I received my second FEF this morning with the factory installed TCS decoder. This FEF runs extremely well at very slow speeds. The BEMP isn't disabled. Later I'll adjust some of the CV's to get it to run even slower, hopefully one tie at a time. In my first FEF, a ESU Lok-Sound decoder with the new sound file for the whistle was installed with two Zimo cube speakers. This locomotive works beautifully. Shades
RR4433, What sound file did you use for your first sound install? I can't find a sound file for the 844.
A friend of mine who installs decoders professionally got this file from Lok-Sound and added the sound file with a programmer to my Lok-Sound version 4 Select decoder.
BNSF7776: I don't have a video camera to record a video. Sorry. Woodone has a video of his FEF with a file he received from Matt Herman at Lok-Sound. His video is on RW. Shades
Kato goes #838! Kato Japan announced the production of N scale FEF-3 #838 in spartan scheme (mat finish without frills). Webpage is here (sorry, Japanese only). http://www.katomodels.com/n/fef/ Hiroshi Boxcar Red Collection
USA site now lists as well: http://www.katousa.com/N/FEF/index.html This is great news. I've held off on the excursion version hoping for one appropriate for the earlier times.
It must be selling well, otherwise they wouldn't be running more. That's probably good for all of us. I'm sure a greyhound will be released in the future (along with every other possible scheme). Just look at the GG1....
I'll be happy to buy #838. Eventually a greyhound version will follow. Stay cool and have fun with it.... Shades
I think the "more coming soon....." on Kato's webpage is a direct reference to more paint schemes. It isn't 100% clear from the context, but I read it to mean just this. Does anyone make a decent UP caboose to pair up with the new freight version?
There are these from Intermountain/Centralia: http://www.intermountain-railway.com/distrib/ccs/ccsn.htm Other early CA's pop up on The Bay from time to time.
Thanks. I like the looks of the BCR models. I never really liked the MT yellow ones, and am not aware of much else out there.
"Greyhound" Two-tone-gray FEF-3's with Worthington SA feedwater heaters such as the Kato FEF-3 has, didn't exist in the 1947 thru early 50's. A TTG FEF-3 8444 or 844 would be correct for the modernized excursion engine from 1987 thru 1992(?)...with Armour Yellow lettering and striping. There IS a possibility that one, maybe two FEF-3's got the Worthington SA feedwater heater while they were still painted TTG (with "white" lettering and stripes), but not the 844, which research shows got hers in a 1956 shopping. I have never seen a photo of any TTG FEF with the 18" smokebox extension and the Worthington SA feedwater heater equipment, but there may be photos out there somewhere...which would be a real find IMO. Kato is not correct in assuming that solid black FEF's were a "freight" version...their paint was always glossy and the engines were kept in top-notch condition right up to their last run in 1959, often helping long passenger sections or taking the place of ailing diesel head-end power when needed. A "decent" UP caboose for running behind an FEF-3 hauling a fast freight would be an Armour Yellow caboose...not a mineral red one, which were gone by 1950. Pick the "early" CA-3/CA-4 from Intermountain with the small lettering. The trucks on these models are almost correct (if they had "friction bearings" they would be) for CA-3's and CA-4's after half of each model was equipped with outside swing-hangar trucks when the CA-5's were delivered in 1952 or 53 with the same trucks, the remainder keeping their wooden beamed "Q" trucks until the CA-6 was delivered in '55 with inside-swing hangar trucks...then, half of the "Q" truck equipped CA-3's and CA-4's were equipped with these new trucks, leaving only 25 of each early steel caboose versions with the original wooden beamed "Q" trucks. Since Intermountain doesn't offer a "Q" truck equipped UP caboose, their BCR models are incorrect since all mineral red UP cabooses only work the "Q" trucks. This problem can be solved with the addition of Eric Cox's CBQ No.7, 5ft passenger truck with the offset pin from Panamint Models at Shapeways. You'll need to relocate some of the underbody brake gear on the model and paint the trucks the same color as the caboose body, but the effect is worth it IMO, and makes a very nice, early mineral red UP caboose. Another caboose model worth considering is the MT "wooden" caboose in Amour Yellow livery. This is a pretty close model of a UP CA caboose and can be greatly enhanced by the addition of the Panamint Models "Q" trucks (centered hole, pin mounted) and paint. The appearance of the MT model can be greatly enhanced by painting the roof and cupola roof mineral red, and picking out the grab irons with bright red, airbrushing the platform railings and ladders bright red...then airbrushing the end platforms Armour Yellow, and painting the platform and step tops Maroom. Airbrushing the underbody and new truck frames black also really helps along with the smokejack up on top. MT always puts the wrong numbers on their UP "wooden" cabooses, giving them CA-1 numbers, so if you want to it's pretty simple to renumber them to these CA numbers: 2280 -2289, and 2400 - 2524. These are all "UP" numbers...OWR&N, LA&SL OR&N, OSL will have different numbers. Replacing the standard MT N-scale caboose coupler with MT 905 Z-scale couplers, adding BLMA plastic brake air-lines and painting the interiors with light green paint adds a lot to the MT UP "wooden" cabooses, since the yellow cabooses are molded in a semi-translucent yellow plastic so carefully painting the interiors makes them opaque and noticeably more solid looking. UP CA cabooses wore standard-looking freight trucks when in branchline/local service, but got the "Q" trucks when in mainline service...especially after the steel cabooses started getting outside/inside swing hangar trucks after 1953 and the "Q" trucks went directly to the Harriman-Era CA cabooses. UP CA cabooses wore standard-looking freight trucks when in branchline/local service, but got the "Q" trucks when in mainline service...especially after the steel cabooses started getting outside/inside swing hangar trucks after 1953 and the "Q" trucks went directly to the Harriman-Era CA cabooses. If you want to do a more easy improvements to your MT "wooden" cabooses, you can add cast-resin interiors from Fine-N-Scale, which also includes an exterior toolbox, and windows from MT. UP CA cabooses wore standard-looking freight trucks when in branchline/local service, but got the "Q" trucks when in mainline service...especially after the steel cabooses started getting outside/inside swing hangar trucks after 1953 and the "Q" trucks went directly to the Harriman-Era CA cabooses. UP CA cabooses wore standard-looking freight trucks when in branchline/local service, but got the "Q" trucks when in mainline service...especially after the steel cabooses started getting outside/inside swing hangar trucks after 1953 and the "Q" trucks went directly to the Harriman-Era CA cabooses. UP CA cabooses wore standard-looking freight trucks when in branchline/local service, but got the "Q" trucks when in mainline service...especially after the steel cabooses started getting outside/inside swing hangar trucks after 1953 and the "Q" trucks went directly to the Harriman-Era CA cabooses. Unfortunately, the most common UP caboose of that era, the wooden CA-1 is not available in N-scale. However, if you really want to, you can kitbash a pretty good representation OR an exact representation depending on the effort you're willing to expend, from two MT "wooden" cabooses, along with some Precision Scale, BLMA, Panamint & Fine-N-Scale detail parts, and some careful cutting, splicing and filing. Overland also has made appropriate brass models of UP steel cabooses in several different levels of detail and paint and they can be found periodically at shows and on eBay. I picked up two early Overland brass cabooses...an early 1942 CA-3 with the cupola running board, and a 1953 CA-5, both in pristine, unpainted condition, for $75 each. I'm working on painting both of them this week...the CA-3 in Mineral Red and the CA-5 in Armour Yellow after stripping them, adding a few details, and straightening up some details. Here are a few UP caboose photos which run on my trackage: Photo (1) - 1949 at Wilhemina Pass on the U.P. who has not finished painting all of its cabooses into the new "yellow" scheme: Photo (2) - In-Progress MT UP "Wooden" Caboose w/sanded-down running boards, Panamint Models CBQ "Q" Trucks and MT 905 Z-scale Couplers: Photo (3) - Kitbashed UP CA-1 from two MT "Wooden" cabooses: Photo (4) - Superdetailed Goldenwest Models Kit of UP CA-4 In-Progress with unpainted Panamint Models CBQ "Q" Trucks & Fox Valley Wheelsets: Photo (5) - Early Overland Brass UP CA-5 with a few added details painted by me. This caboose is not available in N-scale except in brass: Obviously, both the UP in the transition era and UP cabooses are of great interest to me. Hope this post assists anybody who wants to match a caboose with their new all-black Kato FEF-3! Cheerio! Bob Gilmore
Thanks Bob! I don't think I've ever received a more thorough answer to any question I've posted to the internet!
Bob, I'll second what NorsemanJack said - thx for the expert information on UP cabooses appropriate for steam era UP FEF 4-8-4. I am planning on weathering my excursion UP 844 to look like it would have looked in the 1950's when it was operating in regular service. (yes, you can tell I'm not a UP steam excursion fan at the moment). I.e. I am planning on Neolube-ing the connecting roads, grimy black on the journals, chalk weathering the entire loco / tender's bright shiny paint, etc. Is there anything "wrong" with the excursion Kato UP 844 that I should be aware of for a 1950's UP FEF? What would be "proper" detail modifications for a 1950's in-service UP 844? Thx.
John, I would be very interested in seeing pictures of your loco when it is weathered. I've been planning on doing some weathering as well…. Ajay
