It's still unclear to me whether or not this actually is a new model. What's different about these as compared to their phase 1 F3's? Thanks, -Mark
further up in the thread, Jerry states this is, actually, a re-release of an old F3 body-style release....I had thought this was a brand new F3 body style from Kato- I've not seen a Kato F3 with the early FT numberboards.... new release or old re-release...this body style is the 4th F3 that Kato has molded... F3-single headlight-'cheek' numberboards-chicken wire in all positions-3 portholes F3-double headlight-cheek numberboards-chicken wire-2 portholes F3-double headlight-cheek numberboards-no chicken wire-2 portholes F3 -double headlight-FT numberboards-chicken wire-3 portholes there may be others///these are only the ones I know of... respectfully, ~Bruce
I'll go ahead and paint one, that will all but guarantee Kato will do them in this scheme. That is what happened when I had a good thing going with Metra F40's.
http://tinyurl.com/orxzywe http://tinyurl.com/nqn99qx http://tinyurl.com/nu2mokr In addition to the Santa Fe F3A, the Southern Ry. F3A released at the same time also had the small number boards. However, these two models also had only a single headlight, unlike the new F2A models announced by Kato.
I wish I could see the pics, but they won't load for me... but, neat...like Jerry said..old releases brought 'back' with a twist...AND, of course, a new mechanism that is DCC friendly... contrast this with Bachmann's recent release of an, apparently, very nice mechanism, with improved paint, on an older, standard shell. I'll have to go back and see if these have lighted numberboards...that would be a neat trick for these small, side-mounted numberboards.... I just checked the site, and didn't see anything about whether these numberboards were lighted...however, something that I had glossed over before was their being available in 'with Dynamic brakes' and 'w/o dynamic brakes'...was this modelled on the old release of this shell? Respectively, ~Bruce
Yeah, I have one of those original Phase I Southern F3s from Kato. There are no differences between it and an F2 (except it had a steam generator which I removed). It also has small FT/E7 style number boards, dynamic brakes, and a single headlight which is exactly why I spent years hunting one down to make an F2. The number boards on mine aren't lit and the number boards are very small, so that might be difficult to accomplish using normal factory techniques. I don't have any photos available of it and it is in storage right now due to a move. This thread makes me want to dig it out and get it painted/decaled. The biggest issue with this release is the dual headlight. Many years ago when I repainted a Life Like F7 in B&M I discovered that the center number board B&M placed on the front door of their F units easily covered up any scars from filing off the headlight and filling the hole. Its kind of an amateur attempt, but it was my first attempt at repainting a locomotive into a prototypical scheme (those darn skinny gold pinstripes): Here it is on the real steel (from another site):
The original FT four unit "motor" was designed to replace a 2-10-2 and was tested (quite successfully) in that capacity on the CB&Q before WWII. Later and with their (relatively) flat profile, the Burlington found they didn't need 5,400hp for most jobs so buying two F2s and splitting an ABBA set of FTs gave them two "motors" better matched to their needs. Andy Tetsu Uma
This is probably a re-release form 1988, but the artwork is different than what that shell looked like. We'll have to see the actual model to be sure. For FT style number boards, just search 'KATO 176-051'. There were others but that one give the most pictures. edit: So I talked with Kato and it is the same shell as the 1988 release except with dual headlights. Some were minor tweaks for couplers and such. There was no artwork back when these were first released so the drawing was cobbled together. Jason
One of the problems with the FTs is that they were connected by drawbars which made them not very flexible for power. The RI bought only F2 A units, one for each FT AB set. Jason
I'm assuming one relatively "major" tweak (apart from headlights) would be lit numberboards. Hard to believe that Kato would ignore that particular upgrade on their evolving line of F units. Cheers, -Mark
I found my source of my confusion. Burlington Bulletin #42 page 187 and 188 have a very interesting take on the whole FT, F2 and F3 from the Q perspective. They refer to the F2 as an interim unit, but obviously not for the reason I thought. I knew I was not crazy but now have a clearer understanding of the facts. I never looked up the actual production dates for the specific models.
Interesting thing is I am seeing different years for the start of production of the F3 in different sources.
"One of the problems with the FTs is that they were connected by drawbars which made them not very flexible for power." But this was a relatively simple change that the railroads undertook as experience showed that having three units down while a fourth was being worked on didn't make much sense. And there were a lot of railroads that specified couplers on both ends of A-B sets when built, as well. Wish I could find my RAILFAN & RAILROAD magazine "FT" issue... it had detailed rosters for all FTs built, including coupler configuration, who got "short" FTBs, etc., including a five A-unit order for the Southern Railway which was used to split up A-B-B-A sets into A-B-A sets (predating the F2/F3 offering). "So a question, are the ACL units freight or passenger units?" Passenger A-B sets. Had to dig up Larry Goolsby's excellent ACL Passenger Train book to be sure...
Rock Islands we're draw barred in AB sets. When the F2s arrived, they had already started to put couplers on each end. But that's (one reason) why the F2s were ordered. Jason
It was for those reasons that some forward thinking person with Santa Fe had EMD build their FTs with couplers on both ends of all units. They were thus able to split them up and run them in various combinations as they needed.
This is great news. However, it is tempered with the fear of Kato's color choices. I might be looking to strip & paint my own.
The ACL "F2's were often seen on the western trains and on secondary runs, particularly during the winter season when E-units were kept busy on the Richmond-Tampa main." from "Atlantic Coast Line Passenger Service-The Postwar Years" by Larry Goolsby. Book includes a few photos too.
The Kato model is good for the early years. At some date had the side planels replaced to resemble F3's with 2 porthole windows and chicken wire. They then looked like F3's. One unit was repaired with the upper head light and housing removed. Don't know what years all this was done. Information per Dock Island Diesel Locomotives 1930-1980 by Louis A Marrie. Dan
Wonder if we can get Kato to do the B-unit in Amtrak? Note the high fans and vertical bracing across the chicken wire... http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=3713223