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Hi F.E.F. folks, just got home from work so I am sending in my entries for this week.  First, I want to compliment SIRT on his CNJ, this is my favorite real railroad, and I just got the Lionchief CNJ RS-3 in the mail and I will likely put it into service this weekend (it is my first command control locomotive).  I have two CNJ steamers, one is part of a Blue Comet set and one just a MPC Lionel 2-4-0 but also blue for some reason.

OK - let me apologize in advance if I am breaking some rule, but I thought you all might like to see this Marx lithographed train floor toy...it is about 0-gauge size but is not a track toy as it does  not have flanged wheels. It is however wildly colored lithography.

Marx floor train - front view

Here is the F.E.F view, royal blue, red , and yellow.  Quite a paint job !

Marx floor train and tender-side view

Here is the side view , with the tender (attached to rear of cab).

 

Western Pacific F-3 front view

 

Now to my "official" F.E.F. input.... The Leonardtown and Savannah (L&S or "Long and Skinny) still has in this year of 1950 a solid commuter business but little generated on - line freight, hence it is bleeding money and needs modern motive power to retire its steam fleet.  Luckily the Western Pacific, due to a downturn in its loadings, has put up a set of F-3 AA's for sale or lease. L&S management, being historically tight with funding, has decided that second hand is the way to go as opposed to trying to get a deal from EMD.  Here are the units, poised in front of the Savannah depot, getting ready to take the 4pm commuter home to "Small Town" for its initial trial ....there it will turn and run back to get the 5:30 and repeat the turn. It will then overnight in Small Town to be ready to go in the morning.  The operating dept is eagerly awaiting the idea that they will be able to turn the locomotive without dumping ashes, reloading coal, getting water...just "fill 'er up" and go out again. That and tomorrow morning, no need for a crew to report 2 hrs early to get the fire going for the days runs.   Wow - management is already cashing those bonus checks !

Have a good weekend

Don McErlean

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  • Marx floor train - front view
  • Marx floor train and tender-side view
  • Western Pacific F-3 front view

             Some Real O Gauge Front Ends'...

   I thought you may enjoy seeing some of these great vintage locomotives from the Danbury, CT. RR museum.  When I photographed these engines in 1986, they were in operable condition. Over the past 33 years they have held up well considering what they have endured'...  Grabs, spot lights, and MU hook ups and rust are the focal points'.... possible reference for detailing if you are so inclined'...   In all photos taken by me'..

more to come'...

DSC_0791DSC_0792DSC_0797DSC_0811DSC_0794DSC_0812DSC_0842SAM_0828DSC_0843SAM_0848SAM_0834SAM_0873SAM_0840SAM_0850

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Images (14)
  • DSC_0791
  • DSC_0792
  • DSC_0797
  • DSC_0811
  • DSC_0794
  • DSC_0812
  • DSC_0842
  • SAM_0828
  • DSC_0843
  • SAM_0848
  • SAM_0834
  • SAM_0873
  • SAM_0840
  • SAM_0850
Last edited by Quarter Gauger 48

Quarter gauger...great photos, thanks its always good to see the real thing!

Rusty:  You are right, they are not F-3's that was careless in working off the top of my head, i guess I tend to call all cab units F-3's since that is what Lionel called them.  I personally make no claim of knowing how to tell the difference without reference material.  So when I got your response, I decided to "hit the books" to see what I could find out and what  I found is that whether or not they are E-7's is at least somewhat in question iaw the various references .  Lets look at what they were called by the guy who made them...Marx...From 1951 when they were introduced until 1973 the year before the last catalog, Marx never referred to them in their catalog with any official EMD designation.  They were always labeled just..."twin unit diesel" .  In '51 and '52" they were described as "the latest type".  In '54 the verbiage called them "Scale model , latest type, twin unit diesel in SF design..."  In '58 same words except for substituting ..."in Western Pacific design" (the ones I pictured).   Subsequently from '66 to '73 they were always just referred to as a ..."twin unit diesel"  without modifiers.  Then in 1974 the last year of the catalogs, in describing set 41850, in talking about the plastic PC engine it contains, the loco was referred to as..."a contemporary F-7" .  Matzke in his book on Marx chose to label them E-7's.  He admits and discusses in the book that because of wheel configuration and their short stature they are often viewed  more to resemble F-7's but he decided to label them E-7's due to (his words)..."side frame design and grill side molding" which he maintained was quite accurate for the E-7.

So like so much of Marx, the company didn't much care what you called them as long as you bought them !!

So I leave it to you diesel experts as to what it may properly be labeled.  To me its just a toy that provides a bit of fun going around an endless loop pulling my imaginary passengers, going nowhere or delivering virtual freight to the same place (no where).

Best Regards, Don 

Don McErlean posted:

.....Matzke in his book on Marx chose to label them E-7's.  He admits and discusses in the book that because of wheel configuration and their short stature they are often viewed  more to resemble F-7's but he decided to label them E-7's due to (his words)..."side frame design and grill side molding" which he maintained was quite accurate for the E-7.

Don,

From the picture it looks like the trucks are three axle trucks (simulated?) which would support it being an E-7.    Just curious, how many axles does each truck have?  I have seen two axle trucks with simulated three axle side frames before.  Thanks.

Quarter Gauger 48 posted:

             Some Real O Gauge Front Ends'...

   I thought you may enjoy seeing some of these great vintage locomotives from the Danbury, CT. RR museum.  When I photographed these engines in 1986, they were in operable condition. Over the past 33 years they have held up well considering what they have endured'...  Grabs, spot lights, and MU hook ups and rust are the focal points'.... possible reference for detailing if you are so inclined'...   In all photos taken by me'..

more to come'...DSC_0812SAM_0873SAM_0840

Ted, you could have called it: "Changing technology applied to old warhorses."

Ditch lights, HEP plugs&receptacles (the outboard smaller receptacles) and Amtrak Comms receptacles (the blue large receptacles).

Nice pics!

CAPPILOT/Ron:  You have got it. In typical Marx fashion the center “axle” is just simulated. There are only 2 actual axles per truck with the center axle, bearing box, and wheel just cast into the plastic truck side frame.   My Marx book mentions this conundrum... is it a 4 wheel truck which I am told would support it being an F-7 ( which one time in 1974 is what the Marx catalog called it) or is it a 6 wheel truck (even though simulated) which supports the E-7 designation. 

I smile as I sit here Ron because you and I probably just had a longer conversation about it than Mr Marx!!  😄 

thanks for your response 

Don 

Don McErlean posted:

CAPPILOT/Ron:  You have got it. In typical Marx fashion the center “axle” is just simulated. There are only 2 actual axles per truck with the center axle, bearing box, and wheel just cast into the plastic truck side frame.   My Marx book mentions this conundrum... is it a 4 wheel truck which I am told would support it being an F-7 ( which one time in 1974 is what the Marx catalog called it) or is it a 6 wheel truck (even though simulated) which supports the E-7 designation. 

I smile as I sit here Ron because you and I probably just had a longer conversation about it than Mr Marx!!  😄 

thanks for your response 

Don 

The side panels and roof details support it being an E7:

No F-units ever had rectangular side windows.  Plus the vent panel behind the cab door is unique to the E7.  Granted, Marx took liberties with proportions and drives, but for a toy it is a decent representation for an E7.

Rusty

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Images (1)
  • mceclip1
Last edited by Rusty Traque
geysergazer posted:
Quarter Gauger 48 posted:

             Some Real O Gauge Front Ends'...

   I thought you may enjoy seeing some of these great vintage locomotives from the Danbury, CT. RR museum.  When I photographed these engines in 1986, they were in operable condition. Over the past 33 years they have held up well considering what they have endured'...  Grabs, spot lights, and MU hook ups and rust are the focal points'.... possible reference for detailing if you are so inclined'...   In all photos taken by me'..

more to come'...DSC_0812SAM_0873SAM_0840

Ted, you could have called it: "Changing technology applied to old warhorses."

Ditch lights, HEP plugs&receptacles (the outboard smaller receptacles) and Amtrak Comms receptacles (the blue large receptacles).

Nice pics!

 Thanks Lew'.. I was wondering what the blue one were used for.  As I opened the door and saw many, many female pins...  These units are  METRO North equip. Not Amtrak per say... But I'm sure Amtrak is involved as they do pull some Amtrak coaches....

Ya, I'm sure they are using the Amtrak HEP and Comms protocol so there are no problems using Amtrak coaches.

I found this website, a supplier of this stuff for (mostly) the private railroad car people:

http://www.nwrail.com/distribu...connector_index.html

I have [some] EE background and just find this stuff interesting. Utahrails.net has a nice description of HEP wiring:

https://utahrails.net/pass/amtrak-hep.php

geysergazer posted:

Ya, I'm sure they are using the Amtrak HEP and Comms protocol so there are no problems using Amtrak coaches.

I found this website, a supplier of this stuff for (mostly) the private railroad car people:

http://www.nwrail.com/distribu...connector_index.html

I have [some] EE background and just find this stuff interesting. Utahrails.net has a nice description of HEP wiring:

https://utahrails.net/pass/amtrak-hep.php

 I find this stuff interesting too.  Been researching this stuff.  I found a HEP website on a railroad in Canada.. Take a look Lew, some real beautiful FPA7s... very cool ...  

http://www.railpictures.ca/upl...rning-of-may-28-1978😜

geysergazer posted:

Ya, I'm sure they are using the Amtrak HEP and Comms protocol so there are no problems using Amtrak coaches.

I found this website, a supplier of this stuff for (mostly) the private railroad car people:

http://www.nwrail.com/distribu...connector_index.html

I have [some] EE background and just find this stuff interesting. Utahrails.net has a nice description of HEP wiring:

https://utahrails.net/pass/amtrak-hep.php

 Lew, https://utahrails.net/pass/amtrak-hep.php Highly recommend  this site'.. Great find""" Lots of very interesting information and easy reading history on Amtrak equipment. HEP, and car identification by numbers...  Very informative.... Good find Lew'....

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