In introducing the issue-length article on Santa Fe’s 2-10-4s dominating the August 1975 issue of Trains Magazine, Editor David P. Morgan wrote: “We broke our word. We promised you after our single-subject issues in 1972 on L&Ns “Big Emma” 2-8-4 and Electro-Motive’s 50th anniversary that Trains would not publish any more all-steam or all-diesel editions. So here we are in 1975 thrusting an August issue on you that is exclusively devoted to Santa Fe’s 2-10-4’s, No mix of content, no ‘Photo Section,’ no frontispiece, no quiz, just AT&SF Texas types. We could have serialized Lloyd Stagner’s manuscript; but after the arrival of [Santa Fe] President John Reed’s letter of high praise for the 5001 and 5011 classes, the die was cast. Look long at the smokebox face atop this column. We ask you, isn’t that worth an entire issue of the magazine, promise or no promise? Especially in a year in which many of us find little to be of good cheer about. Thus our decision to give to a 2-10-4 all of Trains, the magazine of railroading.”
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One of my all-time favorite issues of Trains. Thanks for the memories.