Nice unit. Noted that some of the FP-7s shown in the add were without Dynamics while with some only the B unit in the set appeared with them. As far as I can tell the NP only had one A-A set that was without dynamics, 6600 and 6601 which were confined to the St. Paul and Duluth area and one other route in the area. All of the remaining NP FP-7s had the dynamic brakes. So it will be interesting to see if they offer the FP-7 in NP colors will they have both A and B units with dynamics as would be correct on the head of the NCL and in the right numbers for those units. I have no desire to try and add a dynamic fan to a A unit or get a B unit without dynamics, or even worse get a A unit that needs renumbering because it had a 6600 on it. My memory is still fresh from having to correct the GN set. Also hopefully they will be in the Loewy scheme since the majority of cars offered are in that. Also was squinting to see if the 2nd headlight was there. Need to see a nose shot on these plus a few other things if they offer a NP set. Just maybe I can finally replace that ancient set of F-3s on the head of the NCL.
Thanks for the compliment John! If they do it in NP this is how I think they should offer it; -A units only as they almost exclusivley operated as single units. They pinch-hit on the NCL a couple of times but then only to Livingston, MT and not through the mountains. -W/O dynamic brakes. They never had them. -Painted in the Butterknife scheme. This is the as delivered paint scheme and would be most correct for these models as I doubt Intermountain would put on the correct snowplow which was added when they were painted into the loewy scheme. Hopefully IM will get the details right on these as they goofed on the F-7s. They are a very welcome addition none the less.
W/O dynamic brakes. They never had them. I would have to disagree there in that the F-3, F-5, F-7, and F-9 had dynamics with the rare exception of the two I mentioned before. The F-3 and F-5 (actually a later version F-3 or Phase 4 type) had the roof top grills thus the fans wern't visable in most shots. Starting with the FP-7 and the FP-9 the dynamics had the roof top fan unit rather than grillwork and shows as the 1st fan directly behind the cab. Some of the McGee and Nixon photos that were taken from an elevation show them well. I also like what has been referred to as the Butterknife scheme or elsewhere as the Pine tree scheme from the nose treatment. The only problem with that scheme is the lack of suitable painted cars to go with it where as the Loewy scheme are available and abundant from at least two manufacturers. Decals were made for the scheme at least but paint is yet another issue where as the paint is available for the Loewy.
I think we have a little miscommunication here. I thought we were only talking about the FP-7. I agree that all other F units on the NP had dynamic brakes but the 6600 and 6601 (which were the only FP-7s the NP ever had) did not have them.
In rereading the post this AM it was a misunderstanding on my part, and we are in agreement on the lack of dynamic brakes on the 6600 and 6601. Now lets just hope that the good folks at IM, if they choose to do NP, and offer these same road numbers that they do so on the correct shell for these particular units and the remainder will be with the dynamic brakes.
Several of SP's made it into Amtrak red nosed Pointless Arrow paint, before the SDP40's showed up. I may get one of those to model the early San Joaquins... Kel
From Mikado's RailImages gallery. Isn't this an L&N FP7? Maybe the second unit, too? The third is an E8?
I've been finding (without looking for them) a lot of photos of these recently. I'm pretty sure that the RMC issue that said only two FP7s received Amtrak paint must have been wrong.
Triplex, I believe you're correct. Check out this page for confirmation: http://adsl-69-213-240-177.dsl.dytnoh.ameritech.net/amtrak/amtF.html
Yes... Western Pacific and Northern Pacific for me. That way I can cancel the Model Power FP7 in WP which I still haven't received; then, I'll also sell the NP ones I received last year.
Bring them on. I have a UP passenger train set that would love to have the F7P on the point. Like others here on TB, I'm wondering when we will get to see some SP Black Widow and Bloody Nose units. What a name "Bloody Nose". Sounds like the unit was in a bar fight with an ATSF Warbonnet and the SP unit lost the fight. Grin!
Hmmm.... lots of head-on collisions? I think they would have looked better with a black body. By choosing instead the grey body... they just look old and grey with a bloody nose.
There were one or two painted like that in the early times. One was an F7 and another an SD9? Something like that.
That page shows a minimum of 5 F7As and 11 FP7As in Amtrak colors. The RMC article claimed, IIRC, no F7As, 2 FP7As, and 2 F7Bs in Amtrak paint. Found the issue: Aug 84. "The ubiquitous F7/F9 models offered by nearly everyone were not used in real life by Amtrak. However, Amtrak acquired two FP7's from the Southern Pacific (Amtrak 492 and 493)..." They only mention the FP7s that were renumbered in 1976.
Ahhh yesss... the Halloween Schemes... spooky looking. I think that some E7 or E8 units also were done that way.
Correct that those were orange. I meant that these were black engines with the red bloody nose wings. It was experimental. It was a Black Widow with the silver and orange removed. Then the new SP scarlet bloody nose scheme added to the black engine. Also, there was one F7 with the black body and the bloody nose scheme painted in orange, wings and everything. I saw pictures of all this in the Joe Strapac SP Historic Diesel series.
I've never owned an InterMountain loco, but I've just reserved a EL ABBA F7 set. I hope they run as good as they look.
