Intermountain has ATSF F3's, A's and B's in stock, different numbers available, and they sell them individually. And they have done the F7's in the past, so they are out there to be found.
Personally, I would go with Intermoutain or Genesis rather than Walthers.
Sheldon
I hear ya on the lack of extra Santa Fe B units.
I use Athearn Genesis models instead. Shells look better. And they too come in AB sets. Or single A sets.
Here is a late era AABBBA:
Matt from Anaheim, CA and Bayfield, COClick Here for my model train photo website
Heartland Division CB&Q Walthers sells some nice looking F-units in the Santa Fe warbonnet passsenger scheme. They offer an AB set and an additional A unit to make an ABA set. Problem with that. Santa Fe did not operate Passenger F's in ABA sets. A three-unit set would instead be an ABB set. Santa Fe passenger A units did not have steam generators (They did have the steam pipe connnections however) . Only the B-units had them. When Santa Fe purchased its passenger F3's, it bought ABBA sets. When they purchased passenger F7's, it bought ABB sets. As a result it had more B-units than A-units. Eventually, the early F3's were modernized to look very much like the newer F7's with stainless steel grills covering the air intakes. Typical consists in the 1950's would be AB, ABB, or ABBA. By the 1960's, some trains were combined into long trains, and 5 units, 6 units, or more would be common. Commonly, the A-units would be leading the consist facing forward. For example, a 5-unit consist would be AABBB. There may have been a rare exception to these practices, but I have never seen it. Also, I have never seen a single Santa Fe passenger A-unit or an AA consist hauling a passenger train (F-units) on the Santa Fe. Conclusion: .... Walthers should sell extra B-units allowing modelers to assemble prototypical Santa Fe passneger F-unit consists.
Walthers sells some nice looking F-units in the Santa Fe warbonnet passsenger scheme. They offer an AB set and an additional A unit to make an ABA set.
Problem with that. Santa Fe did not operate Passenger F's in ABA sets. A three-unit set would instead be an ABB set.
Santa Fe passenger A units did not have steam generators (They did have the steam pipe connnections however) . Only the B-units had them.
When Santa Fe purchased its passenger F3's, it bought ABBA sets. When they purchased passenger F7's, it bought ABB sets. As a result it had more B-units than A-units.
Eventually, the early F3's were modernized to look very much like the newer F7's with stainless steel grills covering the air intakes.
Typical consists in the 1950's would be AB, ABB, or ABBA. By the 1960's, some trains were combined into long trains, and 5 units, 6 units, or more would be common. Commonly, the A-units would be leading the consist facing forward. For example, a 5-unit consist would be AABBB.
There may have been a rare exception to these practices, but I have never seen it. Also, I have never seen a single Santa Fe passenger A-unit or an AA consist hauling a passenger train (F-units) on the Santa Fe.
Conclusion: .... Walthers should sell extra B-units allowing modelers to assemble prototypical Santa Fe passneger F-unit consists.
I don't model the ATSF, and I will not buy Walthers F units any more because of the gear ratio change, but it would seem odd if they are not selling seperate B units?
GARRY
HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR
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