So, I noticed in a thread in the HO forum a comment about the BN F9s still being used in Helper service into this 80s? I have a Kato F9 in BN Green and Black that I've had for years and not known quite what to do with. I usually run it with some Rivarossi NP passenger cars and Concor WP passenger cars and just call it an early 70s Amtrak train. Which may not itself be accurate given the F unit's paint scheme. Is it true, could I in theory justify this unit being used in a freight capacity? At least for purposes of my Railroad club?
Yep, BN ran some F9's as late at 1982, F7's lasted almost as long. There were even a few F3's that made it to 1980. I have the BN 712 in N scale, ex SP&S unit that made it till 1981 or so. A handfull are still around as Rotary Snow plow power units for BNSF. Kevin
Interesting. I thought the WP was the only Railroad fielding F units on a class 1 in the early 80s. Sounds like they were mostly used in Pusher service though and given that the rest of my BN fleet is currently White face, not quite prototypical. Still.
F units were used on locals out of Spokane up till the end for them. Seattle and Northtown also ran them very late in there service. Kevin
I can't recall when the last one was running in my chasing. There was a long string of them on the dead line south of the engine house at Auburn, about 1980-1981. I'd need to dig out my slides of that. Well, I decided to dig a little. The Auburn dead line mentioned was late November of 1980. Found a view I grabbed of F3 #706 on a local job, late July of 1981.
BN was the last Class 1 to retire their F's from any kind of use in revenue service, or so one of my books claims. And the infamous BN 666... Yeah I numbered my Stewart/Kato F9 as BN 666. Her motors burned out shortly after that. Note To Self, don't ever recreate BN's famous cursed F Unit.
Wow. WP Too? Now there's something to be researched. Perhaps BN and WP were both the last than? Although if we want to split hairs, BN retired the E Covered wagons in the early 90s from Commuter Service. I remember watching the "funeral parade" they ran from Aurora to Chicago. All those E's coupled together.
I chased 766 across the high line in 1982, went to Interbay to become a plow unit, then an exective after that. the train even stopped at Essex to set out a backhoe. Other than that the F units left Marias in 1980, but were rare in 1979. 77, and 78 thats all they had for the hill. can't believe what I watched growing up is all gone, now I know who the steam guys feel.
The SP used F7B's without traction motors to help power rotories....I think that the UP still have the "snails"
I see those every day. An advantage of living in Roseville I don't consider those locomotives any more. And rotary power is all b units anyway. Which doesn't help with my F9. I remember seeing Metra F units all the time when I was playing T-ball in the early/mid 80s. River Forest Il. Right on the C&NW.
Cn also ran F9's until 85 86 era, saw them on secondary trains on secondary lines like Lloydminster all the time.
