Atlas announces F7A/B's

hmmmm being a ESU ECoS user, I would love to have the chance to use it with some  Loksound decoders.

Based on the FT run most of Sunsets F unit run will be 2-rail, this has to impact the potential market for Atlas for their 2 rail Fs. Unlike 3 rail I believe the 2 rail market is much more finete. JMO Big question will either importer use plated or painted grilles?

I've somewhat kept up with this thread.  Personally, I gave Atlas the benefit of the doubt for a number of things.  I thought Butch had valid criticism but some of his complaints were things I could live with, but then Jerry Kimble refers to this as a valid critique of the Burlington Atlas F3 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YefMHgO2sjs.  

That had the effect of validating more of Butch's (up148) complaints that I originally thought.

Regarding the Santa Fe stainless, I thought the previous Atlas WP F3 was not bad for plastic F unit shells.  Nobody else has come that close without plating.  I was hoping Atlas still had the technology to do that even though they switched plants.  That remains in question because of the change in California Zephyr paint.  I was still giving Atlas the benefit of the doubt about the paint.  I don't think 3rd Rail will do as well as the Atlas WP F3 on stainless paint.  Now with Mr. Kimble citing Eric's review, I'm beginning to have big doubts about the upcoming Santa Fe passenger units.

BTW Pennsy fans, is the planned freight pilot correct for the F7?  I tried to research that and it doesn't look like Atlas will have the correct pilot.  Yes, you can switch the pilot, but can you match the paint?

The reason I could live with the China drive etc on the upcoming Santa Fe F7 was because I thought the shells would have a decent stainless effect.

They are rattling this F unit cage now I suspect because in 10 years nobody will be buying them. The Boomers drive the transition era and the current 20 something's do not have any warm fuzzy feelings about F units nor do I other than pictures and asthetics and historic relevance- I don't remember seeing F's-- SD40-2 yes-- this is sort of last call guys.

Get them now -

Next it's fallen flags of the 1980's-2000's

Originally Posted by Old Goat:

       

Wow...more F units....zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

I always admired the "old" Atlas as a wise, well-run family business with the same values as my immigrant relatives.  They partnered with pioneering European manufacturers and had some really, really good products.

Sadly they keep falling behind by buying someone else's really good tooling, sending it to China and having it come back as mass market junk. 

I think about things such as china drives,  the atrocious RS2 handrails, the 2 rail "Scale" 0-6-0 with tinplate wheels as well as a lack of road-specific details on their diesels and ask why can't Atlas EVER improve a product?

And what improvement will Atlas's F7A/B offer over any other one that has already been offered in plastic?  I venture to say...none.

I'm not a modern era modeler but I'd MUCH rather see Atlas pour their future into moving forward by building state of the art Master Series SD40-2 "Cadillacs" which ARE the F units of the 2nd generation.

They really still are a great company, they just seem to be too he-double-ll bent on penny pinching and corner cutting and not focused on making really exceptional products. 

Rule292,

What are your thoughts on the "plated" side panels on Santa Fe passenger F7 units, in order to look like real stainless steel?

Good evening

I know the main discussion is ATSF, but I was wondering would these F7's be a good candidate to pull the Amtrak version of the Zephyr?

Thank you

Clem k 

If neither Atlas or Sunset plates the grilles the 3 railers are out of luck,of course the 2 railers can wait on the Key units for that ultimate F.

To be more clear, the "plating" of the grilles is NOT the issue on the Santa Fe F7 units. The REAL issue is, the stainless steel side panels.

Amtrak's F-7s were ex-NP. The B's were half NP, half SP. All of the numbers atlas is cataloging are ex-NP units. They were used on the northern routes (Empire Builder, North Coast Hiawatha) for the most part, and used in 4 unit sets (A-B-B-B or A-B-B-A appear to be the most popular arrangements based on photos). There are a few out there that show A-B-B sets as well. It also appears to not be uncommon that there was a unit still in NP or GN big sky blue paint in the consist.

The cars.... well, they're single level cars and its conceivable that some of those cars would have wound up in the northern route trains. Thus far, atlas has been correctly making cars that Amtrak took and painted in Phase I. That being said, you really can't have a matching Phase I train. Perfection in that era just looks out of place. Adding a few cars still in their former paint jobs would be totally appropriate and expected. Mixing smooth side and ribbed cars would also be expected. They didnt call it the rainbow era for nothing.

F units seem to be the bread and butter of almost every scale from Z to G. Me personally I like the Covered Wagons.

George,

F units were covered wagons.

Ed

BTW Pennsy fans, is the planned freight pilot correct for the F7?  I tried to research that and it doesn't look like Atlas will have the correct pilot.  Yes, you can switch the pilot, but can you match the paint?

Pennsy F units should have smooth "passenger" pilots.

Thank you Boilermaker1

Clem