Proto 2000 F7

[RedGrey62]

I have an AB set for the CB&Q and I'm pretty happy with them.  The railroad specific details are pretty close and they ran just fine.   I did consist an Athean Genesis B unit along with an older P2K GP-20 and had no problems with them running together.  The sound and detailing got some pretty good comments at the train show where I was running them.

 

Rick Keil

Wichita, KS 

[Texas Zepher]

I really would like to hear owners' opinion:

I wrote up my first impressions back in October or so.   The biggest thing I noticed about their running qualities is that they are dog slow.  I have an ABBA set for the Empire Builder.  The fastest I can get them to move is 69 mph.  Can you imagine the Empire Builder slugging along the northern plains at 69 mph?  What a discrace as the NCL passes it by at 105 mph.

Besides, comparing it with Genesis, Intermountain and BLI ones, how can Proto F7 be considered?

It depends upon what you are after.  I am operationally oriented and all the fine details of this type of locomotive get destroyed rather quickly.   I always end up going back to the Stewart F units for reliability & pulling power.   If you are photogenically oriented then the Proto's will stand up nicely (just not quit as nice) with the Highliners used on the Genesis.  

[ETR_500]

I really don't know how to thank you all, Rick, Garry, Wolfgang, jeffrey-wimberly, DigitalGriffin, Jim and don7: I'm taking the occasion to do it now, because in the past months this thread has slipped my mind owing to a period in which I followed this forum only a little. 

However, having seen both Athearn and Proto2000, I consider more convincing the Proto one, at least on the basis of my point of view.

Paolo

[wedudler]

Here're two videos with my SOO Line F7 ABA consist:

 F7 switching            F7 consist

Wolfgang 

[don7]

I have F7 units by Athearn and BLI and also Intermountain and just recently the Proto units as well.

The Proto and Genises are not sound equiped units. I consider the detail on all to be very similar. I am not a rivit counter so can not really criticize one against the other as per the real prototypes.

As far as running characteristics I rate the Intermount units as superior, the Athearn Genesis and the BLI as next best and the new Proto a close runner up.

My favorite F units are a pair of F3s made by Stewart, they are the old Kato units and these units will outpull the others with ease. Running characteristics are superb. These units are no longer available with the Kato drive but if they were they would be my number one choice, only flaw being the lack of detail (remember these are old units). That however can easily be corrected by adding the detail later.  

[chessiecat]

I have the Proto 2000 F-7 in C&O and compared to the 2-Athearn's in WM and 2-BLI F-7's in B&O that I have I believe the Proto 2000 model is the better of the three. The sound and the running characteristics are really good especially the diesel transistion sounds. My biggest problem with the Proto 2000 was the rear coupler trying to hold everything together and get the screw started.The new QSI sound and DCC is hard to beat in my opinion. But then my opinion isn't worth a whole lot! 

Hope this helps! Jim

[DigitalGriffin]

and BLI ones, how can Proto F7 be considered? 

My Athearn Genisis can pull the wallpaper off the wall, has excellent low speed characteristics, and consist nicely.  Athearn is also a good bit cheaper. 

On the con side:

P2K appears to have slightly better detail than my C&O Hi Wave version Atheran.  Athearn is missing BEMF speed control AND has problems with answer feedbacks on the programming track.  (The reply back from the decoder takes longer than the command station will allow, causing a timeout error.)  Even though the command station may time out, the CV is properly programmed.  Unfortunately this makes setting 4 digit addressing difficult as you have to do the binary math to figure out the loco number.

There was a fix in the works for this for the newer models, but I have yet to hear any thing about it.

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Wolfgang: Check your PM's.

[wedudler]

I've bought the 40599 F7, A+B SOO Line red/white #2225A, 502C DCC & QSI sound and  40600 F7A SOO Line red/white #2225B DCC & QSI sound .

 

and moving: 

 

I like this engines. But weathering wil be a hard job. Now I'm looking for prototype pictures.

Wolfgang 

[Heartland Division CB&Q]

Hello again ETR 500.  I recall you had asked about Santa Fe E8's recently. If you are considering Santa FE F7's, you whould be aware that Santa Fe always included at least one F7 B-unit in the train; not a single F7 A-unit. Reason for that is that Santa Fe's F7 A units had no steam generators for heating the trains. A 3-unit consist would most likely have one A-unit and two B-units for example.

[ETR_500]

Rick,

Thanks for your really exaustive explanation: I plan to buy one.... and perhaps an Athearn one too.

However..... only ONE reply in two days.....let me say: I'm really surprised about Proto 2000 F7 inspiring so little interest in the Forum. 

[GN-Rick]

I have a pair of the Walthers P2K F7s-an A/B set in Great Northern paint and details. I find that they are a good model with nice railroad-specific detailing, such as: deskirting, correct square cornered winterization hatch, square rooftop engine room vent and 3-chime air horn. That being said, I also find that detailing to be fairly generic for GN F-units-GN had many subtle variations and these are not accounted for. That's understandable and OK. My bigger beef with them is some rather poor grab iron work. The ladder rest style grabs on the nose are in the wrong position-too high on the nose and vertical-not angled outwards. The grabs on the engineer's side  of the nose are not correct either-they should be a drop style-not straight. The steam generator appurtenances could have been done better as well. And, though the A unit has the cut-in nose MU door on the model, it doesn't have MU hoses, which given the apparent date of the units, they should have. The grilles are not see-through like Genesis/Highliner shells, though nicely done. Sound is good-better than I have heard on QSI equipped diesels up to this point.  The roof grab irons are not complete either for a GN F7. They do run quite well. I own both Genesis F sets, Highliner sets that I have built myself, Intermountain and PCM F-units. Personally, I like Genesis/Highliner the best, and don't care much for Intermountain. The P2K units are on a close par with the PCM units, though the Loksound system gives superior engine sounds.  To sum up, the P2K Fs are a better than average attempt to do railroad-specific detailing on a production item. The inaccuracies (which I see only because I am a Great Northern modeler who has been studying GN F-units for years) are unfortunate, in my opinion, given the high price being asked, but in general I like them.

[ETR_500]

Dear US "railfriends",

probably this topic has been introduced before in the Forum, but I haven't found it. I've seen on Walthers website their Proto 2000 F7 and, even if I don't know well the real locomotive, there seems to be, in my opinion, several qualities and detail level innovations. Am I in the wrong?

So, I really would like to hear owners' opinion: running qualities, body shell, nose, etc. Please, can anyone give me his point of view about? Does Proto F7 have see-trough vent grills, such as Genesis and Intermountain ones?

Besides, comparing it with Genesis, Intermountain and BLI ones, how can Proto F7 be considered? 

Thanks a lot