While an abundance of coal or a faith in future innovations in steam technology may explain why railroads like Norfolk & Western and Union Pacific didn’t buy FTs, neither reason explains one big non-buyer: Southern Pacific. SP had a lot of steam locomotives but its main innovations were using oil rather than coal and cab-forward locomotives for tunnel districts, both of which were a part of Diesels. SP also had the same water problems as the Santa Fe across many of its routes. So it seems peculiar that it continued to rely on steam locomotives rather than buy Diesels.

The signature on this card is difficult to read but it is probably Ben Dedek.

Missouri Pacific bought six four-unit FTs, starting with number 501. This one, 503, was probably delivered the same month as 501, meaning October 1944. There is a scribble in the ballast on the left side of the card that is too short to read H.U. Bockewitz so probably is B. Dedek.

Click image for a larger view.

This poster shows the same locomotive but is clearly a different painting from the one on the card: it shows an engineer in the cab and no train behind the locomotive. But the signature is in the same place and clearly reads B. Dedek, 7-17-43.

This card is signed H. Bockewitz.

The Reading Railroad bought five four-unit FTs starting with number 250, which was delivered in January 1945.

This card is unsigned.

Here’s another example of two different cards being printed for the same locomotive. The backgrounds make it appear the locomotive is in the same location in each painting, but one shows a telegraph pole, semaphore, and culvert while the other does not. The card without these features is signed Ben Dedek while the other is unsigned.

This card is signed Ben Dedek.

Lehigh Valley ordered just two four-unit FTs and both were delivered in January 1945.

I don’t see a signature but this painting looks like Ben Dedek’s style.

Here’s the first FT data card we’ve seen that shows a three-unit FT instead of four. The Minneapolis & St. Louis ordered two three-unit locomotives and both were delivered in April 1945.

This painting of the same locomotive as the above data card is by Harry Bockewitz. Click image for a larger view. Source: Soulis.

The above original painting is of the same locomotive but is in a very different style. While the painting is signed H.U. Bockewitz, I still think the painting in the data card is by Dedek.