High Horsepower Four Motor Era on the Santa Fe - Part 1

The Santa Fe was part of a short lived motive power trend towards high-horsepower four motor units, starting with the delivery of their GP40Xs and GP50s in the 80's. The thinking was that the need for higher speed intermodal service demanded more horsepower per axle. This era eventually ran smack into the increase in heavier double stack trains, and the Santa Fe went back to ordering six-axle power. Above is a WB stacker at Goffs, and a 991 train swinging off the Mojave District at Barstow.