Did F3 B-Units always run with other F3As - or might they be mixed with other diesels?

Maybe not with an SD90 but in the 60s and early 70s was a common sight on some Midwest roads.

They mixed with other types, usually first or second generation units. Think GP7s, GP9s, RS3s, U25Bs, and the like. Could also be with higher horsepower units like GP30s, GP35s, SD45s or Alco 628s, but then the F3B unit becomes the limiting factor.

Chris

LVHR

By the time SD90's came along, F3's were extinct on the railroads.

Rusty

Many a times on the PRR...

Very common in Canada. F units were used until very recently to generate additional motive power, and just as importantly steam for heating the old Budd stainless cars from the 50's. The last F unit on Via Rail's roster was officially retired in 2012.

I run my Williams UP Katy Heritage with the 2245 TS B unit and 6 W TS AL passenger cars.  My "what if" passenger train.

In the late 1970's the ATSF ran many B units in freights.

GregR posted:

Very common in Canada. F units were used until very recently to generate additional motive power, and just as importantly steam for heating the old Budd stainless cars from the 50's. The last F unit on Via Rail's roster was officially retired in 2012.

All the VIA F's were FP9's and F7/F9B's.

Rusty

B units are a powered locomotive so if they needed more power and a B unit was handy, well yes add it on.

The Santa Fe did acquire GP60B units in the 1990's that could be operated with anything else. 

Andrew

Although I didn't ask the question, that was an excellent one! And thanks to everybody for all the answers! You learn something new everyday!

prrhorseshoecurve posted:

Many a times on the PRR...

Very true.  As a kid living on the PRR mainline in the Fifties and Sixties, I saw chains of motive power containing just about everything the PRR had available at the moment.

Thanks for all the replies - I scored this NIB RailKing B unit for 99 cents on ebay...with the intention of re-selling it...

But then got to thinking...hmmm. These RK F3s are sort of stubby/short compared to LIONELs stuff and might look OK with another warbonnet engine...(even if they might not have been contemporaries.)

And - Im 50 - but used to live in Athens OH when I was a kid - near the Hocking River - I think maybe a B&O line ran up the street - and I can remember odd consists and configurations...but nothing really specific. But I have some recollection of F3s riding elephant style - and wondering why - in fact - by then it might have been pretty rare to see an actual ABA consist.

Philosophically, the MU'd diesel electric was designed "to run anything with anything"; it was modular, stacked power controlled from one cab by one crew - one of the 3 major advantages of diesels (or electrics) over steam. In the real world, of course, some things went better (would we say "paired well" today?) with other things than did some others. Some early MU equipment did not "talk to"  some other early equipment. Diesels were run with steam, also (double-headed - no MU'ing!). EMD MU'd with Alco, and so on.

An F3B with a current production SD-something is highly unlikely, but, so far as I know, not technologically impossible.