I think my favorite is the P1K F3s .... the shells are excellent, even if they have cast on grabs, the paint is top quality and the drive is sooooo smoooooth. Bang for buck you can't beat 'em.
The MEC F3 #672 pictured in my Avatar is a P1K, detailed with cast grabs shaved off and replaced with wire ones and some other bits and pieces, and fitted with a DH163AO decoder.
I also really like the Athearn Genesis ones - their great too, better detailed, but much more expensive of course, hence second place.
I really don't rate the Stewart models, the paint is poor on my MEC example to the extent that I'll probably end up stripping it and re-paint. The mechs OK, but not as good as the Athearn G or P1K.
I had an old Bachmann F7 once - its mech got robbed out for another project and I used the shell for paint practice. It was dreadful. Edit: reading another thread it was probably an F9 - but its still sucked ...
tstage wrote:The only F-unit I have is a Stewart FT A-B with a Lenz Gold decoder installed in it. It runs amaaaaazingly smooth and absolutely crawls. You're right, you do have to detail them but they are still very nice looking. The one chip in Stewart's armor is their paint jobs. It doesn't take much to ding or chip the paint.Tom
Do you know what drive system they are? I'd guess Kato but not sure. I have a later set of FT's for CB&Q and I'm not sure which drive system is used, maybe Beuler. It seems that all of them were excellent. Stewart might have done the best job in recreating the F units of anyone and among the best running as well. Just alittle work to dress them up and somewhat iffy paint jobs but all in all, very fine plastic models.
Bill
David_Telesha wrote: NOBODY YET! It will be whoever does FL-9's first!!!
NOBODY YET!
It will be whoever does FL-9's first!!!
Colorado Front Range Railroad: http://www.coloradofrontrangerr.com/
I have both Athern (blue box) and Stewart F units. I like them both. The Athern units are inexpensive and are good pullers.
JIM
Jim, Modeling the Kansas City Southern Lines in HO scale.
Well, my fave is still the ol' Athearn bluebox Fs. The price is right, and removing/adding/modifying detail is fairly easy. If I botch a project, I have found that acquiring a new shell is both simple and inexpensive. The units with the heavy weight are nice pullers and smooth runners once broken in, and maintenance is simple. I have a customized GN F7 that can pull over 50 forty foot cars up a 3.5% grade.
I also own a few Stewarts which I really enjoy for their variety of types of F units and smooth operation. I have even modified a coupla Stewart shells to fit Athearn drives.
I do own an Intermountain kit, but have yet to get the puppy road worthy.
Lotsa good choices out there depending on what one wants to invest monetarily.
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
_________________________________________________________________
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
I have F units from Athearn (blue box and some older), Athearn Genesis and Stewart. I enjoy all of them and consider them all to look and run well. The old Athearns captured the F unit look but showed mold lines and many had poor paint jobs. Still, with a little work, they look good, are reliable and run well. I prefer the ones with metal sideframes as the newer ones with the plastic sideframe with add-on details will not take a sharp turn once the details are added.
The Stewarts have gone through many drive train changes and I don't know which ones are the best, they all seem to run well and they really look nice. Just have to detail them. I have some from every era, I think, and at least the bodies look to have stayed the same. It was called the most accurate F unit ever made and maybe it is. They were the first plastic F to offer every phase of F unit production from FT through F9's. I applaud their effort.
I have a couple of MRC F 7's from their platinum series and they are nicely detailed, have stainless grills but I suspect the accuracy is not as good as Stewart or Athearn. They just look alittle different. Also, you almost never see them for sale so making up a set is not easy.
Then came the Athearn Genesis line. I've bought a few and like their looks. I have yet to run any but I'm sure I'll be satisfied with their performance. Right out of the box, they have as much detail as any and rival brass in outward appearance.
I don't have any Broadway Limited F's but given their other products and the price that you have to pay, they are probably as good as brass, maybe better in some ways. I'm sure that I will own some of them at some point in time.
Of the ones that I have, it's a toss-up between the Stewarts and the Athearn Genesis as to which is my favorite. The Genesis are more ready to go but it's hard for me to say that I like either one more than the other. How bout the rest of you?
If it's sound that you want, I think you're stuck with BLI or the latest from Athearn Genesis. I have not taken that step yet and am more concerned with looks and performance. I'm not even DCC yet so I guess I'm alittle behind the times. Many of my engines are DCC ready but I don't have any of the rest of the requirements. Probably will get into it in time.