hello forum,
did the nyc run its f3’s with multiple b units; abba or abbba? if such a configuration was prototypical, how many loaded 40 ft. boxcars would it have been able to pull?
thanks for all responses,
bernard
Generally NYC trains would only require 3 or 4 units. I’ve seen pics of A-B-B-A F-units on trains, but A-B-A seems to have been more common.
don’t know about the rest of the system or the exact models but on the Cairo Division, we used to run 150 car coal trains with up to 7 covered wagons. the track was so bad we did not use 100 ton cars, only double and triple hoppers of 50-70 ton capacity.
charlie
It wasn’t that simple with the NYC.
F3 could and would be ran in several consists examples:
A,A,A,B,A,B,A,A.
A,A,A,B,B,
A,B,B,A,B,A.
A,B,B,B,B,B
I have seen them without B units-A,A,A,A,A. I even see GP7,B,GP7,A,A consist.
I seldom seen a perfect A,B,B,A consist.
Depending on the era you’re modeling it may not have been possible to mix GP7 and F units. The NYC GP7 came with 6BL air brake equipment (frt GP7’s anyway, not sure about psgr GP7) which was not compatable with the 24RL the covered wagons and later GP9’s had. By 1963 NYC was well one the way the to modifying the 6BL so it could mate with with all other road units.
Dick Haave
Absolutely.
By the late 50s/early 60’s things started to get interesting on the Central as this photo show-this is the NYC(exT&OC)/B&O trackage that ran under the Columbus Union Station-the crew is running by their train in order to get to the head end after coupling the caboose to the train.
Brakie makes a good point, the NYC F cab units had m.u. connections at both ends so could be mixed in anywhere. Some railroads (like the Soo Line) only had m.u. connections in the rear of their A-units so they could have say F7A units on both ends of a consist facing away from each other, but the engines in between would have to be B-units or GPs etc.
I have noticed that some the New York Central F3s, along with the FA / FB1 appeared to have been delivered in a three unit A-B-A set. The F3As and FAs both sported a modified 3/4 lightning stripe. The B unit is a dark color(black?) with NEW YORK CENTRAL written on the sides, pretty much like the later cigar band B units.
The photos I have seen are reportedly from 1947. I would imaging an A-B-A lash up in this scheme might be good if you are modeling that time period. I don’t know how many units had this scheme or exactly when they were repainted to the full length lightning stripe. NYC photos I have seen reportedly from 1949 on show the 3/4 lightning stripe engines in full lightning stripe livery.
I think Stewart released a set of F3s in the 3/4 scheme when I first started acquiring NYC equipment. I didn’t buy them then because I was unsure if the paint scheme was accurate or a fantasy. Much later I found out it was legitimate scheme but the Stewart units are long gone. Live and Learn
John R
My point wasn’t about nose MU, but the lack of air brake compatibility that kept NYC from mixing the GP7 (and RS2/3) with the F units.
Soo Line also had to modify their GP7 and GP9 units so they could trail or lead the F units. Soo recognized the need and did it years before the NYC did.
In the end it’s the OP’s choice to do as wishes with mixing unit trpes.
Dick Haave
NYC could also mu’ their FM A,B units with EMDs as the picture shows…
It was very interesting railfaning the NYC because you never knew what the locomotive consist would be!
One of the wildest(to me) was a brand new GP30 mu’d with RS3,RS11,GP20,GP20,F7A and was a sight to behold.
Thank you all for your comments; very interesting.
Bernard