you finding the engine in a store, and if so, which store
> where? Or are you ordering the engine from lego.com and you're given a
> sequence number at the time of purchase?
>
> Thanks for clearing up my confusion! :-)
Hey Brian!
The amount of info available on this new Santa Fe(tm) Super Chief(tm) set
can be a bit overwhelming, everything you asked has been answered already if
you read all the threads. But it's a bit much!
The sequence number appears on a tile, which you can place on the model if
you so choose, it goes on the red part aft of the nose curve. It's matched
by a similar tile on the other side which has the LEGO(r) square logo. I
believe (but can't confirm) that this is NOT the "engine number". Here's a
picture that Huw M. took of one of his:
http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?i=125038
His unit is A1013 (one of the lowest numbers seen so far)
Note that on the box behind it, the engine is carrying a black and white
"engine number" or "number plate" with 301, but it's pretty clearly a
sticker rather than a tile. That's a sticker that I suspect Huw didn't apply
to his model.
AFAIK (I haven't gotten any of mine delivered yet) it's not on the outside
of the box. The set comes with supplemental parts packs but I'm not sure what
that's about.
OK, some digression:
Note that there is some prototype validity to these "dual numbers". One can
think of the Axxxx number as the "builder's number". Each prototype
individual unit had a number assigned by the builder. This appears on the
builders plate (a ((1) brass plate affixed to the locomotive (1) on or near
the frame on or near the cab area). These numbers were unique across all
units of all types made by the builder.
The "301" number corresponds to the unit number assigned by the railroad.
This number could, and did, change during the life of the unit. For example,
early diesels (including some early Santa Fe units similar to this model
that were used to power the Super Chief named train (2) ) had numbers such
as 301A,301B, 301C, 301D denoting a 4 unit A-B-B-A lashup which was intended
to remain connected together with all 4 units assigned and tracked together.
Sometimes these units were even connected with drawbars instead of couplers.
But the railroads soon discovered the folly of this idea. If 301C got sick,
it meant you had to take the entire 4 units out of service to fix C. So the
drawbars were removed and units would get swapped out. So you'd see a lashup
that was 301A, 303B, 305B, 302D or something similarly wacky. The letters
hurt more than they helped. So the units got renumbered removing the letter
suffix and 301A-D might become 3011-3014 or whatever.
Typically a locomotive has a useful life well in excess of 20 years and I'd
estimate would be renumbered an average of 4-5 times in its life (due to
mergers requiring number rationalization, sales on the aftermarket,
corporate whim, or whatever). Some units go cradle to grave never being
renumbered at all. But that's about as rare as a unit going its life without
ever getting a different paint scheme.
On to your next question:
AFAIK this set is "not available in any store". People who have theirs
already ordered them from Lego Direct... you do not get a sequence number at
time of purchase. Except for the first 5 numbers which are reserved by LEGO,
the numbers are handed out randomly as near as we can tell, as you do not
seem to get adjacent numbers if you order at the same time.
1 - usually but not always!!!
2 - remember the misnomer... the Super Chief is a train. NOT a locomotive.
But indulge LD... they got us a neat model even if it's misnamed.
++Lar
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Message has 1 Reply:
Message is in Reply To:
 | | Re: Santa Fe Super Chief Train Engine Registry
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| I'm confused about a couple of things; please forgive my obtuseness. ;-) (1) What are these 'sequence numbers?' Are the people who buy these Santa Fe engines making them up, or do they appear somewhere on the box or on the model itself? (2) The list (...) (22 years ago, 23-Feb-02, to lugnet.trains)
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