F3s For Fridays

@BAR GP7 #63 posted:

Love this gorgeous locomotive, scenery and photo. Arnold

Running my son’s Santa Fe Super Chief RailKing F-3 by MTH under the tree today. He’s grown up now but we still have fun running it. Have a great weekend everyone and Happy Holidays!

@Arnold D. Cribari posted:

Love this gorgeous locomotive, scenery and photo. Arnold

Arnold,

Thank you.🤝

Johan

Good morning and welcome to F3s for Fridays, the weekly thread where we discuss, and share photos and videos of, F3s and F3 look-a-likes.  Please remember when you do, you need to post only photos and videos you have taken or those in which you have obtained the written permission of the owner to post, and comply with the Forum Terms of Service,

I will start us off by taking you in a Time Machine back in time and place to 1968 and Penn Station in New York City. There, a young man, a Prince,  is madly in love:

He patiently waits with eager anticipation for the train to arrive from Princeton Junction bringing Cinderella to Manhattan for their monthly date.

The locomotives on the point of that train are Penn Central F3 A-A units:

Cinderella, wearing a prom-like white gown, looks like a teenage Audrey Hepburn with long chestnut brown hair and stunning blue gray eyes. She is a passenger in the train shown in the video below:

Cinderella greets the Prince with a beaming smile, she lets him give her a peck on the cheek kiss and he holds her hand as they walk to La Crepe Restaurant for a bite to eat. She is charming as ever, telling him about the new Beatles album she acquired. He, in turn, tells her about his new Doors album. Then, they walk hand in hand, singing their favorite Beatles and Doors songs, to the theater where they will see a Broadway Show.

After the show, they enchant each other for another couple of hours, walking here and there, holding hands, about town. The Prince loves to do this because as they walk, men turn their heads because she is so beautiful. Then, they head back to Penn Station. Cinderella must get home before midnight so at Penn Station, she kisses the Prince on his cheek, they say Au Revoir (she speaks French which she learned when she visited The Louvre during the previous summer), and she boards another Penn Central train. You can see that train in the video below:

The Prince, later on in life, became a songwriter. If you want to hear the whole story about the relationship between this Prince and Cinderella, go to YouTube or Spotify (if you have a Spotify Premium account), type Arnold Cribari in the search box, look for Cinderella’s Eyes, and click or tap on it to access the song.

Now, let’s go back into our Time Machine and return to the OGR Forum on Friday, December 27, 2024. The locomotives in the above videos were Williams Penn Central F3 units and the passenger cars were Williams aluminum plated NY Central coaches and MTH Pennsylvania Fleet of Modernism coaches.

That’s All Folks (from me).

Now, tell us about, and show us, the F3 and/or F3 look-a-likes you are excited about today.

Arnold

Good morning, F3 fans!  Arnold, love your story, photos and videos!  You even have a typical PC consist with NYC and PC equipment.

My daughter and grandson are here for the holidays, so I’ll be going to the archives for my offering this morning.  B&M EMD E8 no. 3821 is seen with the road’s premier passenger train, the Minuteman.  Later it will be off to the cellar, because he’ll be looking for train time with Papa!

John

My diesel for this Friday is not an EMD F3 but is a cab unit of the same vintage. New Haven Railroad #792 was a Fairbanks-Morse CPA-24-5 “C-Liner” acquired in 1952. It had a 12-cylinder opposed piston diesel with 2400 horsepower that was used in U.S. Navy submarines during World War 2. The engines were powerful but complex and costly to maintain and overhaul, which led to their premature retirement in 1961. They were geared for 107 miles-per-hour and used mostly on passenger trains.

MELGAR

@Steam Crazy posted:

Good morning, F3 fans!  Arnold, love your story, photos and videos!  You even have a typical PC consist with NYC and PC equipment.

My daughter and grandson are here for the holidays, so I’ll be going to the archives for my offering this morning.  B&M EMD E8 no. 3821 is seen with the road’s premier passenger train, the Minuteman.  Later it will be off to the cellar, because he’ll be looking for train time with Papa!

John

Gorgeous trains and layout, John.

@MELGAR posted:

My diesel for this Friday is not an EMD F3 but is a cab unit of the same vintage. New Haven Railroad #792 was a Fairbanks-Morse CPA-24-5 “C-Liner” acquired in 1952. It had a 12-cylinder opposed piston diesel with 2400 horsepower that was used in U.S. Navy submarines during World War 2. The engines were powerful but complex and costly to maintain and overhaul, which led to their premature retirement in 1961. They were geared for 107 miles-per-hour and used mostly on passenger trains.

MELGAR

Ditto for you too, Melgar, gorgeous trains and layout, and fascinating historical perspective.

@Arnold D. Cribari - Arnold my friend, your story is very touching and very similar to one of my own.  Princeton Junction is the station stop for Princeton University on the PRR electrified corridor, and between Washington DC and Newark as I recall, the Express trains stopped only twice before proceeding on from Newark to Penn Station, NY.  The stopped at New Brunswick (for Rutgers Univ) and Princeton Junction (for Princeton) then on to Newark and subsequently Penn Station, NYC.   I too rode those trains, from 1962-1966,  weekend commuting from New Brunswick to Newark and meeting my "Princess" on her way to and from Newark!!  (Luckily I married that Princess in 1966 for a marriage lasting 57 years).

Once at Penn Station, should you wish to continue to New Haven, then your route would most likely be via the New Haven RR and there you "might" encounter something that looked like an F-3 although it was equipped to deal with the electric operations inside Penn Station and in the confines of NY city.  So here, following MELGAR, are my New Haven E-7's.

Best Wishes to everyone, Happy New Year, Hope to see everyone back in 2025

Don

Since it is Christmas week……..this is the one that started it for me…….set 2507, from 1958…..

Have a great and safe weekend, folks!

Peter

Wow @Arnold D. Cribari, you always come up with exciting topics, and the F3’s are so beautiful. Lionel, Marx and Kusan, back in the early 50’s made some real beauties. The Sante Fe war bonnet scheme always made my day. There are many beautiful paint schemes shown on this thread, all gorgeous. Happy Holidays Everyone.

Here is a mth chessie system EMD F3A powered engine pulling my christmas train!!!!

I have no F units to show, but I certainly enjoy this thread. All beautiful pictures and videos. Thanks all for sharing.

Happy New Year!

Gene

@Don McErlean posted:

@Arnold D. Cribari - Arnold my friend, your story is very touching and very similar to one of my own.  Princeton Junction is the station stop for Princeton University on the PRR electrified corridor, and between Washington DC and Newark as I recall, the Express trains stopped only twice before proceeding on from Newark to Penn Station, NY.  The stopped at New Brunswick (for Rutgers Univ) and Princeton Junction (for Princeton) then on to Newark and subsequently Penn Station, NYC.   I too rode those trains, from 1962-1966,  weekend commuting from New Brunswick to Newark and meeting my "Princess" on her way to and from Newark!!  (Luckily I married that Princess in 1966 for a marriage lasting 57 years).

Once at Penn Station, should you wish to continue to New Haven, then your route would most likely be via the New Haven RR and there you "might" encounter something that looked like an F-3 although it was equipped to deal with the electric operations inside Penn Station and in the confines of NY city.  So here, following MELGAR, are my New Haven E-7's.

Best Wishes to everyone, Happy New Year, Hope to see everyone back in 2025

Don

Love this, thank you so much for sharing it, Don.

It’s the wee hours of Friday morning and I’m still awake.
You know what that means? That means it’s time for - (drum roll please) -  F3s for Fridays!

I just ran a classic: the postwar NY Central 2344 F3 A-A units (also got the B unit buried in the basement).

Here’s some photos:

Photos are loading slowly, so I’ll finish on a 2nd post in a few minutes.

Here’s a video of that postwar classic hauling oil tankers and a caboose:

Now, show us the F3 and F3 look a likes you want to share today, Please remember to post only photos you’ve taken, or those that the owner has granted you permission to post, and please follow the Forum Terms of Seevice.

Arnold

Canadian Pacific Alco FA1 no. 4001 and FB1 no. 4403 are on the point of “The Canadian” somewhere in the Rockies.

John

I’m just about out of F3 diesels to post on Fridays so I’m posting New Haven Railroad Fairbanks-Morse CPA-24-5 “C-Liner” #793, a cab-unit competitor of EMD F3 diesels during the 1950s. It was built by FM at Beloit, Wisconsin in January 1952 and used in passenger service on the Shore Line to Boston and the Springfield Line to Hartford. The CPA-24-5 designation indicated 2,400 horsepower and 5 axles – two on the front truck and three on the rear. #793 was delivered to the New Haven in a Pullman Green and Dulux Gold paint scheme (see photo of #792) but repainted into the McGinnis red-white-black scheme in 1955. It had a 12-cylinder opposed-piston diesel engine of a type used in U.S. Navy submarines during World War 2. Originally geared for 90 miles-per-hour, the New Haven’s FMs were later regeared for 107 miles-per-hour. They were retired in 1961 and replaced by EMD FL9s.

MELGAR

Here is my Lionel #212 Santa Fe Alco AA unit from 1964-1966 combined with a Lionel #215 B unit from 1965 (uncatalogued).  Her consist today is a rather recent train of K-line Santa Fe passenger cars.

Happy New Year ... Best Wishes

Don

Following along with the C-Liner theme here is the CP 4104/4105 MTH Premier PS-2 ABA set, on the head end of a set of Premier CP streamliners. The second picture is the real deal #4104 in the Ogden yard in southeast Calgary in 2005. Not sure if it was about to be scrapped but it was in a line of other engines that looked like they were headed for that fate.

As usual, I can’t wait when it’s late Thursday night to start up this thread, so it’s actually F3s for Nearly Fridays.

Remember, we are not overly technical so F3 look a likes are also included here.

And, one more bit of housekeeping, please follow all Forum Terms of Service, especially only post photos and videos you’ve taken or those in which you have the written permission of the owner to post.

One of my favorite F3 look a likes are the MTH PS3 New Haven Alco PA units shown in the photos and videos below:

Arnold

And, here she is circling my Department 56 Yankee Stadium facade and ball park hauling MTH New Haven passenger cars:

Arnold,

I am running out of F3 diesels to post on Fridays…

Santa Fe #305 is a Sunset/3^rd Rail model delivered in June 2017 at MSRP $599.95. I don’t really model or run the ATSF but the Santa Fe warbonnet scheme is iconic so I bought this one and put it in a display cabinet, where it has remained. Sunset did a beautiful job on the plated stainless steel finish on this model but I can’t understand why the engineer and fireman are dressed in unusual hooded black outfits.

Santa Fe F7 #305 (A-unit) was delivered as part of an A-B-B passenger set in October 1949. Its 16-cylinder 567B series diesel engine developed 1,500 horsepower at 800 rpm. Starting tractive effort was 56,500 pounds and maximum continuous was 40,000 pounds at 9.3 miles-per-hour. EMD produced 2,393 F7 A units and 1,463 B units.

This link goes to an image of Santa Fe 305 near Castle Rock, Colorado on July 19, 1951 on the website of the Denver Public Library.

MELGAR

  Maine Central EMD F3 #683.

Happy F3Fri, folks!  Like MELGAR, I’m out of not only F3 types to run, but switchers and steamers, too.  Unlike MELGAR, I’ve run every engine I own as soon as I get it home.  C’mon Mel, run that beautiful F7 for us!  BTW, those crew members are creepy!

My offering for today is an encore performance of my Lionel Texas Special F3 A-B units.  A friend offered me the A unit for a song because he was into modern MTH, and I found the B unit about a week later at a NETCA show.  The A is original postwar, but I believe the B is a reproduction.

John

On the whimsical  side here is a nice ABA set of Premier #1903 Harley Davidson FT's that MTH made in about 2006. Since I am also a Harley fan these have appeal. MTH also produced a 2nd B unit to go with the set #1903D, plus quite a range of HD freight cars over several years.

Of particular note in these cropped pictures is the unequal body overhang that distinguished FT B units. There must have been some reason EMD did this but I sure don't know why. Anyone know?

Rod

A pair of F3's on brewery duty today...

This is the Marx EMD E-7 Western Pacific ABA from 1957-1958

Happy F3 Friday everyone!  ...  Don

@Don McErlean posted:

This is the Marx EMD E-7 Western Pacific ABA from 1957-1958

Happy F3 Friday everyone!  ...  Don

Don, I've never seen a Western Pacific engine before your posting here...great color scheme and scene!

@Capetrainman posted:

Don, I've never seen a Western Pacific engine before your posting here...great color scheme and scene!

Ditto here Don, really nice set. Is that an original paint scheme; I assume so.

Yet another pretty F-3 ABA set below. This one is Premier early PS-2 from about 2001. Still runs quite well. Love the black widow SP paint scheme.

The attached video shows her on the head end of a PFE reefer run northbound.

My Bessemer and Lake Erie Custom Painted Lionel.

I bought the A-B-B-A set off ebay from a non train seller.

Two motor powered unit, No sound They look very nice and are at home in Oakmont as The B&LE runs through my back yard.

@Carpetrainman/Paul and @Rod Stewart -  Thank you both for the comments.  Yes that is the original Marx color scheme.  In fact the Green/Yellow is the somewhat more common, the WP also came in Grey / Yellow but those have so far been beyond my budget

Thanks again fellows

Don

Wow, there’s so many F3’s shown on this topic, but I have to admit, I do not have many, so there’s a lot of repeats in my pictures. Happy Railroading Everyone

Here are some of my postwar F3's. Many of them are represented here on display on my office. I'll share more photos next time!

Recent purchase:  K-line Lackawanna F3 ABA set.

Bob

F-3'S FOR FRIDAY 1/17/25:  Sorry Arnold, I am flying home from my family Christmas vacation location tomorrow so I have to post early.

  Here is my Lionel NYC 2344 ("chicken wire") AA units and the matching 2344C from 1950-1952.  Hey I just realized that with New Year's 2025 this pair is now 75 years old.  It still runs great and those dual motors pull like champs.

Best Wishes, Don

Lionel. Here's an oddball, painted for the GM&O incorrectly (the GM&O had F3's - but these colors are problematic). Probably from a faded photo or two - I have seen some shots where the red center section has faded to a sort of orange. And the maroon is too maroon - it should be reddish.

Don't know where I got it. Seems like it was a "gift". I like the freight pilot - looks much better than the original Lionel version. Dummy. Very good workmanship.

Welcome back to F3s for Fridays, the place to discuss and post photos and videos of those beautiful F3s and F3 look a like locomotives. When you do, please comply with the Forum Terms of Service including posting only photos and videos you have taken or those in which you’ve received the written permission of the owner to post.

Below are MTH PS3 NY Ontario and Western F3 A and B units hauling NY Central Madison Heavyweight passenger cars through town:

Now, it’s your turn to share your F3 and F3 look a likes. Arnold