F3s For Fridays

Some repaints and friends....

Here are a few:

There you go, Arnold, coming up with another great Forum topic (with a nod to MELGAR, too)!

i don’t think there’s a more iconic version of the F3 than Lionel’s postwar Santa Fe model.  My 2343 ABA combo has been a treasured part of my collection since 1955.  Not only is it a great looking model, its “growler” motors give it powerful sound without any fancy electronic devices!

Question: what do you guys think about expanding this topic to include EMD’s “E” units?

John

Joe, those Maine Central F3s are drop dead gorgeous.

Jim, love the looks of all your F3s in your post and your layout where they are shown.

Arnold

John, your Santa Fe F3s may be the winner of the F3 beauty pageant, so far.

Correction: in my opinion the winners of that beauty pageant may be Jim’s and John’s Santa Fe F3s.

But wait a second, what about Joe’s Maine Central F3s?

I’m overwhelmed and confused. LOL, Arnold

Arnold,

Thanks for starting this. F3s deserve to be the subject of a weekly thread.

Like most of us, I have my share of EMD F-series diesels. But I haven't been running them very often because there hasn't been a weekly thread on the subject. Now, since Arnold has (graciously?) started this thread, I will have a reason to run and photograph them more frequently.

I think it’s remarkable that the most significant O gauge model of the 1950s still has such a prominent place in the hobby some 70 years later. You can also say that about the New York Central Hudson.

As a youngster, I had a Lionel Santa Fe A-B-A set. So, my first post here will be Santa Fe F3 #20, an Atlas O model (1617-1) delivered in April 2008 at MSRP $479.95. This model has the long warbonnet which extends past the middle porthole. Some engines posted here today have the short warbonnet, and only 2 portholes.

MELGAR

So THAT's where all the Santa Fe's are!

Jim, I well remember 'drooling' over this photo way back in 2009/10 when I first joined the Forum

*

This ought to be a fun topic!

As for Lionel F3's, I liked several, but because of my proximity to the Wabash yard in North KC as a lad, I have always found these attractive:

Question: ONLY O scale F3's?

Andre

I have a pair of scale legacy SF F3's;

#2333 postwar scale AA set is from 2010

#22 AA set with plated finish is from 2017

I have a feeling more will be coming for the 125th!

Here are some F-3’s from the Hoosier State by MTH.

A pair of MPC F3’s…

Great topic, Arnold and Mel!  Lots of great looking F3’s etc already.  I have three sets of F3’s in O Gauge, by far the best represented model in my meager roster.  I am going to save those for another Friday.

Here is my first, an HO F7 I purchased back in 1968 or ‘69.  This is a Mantua/Tyco that came in a set I had saved up for a while.  Yes, it still runs.  I am not fond of Penn Central, growing up near the B&O in Western Pennsylvania, but it was available and the price was right!

I’ll look forward to seeing more F3’s today and in coming weeks!

All wonderful photos and videos of magnificent F series diesels.

Here is my array of Lionel's...210 FA Texas Special, 2344 NYC F-3, 2032 Erie FA, and 2340 Wabash F-3.

And for a close how about 3 Santa Fe's...Marx 45225 lithographed F-3, Lionel 212 Alco FA, and Marx 1095 F-7

Best Wishes everyone, have a good weekend

Don

This next video shows MTH PS3 Baltimore and Ohio F3 A and B units:

IMO MTH did a great job with their F3s; they look, smoke, sound and run great, especially on DCS.

Here's my Lionel F3's.

Only doubles are Southern 2356 and Texas Special 2245.   

Well... seeing as there was an HO F(7) unit posted and the poster didn't get tarred n' feathered... thought I'd toss my hat into the ring with a pic of an F3A.

AND... I might as well spin a yarn in the process!

The Ozarks, October 1964...

Extra 300 South (a caboose hop) is in the clear and tied-down on the Pass Track at the little sleepy mountain town of Piney, Arkansas.

Here in a bit, Extra 300 South will be fixin' to head down Buck Mountain Grade to Ozarka, Arkansas, where waits a tonnage train of norths that it's gonna' hook onto an' wrestle back up Buck Mountain Grade (as Extra 311 North), an' eventually hustle 'em all the way north to the division point yard at Branson, Missouri.

In the meantime, they's waitin' on a'nuther train: Northbound manifest freight #44.  Last they heard, #44's workin' its way to Ozarka... an' then they'll be doin' battle with The Mountain. That is, IF'N they's make it past Tuff Cuss Curve an' several other hard pulls on the way up The Mountain.

That bein' so, the crew had gone into the Piney General Store an' had some of Meemaw B's cookin' an' topped it off with a slice of Meemaw B's renown Coconut Cream Pie.

Comin' out of the General Store, two of 'em, "Hot Dog" Henson an' "Pig Iron" Matthews, got to chewin' the fat with "Ox" Milligin, one of the local loggers that plies them mountains haulin' timber to Possum Creek Lumber Company.

However, way off in the distance, ol' #44's comin' into earshot way down toward Buck Holler as it's workin' its way up to Piney Gap an' the little town of Piney. 'Course, seein' as #44's probably makin' about 8 - 10 MPH... they's still gonna' be a spell before they grind through the cut down by the Piney depot an' make their presence known here at Piney. 'Course, all THAT's supposes that they ain't gonna' lay down on The Mountain an' have to double up to Piney!

Life's slower in the Ozarks, an' so's railroadin' on the Ozark Sub of the Kansas City & Gulf!

About the above picture:

Snapped at the town of Piney on my KC&G Ozark Sub layout, it showcases KC&G F3A #300.

Engine #300 is a Stewart/Kato F3A Phase 1b that I painted, applied decals, then weathered to represent a line that's undergone a bankruptcy and is in the process of reorganization. #300 was built/painted way back in the early 1990s at a previous home and served on the previous KC&G layout!

As for scenery: Pretty much any scenery you see on my layout is simply temporary "place holders" until I get around to putting in the final product. For example, the Piney General Store is a photo structure that I found on the internet that I modified in photo software, printed out, and cut/assembled. The old buildings to the left of the General Store were created from photos I had taken decades ago, manipulated in photo software, then printed, cut out, and assembled. Ditto the tree line: Photo that I manipulated, printed, assembled and tacked into place.

All fer now!

Andre

Andre, another great Ozark Rail Tale!  The #300 looks great!

Oh, no tar and feathers, nor did I get run outta town on a rail either!  Neither will you!!

@Arnold D. Cribari posted:

All wonderful photos and videos of magnificent F series diesels.

Wonderful topic, as usual, Arnold. Based on your comment, are you opening the thread up to all F units???

@laming posted:

This ought to be a fun topic!

As for Lionel F3's, I liked several, but because of my proximity to the Wabash yard in North KC as a lad, I have always found these attractive:

Question: ONLY O scale F3's?

Andre

Any and all scales are good, Andre.

@Apples55 posted:

Wonderful topic, as usual, Arnold. Based on your comment, are you opening the thread up to all F units???

Yes!

Postwar Lionel Sanat Fe F-3's

Andre, I loved your story and the photo of that "one-owner" F3.

OK,  here are some more. This should prove to be a continually popular thread!

MTH E8 with Weaver E8B

Lionel Legacy Post War Scale

Atlas F2

Lionel Legacy E8

MTH F3 ABA

Great idea Arnold and Mel.

You must have read my mind. I've noticed a lack of car bodies in my collection. Not that I don't have any mind you.

Gonna need to work on that. 

My Medards F Beta 1 and Lionel F3 that I've installed ERR.

Bob

C. Sam, I’m so glad you posted a photo of an E 8 in this thread about the F series of diesels. Let’s also include on this thread those locomotives that kinda look like F3s. After all, doesn’t an E8 look like an elongated F 3?

Of course it does.

Now, I will share my beloved elongated F 3, specifically, my MTH PS3 Illinois Central E 6 including it’s A-B-A units with 4 motors hauling 6 custom painted MTH Illinois Central passenger cars. This set of trains is shown in the video below, shot by me, running on the beautiful layout of a friend of mine:

These trains are very special to me, not only because of its, IMO, unsurpassed smoke, sounds, operation and especially its beauty, but because the Illinois Central passenger train, the City of New Orleans, is the subject of, IMO, the best train song of all time, entitled City of New Orleans, written by Steve Goodman. It’s a thrill for me to perform this song with my wife at Open Mics and train shows. I’m hoping to do that again at Trainstock, which takes place at the New Jersey HiRailers in January, while this MTH City of New Orleans passenger train is running on their magnificent layout.

Arnold

PW Lionel F units along with Williams F unit in video

Enhorning/Wabash Valley S scale F7s...

...haven't yet decided what roadnames I'm gonna do these in; have a matching B unit as well.

Mark in Oregon

@Mark Boyce posted:

Andre, another great Ozark Rail Tale!  The #300 looks great!

Oh, no tar and feathers, nor did I get run outta town on a rail either!  Neither will you!!

Thanks, Mark.

I'm glad you got a kick out of it.

I've enjoyed creating fiction for my modeling for decades.

In fact, I have a list of names that I add to occasionally for use in my "yarns" (Rail Tales). Many are based on real railroaders I've known, or know about, as well as those purely fictional. Example: "Pig Iron" Matthews in the above Rail Tale was an actual railroader with that nickname that worked for the Rock Island in my region.

I even have used the names from my list to assign to the various operational "jobs" that are on my layout. For example, the Ozarka Switcher is held (seniority, remember?) by "Red" Baughman (BOFF man), Conductor, and "Coondog" Bivens, Engineer. There are also "crews" assigned to other jobs that work the layout: The Piney Turn, the Sweetgum Turn, the Branson Day Switch Job, the Clarksville Day Switch Job, and the Mountain Springs Switcher. The road crews utilize names from my "Names" list for Rail Tale purposes as needed.

I like to incorporate into my "Rail Tales" prototype experiences I've had in my railroading, or railroading friends had, or experiences I know of, or read about. That's a lot of fun, too.

What can I say? I enjoy creative writing! (Plus, it helps to bring my layout to "life" for me personally.)

Andre

@Number 90 posted:

Andre, I loved your story and the photo of that "one-owner" F3.

Thanks Tom.

Ah yes, #300: Thus far it's wearing the most worn paint in the KC&G F fleet. However, one of the upcoming F's awaiting paint may also be modeled as another "tired" locomotive still wearing it's original well-worn paint. One has to be careful, or the "worn out" look can be overdone either in effect (too heavily weathered), or overuse (too many engines so afflicted). Hard to keep "balance" in the fleet.

As for the Rail Tale: I have way too much fun with the imaginative side of my Kansas City & Gulf theme!

Andre

@Arnold D. Cribari posted:

Any and all scales are good, Andre.

Thanks for the clarification Arnold!

Like others, I think this ought to be fun thread! (Lovin' me some F's!)

Andre

@Strummer posted:

Enhorning/Wabash Valley S scale F7s...

...haven't yet decided what roadnames I'm gonna do these in; also have a matching B unit as well.

Mark in Oregon

THOSE are good looking F unit shells!

When I experimenting in S scale, I had a set of SHS F's. I always thought the windows were too big on the SHS F's. THOSE look great, though!

Looking forward to seeing them after you're done with them!

Andre

Great Thread! Here’s my O scale contribution!

@Strummer posted:

Enhorning/Wabash Valley S scale F7s...

...haven't yet decided what roadnames I'm gonna do these in; have a matching B unit as well.

Mark in Oregon

Here they are with the B unit...

I should add here that these particular examples have the 3rd(?) of 4 drive mechanism variations; they run VERY well and are both smooth and quiet. Here is a picture (I've shown this before) of one of the chassis:

I also have one with the "planetary gear" drive:

Because the frame on this one is plastic(!), those heavy gearboxes warped the frame, throwing the drive train slightly out of alignment, so it runs poorly. Have been trying to get it to run better, but we'll see...

Mark in Oregon

PS: Now that I think about it, these undecorated shells might actually be "New River"; Wabash Valley had nicely decorated shells.

Glad I found this one so I  could participate in F3sFF.      I thought I only had F7s but I forgot about this F3.

MTH Premier ps3 Pennsy F3 Freight.

Enjoy the day all and God Speed .

@Arnold D. Cribari posted:

Now, I will share my beloved elongated F 3, specifically, my MTH PS3 Illinois Central E 6 including it’s A-B-A units with 4 motors hauling 6 custom painted MTH Illinois Central passenger cars. This set of trains is shown in the video below, shot by me, running on the beautiful layout of a friend of mine:

Arnold

The train display shelves over your friend's layout, with the rock formation background, is one of the coolest display motifs I've ever seen.