HO ATSF 3460 Class 4-6-4, Unlettered, No-Sound / DCC-Ready

ATSF 3460 Class 4-6-4

These powerful engines were assigned to high-speed passenger service on the Santa Fe’s transcontinental route between Chicago, Illinois, and La Junta, Colorado.

One of the most remarkable achievements in steam railroading came in December 1937, when locomotive #3461 set a world record for the longest non-stop run by a steam engine—traveling an astonishing 2,227 miles from Los Angeles to Chicago with no maintenance beyond five refueling stops. It was assigned to the Fast Mail Express, showcasing both the reliability and endurance of this class.

By the end of 1956, all but one of the 3460s were scrapped. Fortunately, locomotive #3463 was preserved and remains on display in Topeka, Kansas. Efforts are currently underway by volunteers from the nonprofit Kaw Valley Rail Heritage Conservancy to restore the locomotive, with the hope of relocating it to a new site in Topeka in the future.

Whether you're modeling Santa Fe passenger service in its prime or looking for a striking steam locomotive with a story to tell, the 3460 Class is a perfect addition to your HO scale roster.

Model Production

The ATSF 3460 class consisted of six "Super Hudson" 4-6-4 steam locomotives built by Baldwin in 1937. One of those, #3460, was the Santa Fe's only streamlined locomotive. It was painted in a unique light blue and silver paint scheme and gained the name "Blue Goose". The Blue Goose was delivered to Shopton, Iowa in January 1938, and it pulled many of the Santa Fe's famed passenger trains until it was retired and scrapped in 1956.

In the first production run of the Blue Goose, Broadway Limited is offering two models of the early locomotive as it appeared in 1938 and four models of the locomotive as it appeared between 1939 and retirement. The only difference between the two 1938 models is the presence of the road number "3460" on the side of the tender. Each of the four post-1938 model has a unique paint scheme, prototypically accurate for a specific time frame. The most visible detail differences between the early and late Blue Goose versions are the removal of the full skirts and the addition of the scissor smokestack and associated equipment.

All of the models have hand-crafted brass boilers, cabs, and tender bodies, and die cast locomotive and tender chassis. Each model comes with the Paragon4 Sound/DC/DCC sound system with synchronized puffing smoke and integral GoPack capacitors.

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