Has anyone other than Athearn and their Genisis brand ever produced the Santa Fe F7 in the Blue Bonnet freight scheme? If so who, and is anyone coming out with a version anytime soon that you know of? I am wanting to use them on my DCC layout. Thanks, guys!
Perhaps Stewart (Bowser) did? That would be my first choice.
David B
I don’t follow Santa Fe, but there have been tons of F units produced in the past 15 years. You can check Walthers Proto 2000 (search Walthers website), Stewart (now Bowser), Life Like Proto 1000 made F3’s and may have done ATSF freight blue, and there was Intermountain - check their website as well.
By Bluebonnet are you referring to blue/silver? Athearn did a blue box Special Edition some years ago with a blue/silver F7A and a yellow/silver F7A; one was powered, the other was a dummy. I believe they have also done the schemes in their Genesis line. Intermountain did a yellow/silver F7A.
IIRC, Micro Trains has done the blue/silver F7A in N scale and in Z scale.
The only time I recall a paint scheme like that, was done by Lionel O-scale. I have a couple AB sets in the Blue freight scheme, by Stewart which are great running engines. Also heard that Stewart made the correct version for that paint scheme…dark Blue and Creme trim and cab, with a black roof. The one’s I have are F3’s though.
Take Care! [:D]
Frank
Intermountain http://www.intermountain-railway.com/ho/loco/holocf7.htm
A unit cat. # 49022 B Unit 49522
They also have “Yellow Bonnet” and “Cats Whisker” and of course “Warbonnet”
Zstripe,
The ‘Blue Bonnet’ scheme was applied to ex-passenger engines after passenger service went to Amtrak. The classic red ‘War Bonnet’ passenger engines had stainless side panels, and would need to be etched so that paint wound adhere. ATSF just substituted freight blue for the passenger red as the units were cycled through the shops and converted to freight engines.
A couple of years later, the changed the freight paint scheme to the yellow bonnet with blue body. Some of these ex-passenger engines got a Yellow War Bonnet with the stainless car body. Not everything was repainted as they had a large ‘Cleburne’ CF7 rebuild program to convert old F units into road switchers.
As noted, Athearn did do a BB or RTR boxed set of the Yellow Bonnet freight units a number of years ago…
Jim
Jim,
Thanks for the info. I did see the Yellow one’s quite some yrs. ago.
To be honest…although I do model the Santa Fe…by no mean’s am I an expert and many yrs. did go by without keeping up with what was available, had all I could do, to finished what I started, time being a factor.
Take Care! [:D]
Frank
I am looking for the Genesis Model I believe. Are they fairly easy to modify and make dcc?
Not sure, but Intermountain may have done some Bluebonnets F7s. I know they made a few Yellowbonnets. Oops missed DSchmitt’s post…although I couldn’t get the link to work.
Maybe Marklin too? I think I saw a Marklin Bluebonnet set some years ago.
Yep, just did a Google search and found this:
But, if you can find them, the Athearn Genesis will be the best looking. My entire Santa Fe F unit HO fleet is Athearn Genesis.
Yes. Very easy to convert to DCC. Probably the hardest thing is getting the shell off without tugging too hard on the headlight and backuplight wires.
Some of the Athearn Genesis Bluebonnets came with factory DCC/Sound.
Here are the Athearn Genesis Bluebonnet product numbers to look for:
With DCC/Sound
Without DCC/Sound
Wait, you are looking for the early 1970s era blue and silver locos…Bluebonnet right?
Nice pics, Frank.
Question to all, are Frank’s locos considered Blubonnetts or is the Bluebonnet limited to the color scheme that includes the big silver swoop on the sides of the loco as in the Intermountain and Genesis models?
Rich
I am looking for the blue and silver version, yes.
Frank’s locos are “Cats Whisker”
DSchmitt,
Thanks, I didn’t answer…cause I couldn’t think of the darn name.[swg]
Take Care! [:D]
Frank
Btw: After looking at my own pic’s…it occurred to me…I never drilled the holes and put the windshield Vipers on, had them stored in their original boxe’s. [sigh]