My four Globe F-units are long gone…
…and while I’m now modelling an earlier era, I still much prefer (over F-units) the 8 or 9 FAs and FBs that I still have.
I do kinda wish that I still had these two, though, even though they’re also too modern for my layout…
Wayne
Now, we’re talking my favorite type of “F” units–after my FL-9s. Two A-B-B-A consists of FA/FB-1s in a mix of New Haven’s green and “gold”, McGinnis and trustee paint schemes. Some of you made passing mention of E units, F-45s, F40PHs, etc. I proudly own four “honorary steam locomotives”. Three Erie-Lackawanna and one New Haven Alco PA-1s. That NH number will increase when Walthers new release arrives.
I have accumulated a lot of EMD first generation F-units. Most of them are Burlington (CB&Q). I have a total of 62 with 34 A units and 28 B units. 45 of the units are currently operated on my layout.
EMD models are FT, F2, F3 phase 1, F3 phase 2, F3 phase 4, F7, F9, and FP7.
CB&Q … 13 A units. 11 B units.
ATSF … 6 A units. 5 B units.
GN … 4 A units. 5 B units.
NP … 5 A units. 4 B units.
UP … 4 A units. 1 B unit.
NYC … 2 A units. 2 B units.
F units, 22 on the books, maybe 2 or 3 hidden in boxs. If I had to guess it would have been lower, totaling like maybe 15.
OK. I’ll play. I model 1954, so we have some F units…
ATLANTIC CENTRAL
ABA set - Athearn “blue box” EMD F7 units, super detailed, can motors, cab interiors, American Limited diaphragms/close coupling
ABBA set - Genesis EMD F3’s - buit from highliner kits, steam heat equiped for dual service
2 - ABB sets - Intermountain FP7 with F7B units - for passenger or freight service, built from kits
2 - ABBA sets - Proto2000 ALCO FA1/FB1
WESTERN MARYLAND
ABA set - Genesis EMD F7 - fireball paint scheme
B&O
ABBA set - Intermountain EMD F3 - blue/grey scheme, steam heat equiped
ABA set - Proto2000 ALCO FA2/FB2 - blue/grey scheme
ABBA set - Proto2000 ALCO FA2/FB2 - first solid blue scheme with black/gold stripe (this paint scheme existed only briefly around 1957? - but its my railroad)
C&O
ABA set - Proto2000 F7 - as built “wave” paint scheme.
totals:
ATLANTIC CENTRAL - 21 powered units
WESTERN MARYLAND - 3 powered units
B&O - 11 powered units
C&O - 3 powered units
38 units total
Then there are the ALCO PA’s and the EMD E units…
Sheldon
PS - as most of you know, we are all DC here, no DCC or sound…
“average” purchase price, well under $100 each, most purchased “new”
I have 15. Mostly Athearn BB kits. All with DCC and in sets A/B, A/B/A and A/A. Each set has at least one sound decoder.
New York Central predominates but there is a Union Pacific, Santa Fe A/B/A, and Pennsylvania set.
These are in addition to multiple sets a E7s and E8s for Pennsy, NYC and Santa Fe.
Exactly 1 (not counting my Lionel O set on display) The Bachmann NS Executive A unit for my business train.
I’ve always be ambivalent on the traditional first generation F-Units, so I have none of those, and the Penn & Delaware tourist train on my PDT uses an ALCO RS-3 as the vintage power.
I did have an F40 at one point, but sold it off years ago (back when eBay was still a going concern) in favor of AEM-7 Meatballs & P40s Genesis.
I guess it has a lot to do with the era you model.
I don’t own any models of any locomotives built after 1954.
Sheldon
If I ever build a N-scale N-trak module (well, 2), it would feature the CNJ in Northern NJ during the late 1960s, early 1970s period, when the CNJ was in bad shape (as were most of the Middle Atlantic railroads of the time), with dirty and beat looking F units and Alco RS units serving the remaining consignees in depressed & unkempt looking industrial areas. I like the images of beat looking F units (dirty windshields and all) trundling along weedy track pulling a local featuring random & constrasting mixes of dull mineral red or black cars alongside brightly colored supergraphics cars (SOO Line White w./ red logo, UP Yellow w./ ‘Automated Railroad’, Penn Central Green ‘worms’, GN Sky Blue ‘Goat’ and so on).
As I model the 70’s, I ony have a few:
1 F7A used for passenger service, custom protolanced scheme. (Athearn BB with some some added and replaced details. Scheme inspired by the NP Pine Tree scheme.) This one is the only one that is actually used for a layout.
I also have: an F7A-B set of the newer RTR Athearn in the NP Pine Tree scheme (I’m a big NP fan.) and an older Athearn (round gray motor that I replaced with a gold flat side) F7B that is sitting in a tote in a storage unit. (Custom maintainance scheme for snow plow pusher service.)
Modeling SP, UP, ATSF in the 50’s - 60’s, hence:
30 F-3 A&B
62 F-7 A&B
2 F-9 A
plus FP-45s and F-45s.
Not sure if it’s a virus, but definitely some kind of disease
I would get the Detail Associates kit, much finer wire than the Walther’s.
Rick Jesionowski
Only about 16. One F2A, 3 FTA, 1 FTB,2 F3A, 3 F7A, 3 F7B, 1 F-10 from Athearn blue box F-7, MR Article, 1 FL9A, from a couple Athearn Blue Box, and an FP7A, also Athearn BB. I USED to have a couple unpowered Globe F7s, but they became the body for a planned electric in my high school days, and a Varney F-3 that jumped the track from a layout edged trestle about 5 feet off the floor. Noisy, but outpulled the Pre-super power athearns. Anybody for Geeps?
The only Walthers dress-up kit I’ve ever seen was for the Athearn (Globe) F7; It had a wire grabs and window parts for the side portals, side cab and windshield. The glazing was sized to fit the Athearn F7 shell.
The Stewart F’s come with all the window glass so the only thing you need to add are the grab irons. I’m with Rick on this one, even the Walthers grabs are rather thick. It would yield better results to buy thin wire and bend it to length and install. IIRC, close to scale would be 0.010 wire.
19 Fs in operation, with another 3 deadlined for various reasons. All Rio Grande. Mostly Genesis, with 6 Walthers/P2K sound units thrown in, along with 2 Stewart FT A-B sets. Used to have quite a few Stewart Fs, but sold them off to standardize a little. Needed to thin the herd. The only Fs I still need (beyond adding sound to a few) would be a nice set of Monon Fs, in black and gold even though I’m from the south end of the system. A cousin is married to the daughter of a Monon engineer.
Suddenly, I fear I have lost my mind. Its been over a week since the first post, but while walking through the store today I suddenly remembered; “Wait, don’t I own a Bachmann FT ATSF unit from their DCC Commander starter set?”
Yep. One.
Uno.
A single unit.
So suddenly my claim about not owning any F units ever has been flushed out the door! [#oops]
So how did I forget this engine? Its been in my ‘deadline’ for a while (IE sitting on a shelf gathering dust). Its always been an awful runner, and just doesn’t work since I tried a weathering experiment on it a while back. It and the ATSF GP40 that also came in the set though are my least favorite engines in my collection, but at least the GP40 still works so I haven’t forgotten about it.
So yes… I own one F unit so awful I might as well own zero!
I have 3 FT units
-ATSF Bachmann Ho scale
-CB&Q Bachmann Ho 123
-CN Mantua Tyco 6536 Ho scale
Planning on getting more, though.
yes funny i a huge articulated steam guy & i looked at my diesels & i only have a proto union pacific f3 & a pair of A/B rio grande , thats all [%-)]
My F units.
An AB pair painted in the Mcginnis scheme. Athearn Bluebox.
And the old B&M maroon and gold scheme. Also Athearn blue box.
Future projects. Paint all the truck sideframes grimey black. Couple them together more closely. Weather the roof fans lightly.