No surprise NS bought some more F's. They may be old, but they ARE cool, and they provide a classic head end to their office trains with (probably) a minimum of maintanance headaches.
Correct me if I'm wrong but aren't modern passenger diesels which use monocoque style carbodies somewhat similiar to F units? I know the body shell is stressed in such designs but IINM the shell can be lifted off to service the machinery...
"I Often Dream of Trains"-From the Album of the Same Name by Robyn Hitchcock
lone geep From another thread here, there are many shortlines that still use F-units for freight. One reason why they disappeared from Class 1s is that the engineer couldn't see backwards that well. But know, most big power isn't mean't to be run long hood forward anymore. So is there a slight possibility that the F-unit shape will come back?
From another thread here, there are many shortlines that still use F-units for freight. One reason why they disappeared from Class 1s is that the engineer couldn't see backwards that well. But know, most big power isn't mean't to be run long hood forward anymore. So is there a slight possibility that the F-unit shape will come back?
With a defference to Posters Chuck and Jim and Firelock:
There comes a story like this from TRAINSNewswire of December 21,2012: as follows FTA:
FTA:"...CHICAGO – Norfolk Southern has acquired an additional three F7 locomotives. The three units are located at two National Railway Equipment facilities in the Midwest. Former Canadian National EMD F7A No. 9177 is located at NRE Dixmoor, Ill. Two additional units, former Coe Rail F7A No. 407 and former Canadian Pacific F7B No. 1019 are reportedly at NRE’s Mt. Vernon. Ill., Facility. No. 9177 has reportedly been relettered SOU No. 9177 at Dixmoor.Norfolk Southern Spokesman Robin Chapman declined to comment on the locomotives..."
It seems like the old saying of "...Never say Never..." Has come to this Hobby and avocation in spades this last few weeks. First there is the announcement that UPRR is in negotiation for re-acquiring a "Big Boy" to potentially incorporate into their Heritage Steam Operations" . Still waiting the outcome on that and then apparently comes word that NS is shoping for some EMD "F's ! The smart money would guess there would be to add to their fleet of Office Car Power (?) More class to an already class operation.
Keep in mind taking a cue from the automotive side of the house GM offered trade-in values on the F units in an attempt to keep moving product, which is why a lot of 'roads were happy to trade in their F units on new Geeps and SD's. Some 'roads didn't, which is why there's still some F units out there, otherwise they'd be darn near extinct.
The 'F' has a trussed car body - it costs more to build than a road switcher type of unit(sheet metal hood over the engine that is mounted to rather heavy-duty frame rails). EMD figured this out with the GP7, and sold them for less than an equivalent F7. It did not take the railroads long to figure out that a GP would do everything that a F can, and cost less!
Maintenance with an F requires pulling the prime mover out of the car body. A power assembly can be pulled from a GP with the side access doors opened. When access is simple, things get fixed faster and there are less road failures.
Jim
Modeling BNSF and Milwaukee Road in SW Wisconsin
The F-unit shape 'came back' in the form of 'cowl' units - full-width cosmetic carbodies on switcher-style frames.
The key difference between the original covered wagons and the later full-width carbody types was that in the earlier form the sides were structural trusses that supported the frame to prevent sag. Returning to that design is, to put it mildly, improbable.
The one big advantage of the narrow hood, absent in the full-width body, is the ability to open a couple of doors and have easy maintenance access from a built-in, easily accessible platform which leaves 'wiggle room' between rails and stanchions. With a solid car side, that wiggle room isn't there.
Chuck
Lone Geep
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