This is a discussion of F-units by Lionel. Let’s chat!
What do you wanna know? I have the 1996 issue of the F3’s on my desk (CTT) and a 2353 on the attic… Besides that they are my favourites.
So the lucky find for $140 dollars was an F3? Postwar or modern era? AC or DC can motors? Show the repainting! (Saw a few 2343 plastic hulls for the postwar lionels on ebay last week, could be an option, though the bidding has ended now, those hulls are coming up now and again).
guess no one else has F3’s???[B)]
I made this topic for people to share facts, storics, ect. Anything Lionel f-unit
I have a 2343 unit with a blank that I bought in 1952. It is a Santa Fe. Just had it repaired. Had to replace both motors.
I am 95 years young and enjoy this hobby!
By the way, what does the 2343 mean? Is it the year that model was produced?
Thanks
I have a Custom painted PRR tuscan ABA which was originally 2342.
The second A unit is a dummy, but I’ve been scrounging parts at traim meets to power it.
Then i’d like to convert them to TMCC. It is a great runner as it is, but not as smooth as my green Williams F3 ABA.
Not the year, Bill. Lionel numbering schemes were a little erratic; but there is some sense to the numbers. The first two digits “23” generally indicate a top-of-the-line Diesel or electric locomotive. Within the Diesels, a last digit of “3” often meant that it was a Santa Fe. For example, the 2243, 2333, 2343, 2353, and 2383 were all Santa Fe F3s. The single-motor 2243 was demoted to the 2200s for that reason.
Well, I have a Lionel f-unit story story. I recieved my 2343 f-3s for Christmas when I was in the 8th grade. This would have been roughly 1986 (I was little later than most.). It was my second diesel engine for my train set, and my transformer could barely get it around the track, which was set up in the basement with state of the art camaflouge scenery. It was the greatest Christmas present I ever got. When I returned to trains about 4 years ago, They were the first engines to get maintance and ran again. They have been running around Christmas trees and layouts all the time I have owned them. alas, about 6 months ago they were retired to the shelf ( that beautiful growl was just a little to loud for the household), and replaced with some can-motored units from another manufacturer. They will probably be pulling freight around the Christmas tree from here on out. They deserved a break…
@ Billwerner, contratulations with your 95 years. I whi***o be able playing with trains when I’m that age (If I manage to get anywhere near)…
Apart from the 23 number, the 33, 43 and 53 where the numbers given to engines when the molds where replaced. A 33 is the first produced, it’s symilar to the 2343. A 2343 is the one with the grabs on the front and the metal airintake on the roof and the 2353 is one without the grabirons on the front, but still with open portholes (start of the downgrade in detail).
The later ones have portholes without lenses to reduce costs. If you don’t know what year it is excactly, look at the joints where the molds used to come together. (mid section on the roof) If it has a small sign of the joint it is one out of partly worn molds. The 2353 I have is out of 1953, the year they started with the new molds for this type of engine, the joint is not visible. If a 1954 unit is put aside this one, you can see a small raise in the joint, where hot plastic tried to get out of the molds.
Your 2343 has probably a small ditch or raise between the air intakes or horns, your’s is from 1952 and is probably from the mold used before mine was made.
The stupid thing was that the 23 numbers where announced as 0-gauge and the 22 numbers as 0-27. The only difference is the absence of the second engine and has nothing to do with scale or size; they’re both exactly the same…
Darsenau,
I just sent a set of Lionel #18117 Blu/Yel AT&SF F3’s to TAStudios. They are converting them to Full TMCC / with RAILSOUNDS 4.0 / Electrocoil couplers / Odysey Motor control
The installation is $40.00 plus parts. You need to check their web site at
http://www.tastudios.com they have their prices and information listed on the site.