Whats you favorite looking f3

NYC Lightning stripe.. Always number one with me.

I can't just pick one

That is one of my favorite photos Doug!

F3/F7s are some of my favorite locomotives since childhood

At the risk of becoming a Sheople, my favorite is Lionel's first scale offerings.

I even like the F3's that aren't F3's

Bruce

My favorite has not been made yet, in 3-rail.  I'm waiting for Atlas to build late model F3's (F5's) with Santa Fe road numbers 32 through 36.

I'm a silly sucker for any of the GN or BN's.  The other ones I really like are the Milwaukee Road, and the Santa Fe, Black Bonnet that a couple of you have posted as well.  I think I ultimately fall under the the "it would be shorter to list the ones I don't like" crowd that someone already said.

The Baltimore & Ohio, Denver & Rio Grande, and the Santa Fe are my favorites from classic Lionel as well as the Atlantic Coast Line, but here's a road name that hasn't been done much:

Gulf, Mobile & Ohio

Modern electronics and scale sized would have to be this one.

brwebster posted:

I even like the F3's that aren't F3's

Bruce

That is really cool. Tell us more, please? More photos, too.

I don't think there ever was an F3 made that I didn't like but even as a little boy there was something about the subdued Vanderbilt gray coloring of the New York Central's F3s which impressed me and it still does to this day.

The NYC red lightning stripe units from the Archives series!

Bill

This is a no-brainer for me: Santa Fe; Canadian Pacific is a close second.

Ok, these ACL Lionel's are awesome too

Is there a bad one?

RoyBoy posted

That is really cool. Tell us more, please? More photos, too.

Roy,

An unknown manufacturer from Western Germany.  The Easter Seals on the box date to 1956....so probably made within a few years either way.  Battery powered from a wired remote.  Came with a full circle of track.   They took liberties with the illustration too, although it's far closer to an F3 than what got stamped in tin.

Bruce

What a fabulous question.  I have 13 F3s on my roster and I know that the PRR is the least interesting.  My favorites include the Union Pacific,Canadian Pacific, Baltimore & Ohio, and Rio Grande.  But the winner is the Texas Special and here they come.

When I was in O gauge, I had many different liveries... on my trains; and, the "look" that stood out best - especially - in photographs, was my MTH Premier Canadian Pacific A-B-A(burgundy and grey) set.

BTW, I only have one F-unit... in my HO collection... a Rapido, Canadian Pacific - burgundy and grey, FP9.

Rick

Really hard to not like them all..... each in a different time and setting.

Jesse   TCA  12-68275

I do have a MPC ABA F3 Amtrak set which I run with "2400" Amtrak cars.  Not a bad combo.  Have run the 2400 cars with a 2353 SF for a very early Amtrak train.

NYC.

The War Bonnet as a whole wins out. Pick a color..

  I like the Pare Marquette/C&O blue V nose & yellow swoop but I think that was toned down on Fs .

These ladies always left me happy,

My favorite F3s are the custom painted Milwaukee Road ones I bought many years ago.

I like mustard yellow and army olive green painting scheme, see the vintage CN F3A...

http://www.trainiax.net/drawin...-cn-9000-emd-f3a.GIF

M&StL, C&NW and CGW

c.sam posted:

That is one of my favorite photos Doug!

F3/F7s are some of my favorite locomotives since childhood

Sam:

Who made that version?  It looks great. 

Ben 

Take your pick...

F7's ... F3's ... love them all!

Favorite looking?  Has to be the ordinary answer: Santa Fe War Bonnet.  But there is also no such thing as an ugly F.  I primarily collect Pennsylvania RR and the F's painted for PRR are not real exciting, but they are still F's.  

Tony

Of course Norfolk Southern

Ben,  The PRR F7 pictured is the K-Line model and is simply beautiful with all the detail they used in their last versions produced (2005 I think). It is an ABA and I just picked up a 2nd B unit (smoke) on fleaby last night for it. Will have to post some more photos when I assemble the ABBA

From when I was a kid! At least I hope one of them is an F3. The O27 was mine. The O gauge belonged to my cousin.

Joe

Mikado 4501 - That's a great shot of the GM&O pair.

Here's a couple more 

As others have already said, it's hard to find a bad one (unless you see the green Big L used on the GTW's from a few years back.).

This one...

1951 Santa Fe War bonnet 2343AA with the screen top vents.  Put (2) 2343C "B" units tween them.  Dont get no better than that!!   JMHO

I love all of the EMD F units and this thread contains three pages of color photos of prototypes from a large number of railroads.

My favorites are colorful units painted to provide name-train passenger service in the '50's.

These all look great.   This is my favorite.

Don