Larry Neal posted:DaveJfr0 posted:As-built paint for Phase IV F3's for Southern is the green/yellow, (I believe units 4173-4206).
All SOU Phase IV had the big numberboards (not FT-style) and FARR SS grilles.
I'm guessing since in general, an EMD Phase IV F3 almost looks identical (minus the grids?) to F7's, it's an easy tool modification (if at all) for Scott to offer these late F3's. For Southern at least…basically buying an F7 with F3 road numbers.
If Scott decides to offer the Black Tux Scheme with all of the spotting features below, I could be persuaded to get some.
Black Tux spotting features includes:
- M5 horn and Firecracker antenna (put it in the box)
- dynamic brake fan near cab
- maintenance walkway on side/grab irons on the nose,
- de-skirted fuel tanks
- Rooftop Cooling Coils, much easier to make than the E8 air tanks (Unfortunately the F3A's with rooftop air tanks are an earlier phase..Phase II early with the chicken wire and other fun stuff.
Several (if not all) Southern F3 units were rebuilt to F7 specifications during the early to mid 1950s at Spencer Shops. Some of these passenger F3s were rebuilt to have their air tanks moved to the roof and a larger water tank mounted beside the fuel tank. Because of this, they looked liked a F7 from the outside, sans the stainless steel FARR grilles. If any were Phase II with the chicken wire, they were changed to the F7 vent style between the portholes. I have never seen an image showing a Southern unit as delivered showing the chicken wire, but Intermountain made them in black a few years ago for HO modelers.
The best way to model a Southern unit with air tanks using a Phase IV body would be F7 6119. Not sure when the tanks were installed, but it would be very close to the actual unit.
I have included some images found on the net to show what Southern F units looked like with roof air tanks.
I was using my Withers SOU Diesel book exclusively with the info and 20ish pictures to do preliminary research for myself. Yes, all were rebuilt to F7 specs on the inside, but a lot of the Phase II units still retained chickenwire, etc. Phase IV never had chicken wire from photo evidence I have (ATSF spec sheets for their own units I quickly read online also agree) , but earlier F3 phase units did and retained them for the most part, depending on unit. The book has photos of as-delivered or close to as-delivered paint with the chicken wire, etc, but again those are not Phase IV units. The Phase IV units (late 1948+) came delivered with the stainless.
As for modeling the rooftop air tanks, I'd need to go look at other photos not in the book. I didn't want to spend much time on this until Scott and his team shore up what they plan on doing. #6119 might be it for tanks, but since Scott's builder tries to minimize differences on units, all built models would need the tanks...not sure if there are any other numbers out there with the tanks (I think 6119 was a specil unit, I'd have to read the roster notes again). The F3's seem to be the mostly widely-varied when it comes to unit detailing.
IIRC, rooftop tanks for some units came around 1956, but that might have been the fuel-tank deskirting. I'd have to check my book again, but its not with me at this time. In any case, I'll wait and see what Scott and his design team decide for phase and go from there.
Note to other SOU modelers, the coils are not the same as rooftop air tanks. I have modeled those on my MTH F7 units already.
In any case, we will have the green vs. black debate on what to do for these units or offer both and see which one makes it to 20 first.
In any case, I may just wait and do what I was originally thinking to model the chickenwire F3's (to get variety in my F unit fleet), get some AtlasO Phase II F3's and do some heavy modifications to get them where they need to be, though I don't like the thought of super-detailing/modding 4 F3A units. I am kind of thinking I want 4 F3A units and 2 F3B units to mix into various freight consists, but I am in no rush, I have so many other projects to get off my workbench first. Off the top of my head, I have 2 SD35s, 2 GP35s, S12, RS1, RS3, Some Geeps, 3 or so SW9's, a 44T, 2 SD45's, and 2 GP30's...all sitting in various states of taken-apart-ness on my workbench that I need to finish before I contemplate any more serious locomotive detailing projects. Oh and I forgot, I have a bit of detailing work to do on my 3 SOU E8's too. Maybe I'll finish all of that by the end of 2020...we'll see. My SD9's have been apart since I got them and I finally found the time to finish all the detailing/weathering. Hope to have them back together and running in a week or two, with or without them fuel breather pipes.
Also, IIRC, AtlasO cancelled their SAL F3's...so yea, guess those are not going to sell.
