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I finally did it, I pulled the trigger and purchased my first 3rd Rail Engine!!!! I have been wanting to do this for a long time. I want to thank everybody for the various post on Scotts products and to Hot Water and Erik especially, with his recent posts who pushed me over the edge.

Ok not a big deal to some but it is for me!!!!!!! 

 

FT-CBQ

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Last edited by suzukovich
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Originally Posted by suzukovich:

I finally did it, I pulled the trigger and purchased my first 3rd Rail Engine!!!! I have been wanting to do this for a long time. I want to thank everybody for the various post on Scotts products and to Hot Water and Erik especially, with his recent posts who pushed me over the edge.

Ok not a big deal to some but it is for me!!!!!!! 

 

FT-CBQ

Well, at last, at last! Now you need to keep your eyes open for an Atlas CB&Q F2 model, as that was how the Burlington generally used their FT sets. The Burlington discovered that a four unit set of FTs was just too much power for their normal needs. Thus, they purchased A-A pairs of F2 units from EMD, which gave them FTA, FTB,F2A three unit sets. 

Originally Posted by Hot Water:
Originally Posted by suzukovich:

I finally did it, I pulled the trigger and purchased my first 3rd Rail Engine!!!! I have been wanting to do this for a long time. I want to thank everybody for the various post on Scotts products and to Hot Water and Erik especially, with his recent posts who pushed me over the edge.

Ok not a big deal to some but it is for me!!!!!!! 

 

FT-CBQ

Well, at last, at last! Now you need to keep your eyes open for an Atlas CB&Q F2 model, as that was how the Burlington generally used their FT sets. The Burlington discovered that a four unit set of FTs was just too much power for their normal needs. Thus, they purchased A-A pairs of F2 units from EMD, which gave them FTA, FTB,F2A three unit sets. 

Have you tried running 3rd Rail and Atlas diesels together?  Maybe prototypically correct and look very good together but, by the time the 3rd Rail units are moving along at 5-10 MPH the Atlas units will probably be doing 50.

Originally Posted by Hot Water:
Originally Posted by suzukovich:

I finally did it, I pulled the trigger and purchased my first 3rd Rail Engine!!!! I have been wanting to do this for a long time. I want to thank everybody for the various post on Scotts products and to Hot Water and Erik especially, with his recent posts who pushed me over the edge.

Ok not a big deal to some but it is for me!!!!!!! 

 

FT-CBQ

Well, at last, at last! Now you need to keep your eyes open for an Atlas CB&Q F2 model, as that was how the Burlington generally used their FT sets. The Burlington discovered that a four unit set of FTs was just too much power for their normal needs. Thus, they purchased A-A pairs of F2 units from EMD, which gave them FTA, FTB,F2A three unit sets. 

I know about the F2. That purchase will be coming. You and Erik are a bad influence

Originally Posted by rdunniii:
Originally Posted by Hot Water:
Originally Posted by suzukovich:

I finally did it, I pulled the trigger and purchased my first 3rd Rail Engine!!!! I have been wanting to do this for a long time. I want to thank everybody for the various post on Scotts products and to Hot Water and Erik especially, with his recent posts who pushed me over the edge.

Ok not a big deal to some but it is for me!!!!!!! 

 

FT-CBQ

Well, at last, at last! Now you need to keep your eyes open for an Atlas CB&Q F2 model, as that was how the Burlington generally used their FT sets. The Burlington discovered that a four unit set of FTs was just too much power for their normal needs. Thus, they purchased A-A pairs of F2 units from EMD, which gave them FTA, FTB,F2A three unit sets. 

Have you tried running 3rd Rail and Atlas diesels together?  Maybe prototypically correct and look very good together but, by the time the 3rd Rail units are moving along at 5-10 MPH the Atlas units will probably be doing 50.

Nothing re-wiring the motors into series, and some time with Decoder Pro wouldn't fix.   :-)

 

This of course assumes that the purchaser is running DCC. 

 

But, I agree with you wholeheartedly, the current China drive configuration in Atlas diesels sucks.    This from a company that consistently knocks it out of the park in HO and N when it comes to running quality. 

 

Regards,

Jerry

 

Last edited by gnnpnut
Originally Posted by SantaFeJim:

Here is a picture of what Hot Water was commenting on, the FTA, FTB and F2A lashup.

 

If I have seen this arrangement once I've seen it 100 times. VERY common in 50's along the CB&Q 3-Track main into and out of Chicago's Clyde Yard.

 

Clyde Yard.

 

 

 

 

Oh no the L word..... 

 

 

 

I think the Northern Pacific took lessons from the CB&Q

They did the same thing except with the F3's

 F3A-F3B-F5A

 

Sure would be a money maker in my books....

 

 

DSC04646

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Yes, some great looking engines.  I have three 3rd Rail engines, SP cab forward, ATSF Northern type, and GN 4-8-4.  I have been thinking what CBQ to purchase for motive power to pull my K-Line 21 inch California Zephyr 14 car consist.  I also have Atlas motive power, but, as others stated, 3rd Rail is quality from the word go.

Originally Posted by texastrain:

Yes, some great looking engines.  I have three 3rd Rail engines, SP cab forward, ATSF Northern type, and GN 4-8-4.  I have been thinking what CBQ to purchase for motive power to pull my K-Line 21 inch California Zephyr 14 car consist.  I also have Atlas motive power, but, as others stated, 3rd Rail is quality from the word go.

Funny. I had been hunting for CBQ and GN FTs. When I recently saw what someone wanted for MTH CBQ/GN F3/7. That when I said to my self for a little more $, 3rd Rail CBQs were a better option and prototypically correct and better detailed compared to the MTHs. I used to chuckle when people spent 1500.00 plus for engines. Little did I realize that I now do the same. So now I can look in the mirror and chuckle at myself. But at the same time, I know its money well spent.

Originally Posted by texastrain:

I have been thinking what CBQ to purchase for motive power to pull my K-Line 21 inch California Zephyr 14 car consist.  I also have Atlas motive power, but, as others stated, 3rd Rail is quality from the word go.

You should be looking for the Sunset/3rd Rail CB&Q E7A units, as the Burlington quickly changed from the A-B-A F3 units to E7A units. If you are modeling in the later, i.e. 1960s, then CB&Q E8A and E9A units would be nice.

Originally Posted by Hot Water:

       
Originally Posted by Laidoffsick:
My 3rd Rail FP7s are the best running diesels I own. Super smooth, quiet drives, excellent slow speed performance. I can't wait for my ABBA F7s. They blow everyone else out of the water with that horizontal drive.

Have you ever operated your 3-Rail "F units" with any Atlas units?


      
No I haven't Jack, because I can tell from running them separate that they don't run the same speed per throttle position. My Atlas stuff runs real slow and smooth but are much faster over all, and past a certain throttle position they take off and leave the 3rd Rail units in the dust.

I'm so happy you are pleased!!!!  As the person who did a lot of work on behalf of 3rd Rail on these, It is great to see a picture of this scheme finally.  The "Greyback" color came off of a color chip I prepared in my train room mixing the right amount of reefer white and grey together and this is the first I've seen the Burlington FTs.

 

While I'm a Pennsy SPF crazy person, I got my FTs in the original ATSF scheme which is another custom paint match and I am so happy with the outcome.  These locomotives are powerful runner and I've already pulled 50 car plus freight trains with just the AB part of my ABBA set on the 2% grades of my club layout.

 

Thanks for sharing!  The F7's will be even better and the SD7 / SD9s will be out of this world compared to anything ever done in plastic before.

Last edited by GG1 4877

I recently purchased the 3rd Rail NYC T3a electric.  It's beautifully detailed, and it runs wonderfully smooth at all speeds.  The sound is great though an electric really shouldn't have much sound.  But, that's OK with me.  The horn is a nice diesel like sound, but I've heard air chimes would be more prototypical.  Overall, very very pleased.

Alan

ajzend - I have the 3rd Rail T-3 also, and have put the NYC R-2 freight electric on order

with them.

 

On your electric loco sound comment, however, electric locos ("motors", often called) did often make quite a racket, mostly owing to loud traction motor cooling blowers. It seems to have varied from design to design, and era to era. The NH EP-5 "Jets" of the 1950's were called that not because they were faster than other motors, but, according to those who knew them, had very, very loud blowers, and sounded more like a jet plane than a locomotive. 

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