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Favorite F Units?

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Posted by jjdamnit on Tuesday, September 13, 2016 12:34 PM

Hello all,

For me it's gotta be the Royal Gorge Route Railroad F units. I'm a sucker for those F-B units too!

Hope this helps.

"Uhh...I didn’t know it was 'impossible' I just made it work...sorry"

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Posted by LensCapOn on Tuesday, September 13, 2016 1:35 PM

So this isn't a Stewart v. Genesis thing?

 

 

(So why isn't it on Trains?)   (heh!)

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Posted by tin can on Tuesday, September 13, 2016 3:26 PM

mobilman44

Some of the younger posters may not know about how two color schemes got popularized way back when (late '40s) and were impressed upon us kids of that time............

Lionel worked with builder EMD (may have been called EMC back then), the Santa Fe, and the New York Central to build Lionel's new F units in those two color schemes.  They even got the RRs to pony up some for the cost of the dies!

And pretty much everyone soon saw these locos - either in their basement, stores, many tv shows, magazine and later on tv ads. 

Their popularity soared (more so the colorful ATSF), and many versions of those F units were produced over the next 15 years or so.

 

I wanted those Lionel Santa Fe Fs in the worst way as a kid.  Now that I can afford them, not so much.  Besides, I have HO versions galore.

Remember the tin can; the MKT's central Texas branch...
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Posted by ATSFGuy on Tuesday, September 13, 2016 7:36 PM

My favorite F units are the F3/F7 Genesis models from Athearn.

 

1. Santa Fe Warbonnet (Red/Silver)

 

2. Santa Fe Freight (Blue/Yellow) 

 

3. Missouri-Kansas-Texas Phase II  (Crimson Red/Grey/Sloan Yellow nose) *

* This paint scheme is pretty rad by the way! When my friend saw those colors, his response was "okay that red is AWESOME!

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Posted by last mountain & eastern hogger on Thursday, September 15, 2016 2:07 PM

Whistling

There are several beautiful paint schemes but nothing quite does it properly like the Western Pacific silver and orange.  It is beyond the reach of others... In my opinion.

Johnboy out...............

from Saskatchewan, in the Great White North.. 

We have met the enemy,  and he is us............ (Pogo)

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Posted by Old Thumper on Thursday, September 15, 2016 4:04 PM

BAR Grey & Blue

 

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Posted by richhotrain on Thursday, September 15, 2016 6:19 PM

Old Thumper

BAR Grey & Blue

 

 

I agree. That is a very good looking color scheme.

Rich

Alton Junction

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Posted by ATSFGuy on Thursday, September 15, 2016 6:31 PM

Rich,

Yes

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Posted by doctorwayne on Friday, September 16, 2016 12:50 AM

The colours are good, but the layout of them looks incomplete, to my eye, at least.

Wayne

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Posted by richhotrain on Friday, September 16, 2016 5:22 AM

doctorwayne

The colours are good, but the layout of them looks incomplete, to my eye, at least.

Wayne

 

Wayne, are your trying to raise the BAR?   Laugh

Rich

Alton Junction

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Posted by SouthPenn on Friday, September 16, 2016 9:00 AM

Old Thumper

BAR Grey & Blue

 

 

Agreed. This paint scheme is one of the best.

Is it available in HO from anybody? 

South Penn
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Posted by Old Thumper on Friday, September 16, 2016 11:40 AM

http://www.ebay.com/itm/HO-SCALE-ATHEARN-GENESIS-BANGOR-AROOSTOOK-FREIGHT-F-3A-PHASE-2-LOCOMOTIVE-SET-/322210731896?hash=item4b05419778:g:02cAAOSwRgJXkPkG

The photos in this listing do not do them justice.  I have the same set and they are gorgeous.

 

Stewart did them also, but I think the Athearn models look much better.

50 comments about Athearn light bulbs soon to follow ....

 

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Posted by doctorwayne on Friday, September 16, 2016 10:55 PM

richhotrain
...are your trying to raise the BAR?

Maybe. Stick out tongue  The colours are good together, but the top of the nose needs something.  As it is, it puts me in mind of a big grey fish with its mouth open (a good-looking one, mind you).
Even some anti-glare flat black on the top of the nose might help, since it looks to me that they ran out of blue.
I definitely would have given it a black roof, though, and maybe the nose top and windshield area in blue, with the curve of the gold striping, just aft of the number boards, mirrored to provide a border.  Beauty is, of course, in the eye of the beholder, and I find it quite nice, but a bit unfinished-looking. Smile, Wink & Grin

Wayne

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Posted by Bob Schuknecht on Saturday, September 17, 2016 3:28 PM

As I posted on the favorite GP thread being a fan of the ACR I am rather partial to:

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Posted by Anonymous on Monday, September 19, 2016 6:53 PM

I forgot Monon Fs, right up their with NYC Lightning stripes.  Plus the Monon had a catchy song.

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Posted by SETH CRAWFORD on Wednesday, September 21, 2016 8:45 PM

For me the top 3 is the Southern Railway black that has been replicated by the office units of Norfolk Southern, 

 

 

Atlantic Coast Line's purple and silver, 

 

and a toss up between some of the B&O F units that acquired this paint job in service

 

 

 

and the Southern Pacific Black Widows 

 

 

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Posted by E-L man tom on Thursday, September 22, 2016 9:57 AM

tstage

I agree, Tom...

The above Stewart Erie FT A-B I purchased earlier on before settling on the NYC.  I really like the contrast of the yellow against the black, as well as the herald on the nose.  Ultimately, I'd like to incorporate it into a future layout, where the Erie crossed the NYC.

Tom

 

I recently acquired an A-B set of F3's, Athearn Genesis w/ sound in the Erie paint scheme. Haven't had much of a chance to run them as I just moved and my layout is in pieces right now. My freelanced layout is themed on a fictional short line in northwest Ohio which interchanges cars with the Chessie and the Erie Lackawanna in the 1970s. Many of the EL's motive power still had the pre-merger liveries, even up to the Conrail takeover, especially on older units like the F's.

Tom Modeling the free-lanced Toledo Erie Central switching layout.
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Posted by ACY Tom on Thursday, September 22, 2016 11:11 AM

E-L man tom

 

 
tstage

I agree, Tom...

The above Stewart Erie FT A-B I purchased earlier on before settling on the NYC.  I really like the contrast of the yellow against the black, as well as the herald on the nose.  Ultimately, I'd like to incorporate it into a future layout, where the Erie crossed the NYC.

Tom

 

 

 

I recently acquired an A-B set of F3's, Athearn Genesis w/ sound in the Erie paint scheme. Haven't had much of a chance to run them as I just moved and my layout is in pieces right now. My freelanced layout is themed on a fictional short line in northwest Ohio which interchanges cars with the Chessie and the Erie Lackawanna in the 1970s. Many of the EL's motive power still had the pre-merger liveries, even up to the Conrail takeover, especially on older units like the F's.

 

Tom and Tom:

I certainly can't argue with that elegant Erie scheme, but I really prefer the somewhat later version with more yellow on nose and cab roof. I used to see sets of matched FA's or F's in ABBA (occasionally ABA) configuration, batting through Akron on the Erie mainline before the EL merger. Back then, the units were always clean and the operation was impressive. The road's financial difficulties weren't apparent.

ACY Tom

 

 

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Posted by ATSFGuy on Thursday, September 22, 2016 11:48 AM

Water Level Route,

I also prefer SP's "Black Widow" over "Bloody Nose".

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Posted by Santa Fe Jay on Thursday, September 22, 2016 6:19 PM

My favorite is the black and red Rock Island "Rock Freight" scheme.

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Posted by REV EDWARD A BOEHLING on Thursday, September 22, 2016 7:38 PM
I liked the CP but my vote would be for the Great Northern. I was in Canada in the 70's fishing and the westbound GN passenger train passed within a few hundred yards of our canoe. What a thrill and beautiful.
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Posted by HIRAM GRAVES on Thursday, September 22, 2016 8:59 PM

Hi, #1 would be the true GM paint sceme, Boston & Maine, and # 2, NYC Lightning Stripe.  H. Graves

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Posted by allscales on Thursday, September 22, 2016 10:25 PM

I gotta go with a rare one here, the original Bessemer & Lake Erie units with the black nose wings & rounded end side bands over the orange body.  Of course, they look specially great when set as ABBA.  THAT is the only way to put 6000 horsepower on the point. Four 567's chanting their way along the railroad . . . awesome!

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Posted by NORMAN EARLE on Friday, September 23, 2016 12:42 PM

That's one of the best !!!!

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Posted by mikewilson on Saturday, September 24, 2016 12:25 PM
Gotta be the Santa Fe red & silver warbonnet, original B&O (also C of Ga), and UP yellow
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Posted by Zandoz on Saturday, September 24, 2016 12:52 PM

My picks would be the Sante Fe Warbonnets and the Wabash Blue Birds.

Reality...an interesting concept with no successful applications, that should always be accompanied by a "Do not try this at home" warning.

Hundreds of years from now, it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove...But the world may be different because I did something so bafflingly crazy that my ruins become a tourist attraction.

"Oooh...ahhhh...that's how this all starts...but then there's running...and screaming..."

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Posted by HO-Velo on Saturday, September 24, 2016 4:16 PM

Night Train,  Fun thread!  

The paint scheme for my Kato HO F9 was heavily influenced by Milwaukee Road colors.  Learning of the Seattle & North Coast Railroad's use of F7s during the early 80s added plausibility to keeping the F9 in service on my freelanced early-1980s shortline ISL with carfloat operations.

Thanks and regards,  Peter

 

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Posted by softail86mark on Monday, September 26, 2016 10:24 AM

You're all wrong...

Gotta be the MoPac Eagles!!!

(and me a WP guy)

WP Lives

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Posted by charlieB on Wednesday, September 28, 2016 8:31 PM

Probably the blue and yellow Santa Fe with CN a close second

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Posted by bagal on Wednesday, September 28, 2016 11:30 PM

Heartland Division CB&Q

My vote: .... Burlington

 

 

 
Mine as well. My first ever loco was a Fleischmann F3 in Burlington and I have sometimes thought of getting something in the same scheme. Not Fleischmann of course, but a current model purely out of nostalgia even although it is not my current era.
 
Bill

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