Heads Up - F7A/B units from 3rd Rail

gnnpnut asked:

"Black Widows?    Don't you need to take care of the El Cap power requirements first?" 

Got the El Cap covered.  Modifying "power" as we speak, at a secret location in Tinley Park know to outsiders as AREA 57.    

What number series of locomotives will be done?   the 307 thru 317 ABC (except 310) were A-B-A sets, the 444 thru 456 ABCD, and 462 thru 468 ABCD (even number only) were four unit sets.

What about the passenger units, Jerry?  The number series listed above is accurate for GN F7 freight unit sets that included B units. (There were also some A-A sets in the 271-274 series.)

Since 3rd-Rail/GGD has stated their intent at some future point to do Empire Builder and North Coast Limited passenger sets, and they already offer some "generic" GN and NP passenger cars, I think it is most likely we will see passenger F units from them. I would welcome both passenger and freight GN units, however.

For my NP needs, I will wait for F9's!

Those Athearn units are stunning.  To see them in person even better.  If Athearn can do it in HO there is no reason that 3rd Rail cannot.  This is a must.  No reason it cannot be done, and if it is, those reservations will pile up.

The MTH HO warbonnet locos have incredible stainless paint on them. It's a shame they dont use it on the O scale locos

Scott,

Please advise the proposed headlight arrangement(Mars Light?) for the ATSF Warbonnet F7.

thanks,

Bill

This is a bit of an unusual question, since the Mars Light is ALWAYS "up top" in the nose, while the Headlight is mounted in the front door, otherwise a crewman would never be able to open & close that nose door.

I'm a UP guy, but the Yellow Bonnets have always intrigued me. I'd go for a set of those in a heartbeat.  But, there are numerous versions of the Yellow Bonnet paint scheme with the one above being the best. 

Butch

Thanks HW, perhaps I was not clear.

Scott,

Are the proposed ATSF F7 Warbonnets going to include a mars light?

Bill

Starting on the FTs, we are putting the ladders in baggies and one can screw them into the body. They will interfere with truck swing in 3 Rail. So would you rather see them mounted on the trucks in 3R, and body mounted in 2R?

YES. 

Butch

A little off topic:

I know what you mean about Warbonnet F units with stainless steel like appearance.

I proudly have A and B units on display on the mantle of my fireplace.

USA Trains 1:29 scale and what an eye grabber. You can't miss them when you enter the living room.

Terry, MTH uses a similar paint on their HO warboonet F-units and Alcos, I dont get why they dont use it on the O gauge. I'd pay more for it for sure, it looks awesome

Hopefully there will be at least a couple of runs for these units. I'd like to see B&O units from the first order or two that they had with the initial 36 inch dynamic brake fans. Another run with 48 inch dynamic brake fans and winterization hatches would also be different. 

I'd also like to see Western Maryland F7s in the Fireball scheme.

Actually, MTH did do an ABA set with the simulated stainless panels on their #26 LABC F3's, these will be my power for the GGD El Cap!

Okay, I'll be the first to say I may be in for a PC combo 

Scott:

Since you are doing a run of F7s, how about offering a set in the Norfolk Southern Business Train colors with the horse on the nose. And for that matter, make the passenger cars to go with it.

The best way to get something on the to do list is email Scott directly saying I would like to reserve blah if you do them.

A hundred posts here of "I'd like blah" has less weight than 10 people agreeing to reserve them.

You guys who actually like PC are great. Keep in there!  You got NS to do a Heritage unit.  Most people over 40, or so, actively despise PC.  In any dimension you can think of PC as a railroad business, PC was the worst at all of them

Based upon your suggestion rdunniii, e-mail sent to Scott.

The best way to get something on the to do list is email Scott directly saying I would like to reserve blah if you do them.

 

A hundred posts here of "I'd like blah" has less weight than 10 people agreeing to reserve them.

It's so simple, I never thought of it.

I sent Scott an email telling him I will reserve an A-B-B-A set of Santa Fe F7's if he is able to simulate the stainless.

Thanks Richard

Cool!   But I do believe the NS business units are F9s.  I think the same is true for the KCS business units.

I thougt 3rd rail produced Brass engines. Did I read the F7's will be Plastic?

Sunset/3rd Rail steam locomotives are brass. When it comes to models of diesel units, much more detail is available in ABS (plastic), and at a more reasonable cost if the volume is high enough. On the other hand, one could purchase the extremely limited brass diesel models from Key, at over approximately $2500 each.

Rdunniii:

Thanks for the correction. I was just picking up on what MTH produced which are advertised as F7s.

I will let Scott know I sent hon the wrong diesel information.

Scott, Would you consider a Conrail F7A?

Hey Scott Mann, do I get a discount if I buy the locos to match the passenger trains?

Boilermaker1's photo. shows an AT&SF F unit, with a yellow warbonnet and with chrome sides.

I did not know that AT&SF had this color scheme.

Is, the nose markings in black, or blue, how many units were in this scheme and what year(s) did this/these units run?

Thank you,

Ralph

Yellow Bonnet info:

The yellow bonnet on passenger F's began to appear mid-1972.  There were several variations with the cigar band herald depending on the locomotive number (solid blue or yellow w/blue outline) and whether or not a unit had a blue vertical nose stripe.  They wore the yellow bonnets to the end.

All Santa Fe F-units not converted to slugs, radio control cars or CF7's were retired by early 1983.

Rusty

Thank you, Rusty.

When I saw a scale mode of the yellow war bonnet, I thought it to be a BIG manufacturer's 'Fantasy' item.

But now I know and it, also, is as attractive, as the other AT&SF F locomotives.

Ralph

I don't have a pulse of the market but I really wish someone would do a run of Big Sky Blue GN F7s and Burlington Northern F7s. I'd buy several units of both. 

If you are going to do SP BW units:

1.  SP Pacific Lines with 4 digit road numbers

2.  SP Atlantic Lines (T&NO) with 3 digit road numbers.

3.  SSW with proper nose and single headlight.

In addition, the train indicators (the number boards on the front of A units) should be five-position. The FP-7s came with four position number plates in the train indicators.

Jerry

Still pushing for the Yellow Warbonnets.

Anyone who wants the Yellow Bonnets NEEDS to email Scott Mann directly. 25-30 orders....so hound him and hound him!

Thanks for the posting.  I never saw the announcement. 

Jan

I will restate the format for email requests.

"if you make X I will reserve Y".

Anything else is file 13 material.  Money talks and BS walks.

E-mail sent, rdunniii with appropriate commitment.

On the fantasy paint schemes - I am the first to join in with expressions of horror.  On the other hand, who does it hurt?

Let's say the most egregious fantasy is a Big Boy in Daylight colors.  Let's also say the market for black Big Boys is 300 units, but the market for fantasy paint expands that to 400.  Who loses if the purists can stop the blasphemy?

 Best of luck!  Believe me he wants to make everything he can sell.  With the FTs there was a a similar call for New York, Ontario and Western.  But when it came down to reservations there were less than 5 ABs reserved.  I wanted the FT demonstrators but... My ABBA reservation was almost a third of the total.

Daylight Big Boy? Never heard of that.  Cab Forward maybe, at least that is an SP locomotive that was used to pull passenger trains. 

I have no problem with fantasy schemes so long as they offer all the prototype ones.  If they don't get sufficient orders then you really can't complain.  Lionel at least offered the SD70Ace in Ferromex.  Didn't get sufficient orders and was cancelled.  Bummer.  They're trying again with the ES44s in Ferromex but I doubt they will get sufficient orders again. 

As smooth and quiet as my 3rd Rail FP7's run, I care more about fixed pilots, Kadee couplers, correct ride height, body mounted side ladders, and details like that rather than Legacy electronics in my diesels. I'll probably sell off my Lionel F units if these 3rd Rail units are as good as I think they are going to be.