Golden Gate Depot E7 Studio Review

Erik, super photos and nice review. A few questions/comments:

 

1) The EMD/GM "builder plate" is not a "trustee builder plate". Any "trustee" plates, if that order of locomotives was fianced, would have been placed at some other location, generally towards the rear sides of the carbody.

 

2) Do all the E7 models actually have the EMD/GM builder plates? I saw a Burlington model at my local hobby shop, yesterday and it had NO builder plate on either side, which I thought was odd.

 

3) What did you do about unplugging the wires to, or otherwise turning off, those darned red class lights?

 

4) How did you reverse the location of the Mars (flashing) light with the headlight? The model I saw yesterday had the Mars (flashing) light located in the nose door (incorrect), while the head light was up top in the Mars light location.

 

Thanks again for the nice report & photos.

Hot Water, thank you for the nice compliments.

On the Builders plaque I was just typing away. That cool little photo etched goody on the cab. Anyway, I still have a high degree of trouble with the Mars light. I unplugged the class lights. They are off now. However the Mars is another story. Turns out the number board is on the same wiring bundle as the headlight in the wrong position as noted. So by reversing the plugs I now have the Mars up high and strobing number boards. I need to change this out. I will let you know if I have success.

Hi Erik,

 

Thanks for the review.  I appreciate the photos and the video you posted on the 2-rail forum.  Two of your photos show the under side of the trucks.

 

 

 

One thing concerns me in these photos.  Each shows red grease accumulated around the axles at the gear box.  Did you apply the grease?  Was the grease there when you took the units out of the box?  Or, did the grease appear after you ran the units on the club layout?

 

On the NWTL we have a dozen 3rd-Rail RDC's, which used similar gear boxes.  When we performed our standard break-in cycle (50 scale miles running light power) the gear boxes produced enough heat to thin the grease in the gear boxes.  We have to restrict the RDC to no more than 10 scale miles of operation in a session or they start puking grease all over the track.  I'd hate to think that the E7's would suffer from the same problem.

2) Do all the E7 models actually have the EMD/GM builder plates? I saw a Burlington model at my local hobby shop, yesterday and it had NO builder plate on either side, which I thought was odd.

 

I have photos of Seaboard units that had no plates, oval plates, and rectangular plates.

 

Great photos Erik!!!

 

On the belt drive...how noisy is it and can anything be done to quiet a belt drive unit?

 

I hope this type of drive catches (back) on.

 

Seaboard E7s headlights were in the lower (door) location with the Mars light in the upper spot.  Do you think it would be easy to swap the 2 if they come in in the wrong locations?

Bob,

I ran my 2 A units all around our club layout, from 1 smph to the top end. The belt drive on them is very quiet.

3rd-Rail RDC's, which used similar gear boxes.  When we performed our standard break-in cycle (50 scale miles running light power) the gear boxes produced enough heat to thin the grease in the gear boxes.  We have to restrict the RDC to no more than 10 scale miles of operation in a session or they start puking grease all over the track.  I'd hate to think that the E7's would suffer from the same problem.

That's really interesting Dave.  I've never run my 3rd Rail RDC's that much and is something I'll have to watch in the future.

 

How often do you have to replace the lost lubricant and what do you use?

 

As always, great review and pictures Erik!

 

 

Pete K, if you are around, I'd be interested in your opinion of your NYC "Beauty Queens". You started the Campaign for the 3rd Rail E7, do they meet your expectation?

Hi Dave,

 

No I sure did not add any grease or oil. That was right out of the box.

 

The GGD E7s look great!  I am anxiously awaiting the Boston and Maine versions.

They have not been done yet.   That is second run.  The NYC that are here are the later units.

 

Richard

The builder's plates lasted surprisingly long on these locomotives historically, while the trust plates of course only lasted as long as the bank required them ... sometimes less, sometimes longer!  The PRR units retained their trust plates at least up to the first few years of PC.  B units still had them when scrapped in 1970.

 

As to the correct builder's plate, E7 units delivered up through 1947 all had the old style rectangular plate.  E7 units were delivered with the oval style which was used on all subsequent E-Units.  You will generally see both styles on railroads that ordered across those years.  About the same time, the F3 style number boards became more prevalent, but not necessarily tied to the change in builder's plate.

Am I the only one who can't see any photos?

 

 

All I see is upgrade to Photobucket pro over and over again.

Can't see them either. They used to be there but they are gone now lol

Same here.....not able to view the pictures.

 

Steve

Nad-NABBIT!

 

The last pic above shows one of my concerns.  Notice the red wire going through the hole.  That is the power pickup to the front truck.  As the truck swings around curves that wire is going to be pulled side to side and potentially, over time, wear off the insulation.

I found this photo a while back of the interior of an E7 (I think):

 

 

To me, the instrument panels ought to be slightly angled instead of flat.

That's one fine looking model. Thanks for the review and pics

 

To me, the instrument panels ought to be slightly angled instead of flat.

Well there is Always that P&D Hobbyshop F/e unit cab interior detail kit to get it right!

Erik,

 

By any chance did you take a photo of the underside of your E7? My NYC 3rs, arrived with the fuel tanks loose and fouling the front truck, preventing the unit from tracking properly on the large radius curve's and turnouts of my layout. I see 4 tiny screws and washers installed beneath the tank, and I am trying to find out if the fuel tanks should also be secured using the same screws/washers? Or, should they just be placed in the bottom floating free! Any insight would be helpful.

 

Regards,

 

Lou La Salle

Are Kadee couplers available to shorten the chasm between the 3 rail E7bunits? If so, can some one let me know what the #'s are. These are great running engines, but they seriously need to be closer together. FYI my two CZ cars traverse my layout well ( 096 curves ), but the sleeper just touches my throw on my #5R Ross switch. Man do they look good!

I'm I dreaming or did I read the E7 has a battery, or a circuit requiring a battery, in it?

E7 has a battery, or a circuit requiring a battery

 

All TMCC based units allow for the use of a battery.  It is not necessary, but helps to avoid sound drop out when a unit hits an electrical gap, especially when not using command control.  It also allows for a power down sequence when the the electricity is turned off.

 

(At least that is my understanding/experience.)

Thanks marker, that's the comment I was thinking of.  I think someone said they received an engine with a battery already installed but the instructions didn't mention it.

Thanks Kerrigan!

 

Man I can't hardly wait, the Seaboard E7 is going to be SWEET!

On the grease "leak" ... I've run our E-7 for about three hours now and it doesn't show any signs of red grease around the axles.  Maybe that one got too warm?

Can anyone tell me which version of the QSI Titan decoder is used in the Sunset E7's and what the amperage rating is?

Where I'm coming from is Tony's TE and the QSI website both have many Titan versions including the new, yet to be released Titan series (Magnums) for O and G which I understand will have 5 amp and 10 amp versions.

Thx.  Austin Bill

I thought the 3-Rail versions come with TMCC control electronics by Electric Railroad.

 

Are you thinking of 2-Rail versions?

Austin Bill - Somewhere on the 2 rail board someone commented about which QSI unit was used. 

 

Hot Water is correct about ERR boards for 3 rail.

Hot Water.  Yes, I was referring to the 2 rail version.  Decided to ask my question here even though it's in the 3RS forum as this topic is very robust and is about the SS E7s with a lot of input from 2 rail guys. 

 

BTW. Over the last year I've been slowly converting my equipment to 3RS but have now decided to go all the way and go 2 Rail O Scale.  So, I got a SS 2rail UP E7 AB set and 2 rail SS Big Boy, Challenger and UP FEF-3 to get started.

 

The reason for the question is I'll be installing decoders in the steam engines and the new QSI products look promising.

 

Sorry if I got us off topic.  Will look again over on the 2 Rail forum.  But, I do  find that the two forums, 2 rail and 3RS, very closely share common interests.  

 

Austin Bill

 

It is a Magnum.   The E7s are actually the first units available with it.  Whether it is 5 or 10 amp is really irrelevant.  My guess is it is the 5 amp version even though it can be powering 2 motors; one in the A and one in a B.   I would think the 10 amp would only be for G scale.

It is a Magnum.

 

I certainly liked the sound I heard in someones video.  It's too bad the sound unit can't be used with the 3 rail command control. 

 

I have an early 3rd Rail engine with QSI sound that has sound copied from the same engine modeled, switching to TMCC, I loose it. 

 

I'd be interested in your opinion rdunniii?  I'm going to have to make some DCC choices soon.

Thanks rdunniii.  Just shot off and email to Scott Mann to see if it's the 5 or 10 amp version of the new QSI Titan Magnum. 

 

BTW I missed out on the 1st pre-order because I was in the midst of deciding between 3RS and 2 rail.  But, at O Scale West Andy Petersen had a 2 rail UP E7A and Scott very graciously made up a 2 rail UP E7B for me out of what he had left over.  Big thanks go to Scott for this. 

 

Austin Bill

What's that motor and what happen to Pittman motors in 3rdrail engines?

This is simply a guess, but could it be a computer printer motor?  Maybe they came out of printers no longer in production and Scott was offered a great deal on them?

 

I have a motor out of an old printer that is the exact same motor that is on the 4-6-0 that I recently bought from Keystoned Ed.

 

Whenever a piece of computer gear goes south I gut them, keeping the motors, wiring, screws, and anything else that may come in handy for my RR.  I even have some gears and belts similar to the one shown in the photos.

The Sunset website says it's a Cannon motor.   

I enjoy my new E7 AB set, but find that either the motor or  the electronics get very hot after 15 or 20 minutes of running.  I keep my Z4000's at 18 volts to the track. No ill effects or problems. Has any one else noticed this???

 

Lou