Lionel Frisco F-3 6-34630

Hi Joe, I don't live in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas or Missouri, but I sure like running the railroads you like on my layout.  I have seen the Lionel Legacy Frisco F3 set and they are stunning, run and sound great. 

But the engine does not have real windshield whippers, real air brakes lines, a real human engineer nor does the set run on two rail track.  They are just toy trains.  I

am sorry that you see so many very important things wrong with this fine locomotive set.  I would just like to know how many things on your layout, if you have one, are just like the real thing? 

I for one just love running my trains.  I got to scat now, my girlfriend just brought me an ice cold beer.......yep, now that's important. 

TEX

Steve

Steve,

You are reading to much into my post. Yes I research the roads I am interested in, however I am not a perfectionist. I just don't wont to waste my $$ on something that I would not be happy with. I have seen some complete sets for under $800 and have starting thinking about them again. Yes, even though they require 3 rails, have no brake hoses and no real engineers.

And no I don't have a layout at the moment, Had to sell the house when the economy crashed and box all the stuff up (had a 20' x 25' layout). No room in the little house with 4 kids. Hope to have a layout again one day...not giving up!

All I want to see is a few pictures. I would sugest you have acouple more beers!

Joe 

Joe - Go to google, type in Lionel Frisco F3, click images and there is a good picture of two A units and a B unit.  They have the low profile fan. 

With regard to the mars light I have seen some pictures of units with the mars light.  I just don't know if the engine number Lionel gave their Frisco unit should have the light.

I'm like you, the details have to be something I can live with which is why I didn't buy the Santa Fe F3 freight that Lionel brought out.  Among other things it should not have had the chicken wire between the portholes.  That would be a hard fix so I passed.

Marker,

Thanks for the help. Looks like a guy could paint out the yellow behind the chicken wire, put some grey paint on top of the nose and change the numbers to 5000 & 5001 and have a fairly accurate set. I have also seen some with mars lights. Not sure when they were added (mid to late 50's my guess). Also not sure if 5000 & 5001 ever had them, but that doesn't bother me that much. Looks like a Frisco set will be bought soon.

Again, Thanks for the help.

Joe

There's one other thing you could do if the light bothered you too much.  You could buy a nose door without the light from Lionel, hopefully match the paint, decal it and replace it.

I do like that engine a lot.  Good luck.

Good thought on the door. But not sure that bothers me that much. My biggest concern was the high fan shroudes shown in the catalog pictures on the A units that I could not fix.

The yellow behind the chicken wire is fairly dumb looking and will need to be fixed first. Hope the chicken wire is just glued on and is easy enough to remove.

I have seen some SP ALco PA's A-A Marked down as well. May be some Cotton Belts units in the future.

Thanks

There are little tabs that hold the chicken wire on.  The chicken wire is easy to remove, but the tabs break easily.  I would guess that you can carefully use something like CA glue to hold them on if the tabs break.

That is the reason I didn't opt for the Santa Fe F3 freight units.  I could remove the chicken wire but could not fill the holes and match the paint.  On Santa Fe passenger units Lionel had the details right from the first scale F3 in 2004 to the F7 they did a few years back, with the exception of the steam heater detailing on the A units, which they corrected that with the last 3 of those releases.  Their research hasn't been as good since, but the do have some of the best molds for F units, it not the best.  The details are finer than MTH.  I just wish Lionel would allow for the option of fixed pilots and scale sized couplers. 

My observations of diesels is after being in service a couple of years that they start getting changes while in the shops.  So if you have more pluses than negatives about the engines, why not buy them.

I for one just love running my trains.  I got to scat now, my girlfriend just brought me an ice cold beer.......yep, now that's important.

Tex where do find a gal like that?

Al

Thanks for the chicken wire info. Do you know the correct color (maybe somebody makes it) of the green Anti glare paint on that is supposed to be on the top of the front nose. I have looked through all my books and found one reference calling it "Green anti-glare finish". In some pictures it looks grey and others green. I have been looking around and can't find anything.

I'd try here: http://www.frisco.org/cmps_index.php

It looks like all you have to do is register.

I think that if you are concerned about accuracies on the new Lionel F units, that is your right to care, whether anyone else does or not, as you are the one that has to be happy with them. I had some of the same concerns, but there are so few Frisco units issued I went with them. Perhaps these pics can help a little - here are my pics of the MTH & Lionel F units. The MTH units are in front and are less detailed on the pilot.

As we all know, making myriad changes to bring details unique to each road name creates monumental logistics problems in developing, producing and marketing O gauge engines. Obviously, the situation is far better than it use to be, and there are many details put into models that are unique to the given road. Still, we have to realize the realities of the toy train world. A company couldn't sell enough Frisco F units (or anything else) to make production of tailored units anywhere near economically feasible.

So, to some degree, imagination rulz.