Hello All,
If you are running in DC that is great news.
I completely understand. I have little staging space for the 4-unit consist of GP40s on my 4’x8’ pike.
Unfortunately, drawbars don’t allow for the flexibility you are seeking. Couplers would be the way to go.
Hope this helps.
A couple of thoughts.
You could try making a two-piece drawbar that used neodymium magnets to keep them together. Maybe an additional pin and socket would have to be employed or, perhaps two pieces of telescoping Evergreen square tubing with the magnets embedded and epoxied inside? If the lead and trailing A units are pulling together there wouldn’t be much force to pull the magnets apart.
OR perhaps you could modify one of those safety snap devices that many neck lanyards use? They seem to click together with a pretty strong grip but can be separated by squeezing a tab or some such device.
[2c] Cheers, Ed
Well the solution was 2 packs of Kadee #38’s and 2 packs of Kaydee #5’s and now everything can connect to everything else in any combination. The #38’s needed to be modified to fit but they work fine.
Late reply: I don’t think FTs ever would have run AA – I believe they were AB sets from the factory, though there were some ABAs and ABBBs. Basically you’d buy a single 2700 hp locomotive from EMD, and you’d get an AB set.
If you’re running long trains or steep grades, I would consider keeping the powered units together (so either an AB powered or even BB powered).
This is an incorrect assumption. Steve Sandifer’s article on the FTs on the web site of the Santa Fe Historical Society
https://sfrhms.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/ft-_locos.pdf
refers to several pics of FT AA combos (or “LL” in Santa Fe speak), including
402L-414L as A-A Emporia, KS - St. Joseph, MO and Emporia - Wellington, 1954
407L-429L A-A Emporia, KS - Superior, NE, 1952
(Sorry, I cannot access the pics.)
Of course, it should be noted that all Santa Fe FTs had couplers between A and B units, not drawbars, making it easier to build an A-A consist.
Yes you could get FTs as an A-A set running back to back connected by drawbar. The A-B sets were also connected back to back; as I mentioned earlier, unlike later F units the FTs trucks were offset toward the back so there was an overhang in the front with the rear trucks very close to that end.
BTW an A-A set, or an A-B-A set using the FTSB “short booster” between two A units, had to be freight-only. Only the standard FT B unit had room for a steam generator and water tanks, in the end of the B unit where on an A unit the cab would be.
A bit late but here goes.
I don’t have any Stewarts F’s, all my diesels are PAs or E7s and all are AB with a brass drawbar connected with Kadee’s one on each end. All my road diesels are super heavy (25oz to 33oz) and need the brass drawbar. They all have 8oz to 10oz of drawbar each. I use a 2mm screw to hold the drawbars and never have any problem. I simply lay them on their sides and remove one screw, I also wire them together with polarized micro connectors that easily disconnect.
Mel
My Model Railroad
http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/
Bakersfield, California
I’m beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.