Have been searching high and low to find out IF the body panels were removable for bigger maint or repairs. No such luck on google so I am coming here for help. Wanting to do something with a F7 shell that I have and thought some type of exposed maint scene would be neat. Thanks in advance
I found this a few years ago, looking to see what the interior frame of an F unit looked like:
Milw F7 by WC4ever, on Flickr
I thought I had one other picture, I'll look and see if I can find it.
I also found this, but the picture has a copyright, so, Google F7 locomotive, click on images, scroll down about half way, there is a better picture on someones Flickr album.
See if this link works: https://www.flickr.com/photos/153463273@N07/42639006182
And another one, from the same search as above, scroll down just a little more, and there is a nice piture of an F7 stripped down for restoration work. It's on the Face Book page of a tourist railroad. You can click on it, and it shows a great enlarged image.
So, as they say: "Google is your friend".
Mike.
My You Tube
The hatches on the roof of the F units were removeable and access was from the top. The sides had that structural trusswork so removing the side panels didn't gain much for access. It was designed so the major work that would require a crane would be done from the top. The stuff one person could do was done from inside the carbody.
Dave H. Painted side goes up. My website : wnbranch.com
That is why I didn't find the article in the May issue about modeling an F unit that is being scrapped to be particularly useful, because just cutting a chunk out of the side - and as if the chicken wire for the F3 would just stay put if it was torched that way - seems implausible given how the locomotives are constructed. I also found it astounding that the author paid $60 for an F unit he could scrap. This is NOT a "hobby is too expensive" rant by the way, it is a "has it really come to this?" rant.
But I did think the author did a nice job showing the prime mover inside.
Dave Nelson
I felt the same way about the article. It looked real unacurate to me, knowing what the frame (skeleton) of an F unit looks like.
It had to be a P2K loco, when you see the pictures of how he built the model.
I found the other picture I had of an F unit framw work:
F unit frame work by WC4ever, on Flickr
Here's the picture of an F7 rebuild project. I received permission from the Niles Canyon Railway. https://www.ncry.org/
F7 stripped down by WC4ever, on Flickr
You should be able to click on it for an inlargement.
All very good information.....seems as though my idea will be more of a pain than anticipated. Maybe I will try a different loco. I see a RS3 on ebay that looks like a nice start. https://www.ebay.com/itm/RS2-RS3-Alco-Scrapped-Retired-Cannibalized-salvage-Junk-Kitbash-HO-locomotive/184063405736
autobon7Have been searching high and low to find out IF the body panels were removable for bigger maint or repairs.
Keep in mind that in a "covered wagon" like an F-unit, the motor was in the middle of the locomotive, with the walkways being on either side. Taking off a side panel would just give you access to the walkway.
https://www.alternatewars.com/BBOW/Railroads/EMD_F7A_DWG.png