A light but wet April storm has set in along the front range south of Denver as Santa Fe F7A 266 and three sisters set out for La Junta, running along South Santa Fe Drive, a railfan favorite for pacing and quick action shots. The string of gondolas carry scrap metal for Pueblo, where much of it will be transformed into rail by Colorado Fuel & Iron works, the only rail-rolling mill in the West.U nlike the other three units, the 266 was delivered (in late 1951) with a “chicken-wire” mesh-style grill rather than the more elegant stainless steel. In late 1972 it will be rebuilt in the road’s Cleburne, Texas, shops into a CF7road switcher and will end its career in 1984 after 33 years of service.
