New lionel santa fe ABBA units

Agree they do look nice one question on your b unit the electro coupler mine is longer make a bigger gap than normal how about yours 

How many of us actually use the electro-coupler on a B unit anyway?  Does anyone really uncouple passenger cars in regular operation?  A very few of us might, but why not make those features optional or as a user add-on?

Questions, questions - Perspiring minds need to know!

First thing I would do is cut the elctrocoupler off and use a dummy. Honestly I wish lionel would use dummies across the board on these types of engines.

Electro couplers come in many lengths. You don't have to replace it with a dummy of you want to use it. They are useful on B units if you run short trains using an A and B unit or two Bs without a second A. 

These are otherwise nice looking engines. Worth investing a couple of bucks and swapping out the couplers. Shouldn't have to though.

Pete

I've been pleading with Scott Mann over the same thing... ditch the stupid electro couplers, especially on F units. The majority of people do not use them anyway. The gap between units is far more important.

...and then the caterwauling would be deafening..
If it were up to me I'd include two different-length dummy couplers with the units so that the devoted modeler could change out to the version suitable for his minimum radius curves. Couldn't cost more than a couple dollars.

RickO posted:

ATSF F units pulled freight as well. If some folks aren't interested in the extra electrocoupler thats fine. At least its an added feature to help justify the increased cost of these newer models.

The "Super C" wasn't your typical freight train.  It was an expedited (40 hours vs. 55 hours) Chicago-LA piggyback service that could be short as one car.  Few shippers were willing to pay for the expedited service plus the loss of the mail contract to the UP/C&NW ended the service.  The Super C ran from 1968 to 1976.

However, the 300 class F7's were considered dual service locomotives and could be seen on freight trains as well as passenger trains, especially after the formation of Amtrak:

Rusty

This picture illustrates why B units have electro couplers. I assume this version also has markers like the TMCC F3s. For toy train guys like me electro couplers are part of what makes 3 rail fun. My TMCC F3s have kadees installed to close the gaps but the tail A still has its electro coupler.

Still no excuse for Lionel using different length couplers on each end of their B units.

Pete

Miguel,

Your F3 Phase 3 units in the SF scheme look great.  Now if Lionel would change the number boards to the small, streamlined four-digit boards we could also have some great looking PRR units.

Hopefully you get your super base B back quickly.

Every time a Santa Fe F3 comes out in a catalog there are moans "Not another Santa Fe F3", "Why do they (they being the manufactures) keep making Santa Fe F3's" and "Why waste time and effort making a Santa Fe F3, make X instead". Answer: we keep buying them. Mine arrive next week and anxiously awaiting. 

Running A-B-B sets can be pretty cool. However, with the Warbonnet livery, given the striking appearance of the red noses that stand out so much from the silver, and jump out at you, the symmetry of the A-A units running back to back or with B units between them makes it particularly appropriate to have two A units. Having matching red noses front and rear provide a visual image significantly more appealing than a single red nose. Just my opinion.

Fortunately, the mismatched coupler lengths is an oversight with a correction that's fairly easy to make.

I have an ABA F3 set on order, and will pull the Super Chief set 6-19109-113 with them. How far off base am I?

TedW posted:

I have an ABA F3 set on order, and will pull the Super Chief set 6-19109-113 with them. How far off base am I?

You are still short a couple B units.

Norton posted:

TedW posted:

I have an ABA F3 set on order, and will pull the Super Chief set 6-19109-113 with them. How far off base am I?

You are still short a couple B units.

And about a dozen cars!!    

Thank you Miguel for starting this thread on the Beautiful New Lionel Legacy Sante Fe War Bonnet Diesels with Blue tooth capability. My set will arrive either today or Monday at my dealer, ABBA. I won’t be able to get them until mid September. I wonder if you have tried the Blue Tooth approach to operating these beautiful engines? Also, could you describe the packaging?  It was sad to hear that the Super Bass B-unit was defective upon arrival. This should not happen, Lionel has got to get with the program of Quality Control, or, few will buy their products.  I hope Eric will do a review of these new F3’s....Take care, enjoy your new Sante Fe F Units.   Your Tennessee Connection. 

TedW posted:

I have an ABA F3 set on order, and will pull the Super Chief set 6-19109-113 with them. How far off base am I?

Hopefully you bought the powered B unit 

WBC posted:

Every time a Santa Fe F3 comes out in a catalog there are moans "Not another Santa Fe F3", "Why do they (they being the manufactures) keep making Santa Fe F3's" and "Why waste time and effort making a Santa Fe F3, make X instead". Answer: we keep buying them. Mine arrive next week and anxiously awaiting. 

"If you build it, they will come" or buy them..... There's so many variations of Santa Fe F3's and F7s between phases, details, paint variations, not to mention most likely the most popular and recognized paint scheme of all time. If they build em, people will buy them! ALWAYS 

Those look real sweet, Miguel. Looks like Lionel did a great job with them. I’m sure you will enjoy running them, especially after you get the super bass unit back. I really like that they give you the option of turning off the chatter in the individual units - and especially that they put the switches on top of the units. I’ve always wanted to meet the engineer who put the switches on the bottom of engines... I’d probably end up in jail   

Nice set of SF f units, always a favorite.

If Lionel painted a brick in the red and silver paint scheme it would be a sell out.

Dave

Larry they come package like the postwar legacy ones even the b unit plus the added dome cousin so it keeps it snug as for the blue tooth it's fine but it dont give you the fine speed control that the legacy gives you but with bluthooth you dont need legacy so you can set it up on your phone app and running it on any layout some times it loses connection but I figure updates will make that more reliable 

Just wanted to share took pictures of dummy coupler and power coupler gap this gap was not present in the legacy postwar f3 powerd not sure but the pop is are of the 2018 new units 

You would likely to be able to close the gap by using different Lionel couplers but to close it completely you have to use something like Kadees. A few of us have done that. Lionel expects you to hire olympic long jumpers for your train crews, and passengers for that matter as their cars are no better in the gap department.

Pete

Good Morning, the set looks nice.  I had expected a more glossy finish as well.  Thank you for posting the photo's.

Would anyone happen to have a Lionel part number for a shorter electric coupler?

Steve

Marker and I decided to run a combined SC/El Cap, 17 Cars. I needed the help to set this up. Moving 250lbs worth of train to Jeffs and setting up and debugging, that’s a brass 2 rail thing... It was fun. We both like the Lionel F’s and my favorite Santa Fe units are my 2333 set from 1949. 

Yes it's a dull finish to it but still looks nice the problem is the electro coupler at the end of both b units is an inch longer than the dummies 

the product it quite nice and the gap in my opinion is no big deal. the coupler is less than 1/2" longer than the fixed coupler

Pitts posted:

Good Morning, the set looks nice.  I had expected a more glossy finish as well.  Thank you for posting the photo's.

Would anyone happen to have a Lionel part number for a shorter electric coupler?

Steve

Steve, before anyone can recommend a part number someone will have to measure the existing one and also show the mount. Lionel electro couplers come in at least 3 lengths but many different mounts.

Dummy couplers come in about a dozen or more different styles.

Pete

Good evening Miguel, my Units, Legacy/BT Sante Fe ABBA Diesels finally came In to my Station this week, although I have not had time to program them. This will begin tomorrow. One B unit had to have the electro coupler repositioned, all the other components are fine. I think Lionel did a great job on these engines and there’s lots to read in the instructions manual. Wow....More Pictures down the road. Merry Christmas to all.

Larry beautiful set I'm happy your happy with them that's what counts merry christmas to you and your family  my friend 

Here’s another view, yes there’s a greater gap between the units with the electro coupler, however, it’s ok with me. 

Same with the gap Larry I'm ok with it engines sound nice with multiple sound units 

Miguel, other than a few tiny Issues, which Lionel wants to take care of, it’s a Fantastic sounding ABBA, the Super Bass B unit is awesome, the Powered B Unit is a great power addition for ease of pulling the El Capitan 7 car passenger set. I am very happy with the looks of the set. 

I have the ABBA units. The powered A unit is now at Lionel for the tbird time. They will fix it in time they are trying . I put dummy couples on the b units but they are still too far apart. They need to ask Atlas how to do this. Come on Lionel get with it. Some of us guys spend a lot of money on our hobby and getting the trains to close couple together is not to much to ask.