CB&Q F3's

Use of the A-B-A F3 units to pull the CZ limits you to a VERY short modeling time period, as the CB&Q quickly purchased E7 A-A pairs to handle the CZ. Once the CB&Q realized after the fact, that neither the D&RGW nor the WP would be "running their respective power through" to Chicago, the CB&Q bounced those A-B-A F3 sets into freight service and used E5, E7, and later E8/9 passenger power between Chicago and Denver.

Concerning those windows, Atlas O will send you the NEW windows for free, and you can change them out yourself.

If you are 3-rail I would get the Lionel CB&Q F3s.  Actually I would for 2-rail also.  The Lionel are more accurate.

Just my opinion, but I think the Atlas O CB&Q F3 A-B-A set would be more accurate, in either 3-rail OR 2-Rail, if you really wanted to go with F3 units in the first place.

I've had both.  Got rid of the Atlas ones.  The nose contours are wrong as are the size and shape of the side vents.

Oh, and I agree E7s are a better fit, F3s were only used for a couple of months before being replaced with E7s.  And, the 3rd Rail CB&Q E7s are a perfect match.  But A units only, no Bs.

Thank you for your replys but I only see the F3s available now. And then are they powerful enough to pull Atlas CZ as i picked one up and weighs a bunch. I wanted to just buy one power unit because of cost.

CB&Q quickly purchased E7 A-A pairs to handle the CZ

Did CB&Q run the E7's back to back or elephant style or both?

BTW Public Delivery Track still lists the CB&Q E7's as being in stock. 

Primarily "back-to-back", so they didn't have to be turned at either end, thus there was always an "A" in the lead. In later years many combinations of three units would be needed, so obviously cases of "elephant style" had to be used.

As a general statement, for the early CZ operations thru the mid to late 1950s, i.e. the Black nose stripes era, the E units were operated back-to-back, and the lead unit would almost always had the doors closed over the front coupler/steam conduit.

Great info!  Thank you.

I found a used pair of Weaver E8s. As they were in UP paint I needed to strip them so I used Weaver's paint remover. Was I surprises when the ScaleCoat II remover wouldn't touch the paint. Weaver said I have to use the Remover for SC I which I thought was used mostly for metal locos etc.

Dick