Anybody have before and after photos, parts list, magazine article reference, etc. for converting an F7 to an FP7?
Go to the Index of Magazines and keyword “FP7”. Both MR and RMC have had articles on converting Uncle Irv’s F7 into an FP7.
I think the FP7 is 4 feet longer than a F7 because of the steam generator in the rear. You would have to cut and stretch the rear of the car body to match.
Jim
There is an article in RMC, I would have to do a search. I did it years ago and it turned out nice. It requires two Athearn shells and one drive.
But why bother? By the time you gather up those parts, add some super details, replace the motor with a nice can motor, you will have spent just as much as buying one from Intermountain. I just bought two of the undecorated FP7 kits from Intermountain. Very nice!
Sheldon
Must admit that I was hoping to ‘fudge’ a little bit by adding a steam generator detail to an already nicely custom painted Athearn F7 . I may just have to press on since I won’t mess up the body I’ve got.
Thanks
Sheldon makes a good point. InterMountain offers FP7s in N and HO scales, and American Models has an FP7 in S scale. I don’t know of a mass-produced O scale model offhand, but other than that the FP7 seems pretty well covered.
So long,
Andy
The FP7 has the S/G hatch at the rear and an extra 4 ft ‘plug’ near the D/B area(this has the extra boiler water tanks). A standard F7 can have a S/G, but his very little room for boiler water…
Jim
As Jim pointed out, many F3’s, F7"s and F9’s had steam generators, but the A units had limited water storage. So adding a steam generator to the loco you have would be within prototype practice.
You did not mention your roadname, prototype or freelanced? But F units did have steam generators as an option. Many roads who used F’s in passenger service had large water tanks in the B uints that fed all steam generatiors in the lashup, and some moved the air tanks to roof to allow for larger water tanks.
Sheldon
Not only that, but Athearn’s also releasing an FP7 in its Genesis line.
ANdre
mr:
ISTR the blue-box F7 already has steam generator detail. It’s on the rearmost hatch. Or is yours a Genesis F?
It is an old BB Athearn painted for the T&P and numbered as one of the four painted in Eagle passenger livery. I just did a little more reading and it appears that these never were FP 7s, but I don’t know if they had the steam generator or depended on a seperate car or loco.
Thanks for the pointers.
Or for a budget FP7, there was the old Atlas units in HO.
With a bit of work they can look pretty good:
Look like you modified that one to be an FP9 with the 48" DB fan. Looks good though.
Thanks. Some of the CP FP7’s had the larger DB fan, based on pictures I have in books anyway. Hence my model.
Late model F’s, FP7’s & GP7’s got the larger fan(in the mid to late 1952 timeframe) to increase air flow over the D/B grids. There was a lot of failed D/B grids due to not enough air flow to keep them cool when in use. Starting about June of 1952, EMD went to the ph 2 carbody, and a little later started using 48" fans over the D/B area. PRR FP7’s were delivered in the ph 2 carbody, but with 36" fans. The SP FP7’s appear to have the 48" fans at delivery time. Many railroads ‘upgraded’ older engines with newer fans over the years. Many FP7’s did not have D/B equipment, and had a 600 gallon boiler water ‘hatch’ tank in that area.
Jim