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Well, according to the shipping schedule (usually found in the fiction section) the F7's are still due in December.

However, items that were due in October and November still haven't shown up.  I suspect the S Scale will be in the last container shipped.  After all, the 2019 S Scale was the only product line to get pre-order discounts, so the profit margin is lower than the all the other MTH stuff.

Rusty

Check out the MTH segment of the Virtual York video from October 2020(find with google). Rich and Andy from MTH give an update on the S Gauge locomotives, as of the end of October when the video was made. SW8s in production, may be here by late December or January. Then they say they'll make NW2s, then F7s. Nothing about rest of catalog. Subject to change of course. Have to wait and see.

Mike

Well, my Burlington F7's have arrived, or at least 2/3rds of them did.  Powered A and B.  The non-powered A hasn't arrived yet.

MTH F& CB&Q 168AB [a)

Unfortunately, I haven't excavated either my DCC system or Z-1000, so I can't test them yet.  However, everything is intact and they look good with no blemishes.

MTH F& CB&Q 168AB [b)

However, I just had to compare the MTH paint vs my SHS F3's (which match the EMD paint chip for "aluminum.")  Well, here MTH used white (as did Kato on my N scale F3's.)  The white isn't too far off  from aluminum under natural light, which is what these shots used.  Even on some prototype photos Burlington F's look white.

Also in comparing the two to prototype photos, the Burlington nose "wings" on the MTH unit appear to be slightly better shaped than the SHS model.

MTH F& CB&Q 168AB [c)

The EMD aluminum paint is somewhat of a chameleon anyway, depending on lighting.

F Color

It'll be a while before these get scalified as my workshop isn't set up yet.

So, anyway:  The last of the last MTH S Scale.  According to Doug Peck, MTH has shipped all of the remaining S scale with a few pieces still in the warehouse.  It's going to be a while before we see F's run again from the new owners, Scale Trains.

Rusty

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  • MTH F& CB&Q 168AB (a)
  • MTH F& CB&Q 168AB (b)
  • MTH F& CB&Q 168AB (c)
  • F Color
@Francine posted:

Hi Rusty,

So I'm not alone in awaiting the "golden goose"

Thanks Chuck, just wish they went through all the features.

MTH has the Reading f7s in this batch.  As an aside, I spoke with Ron at AM about running a Reading Company heavyweight set and he asked for pix.  I sent him more than the email could hold.

A Reading G-1 Pacific pulling a string of heavyweights.

clerestory

Tom Stoltz

in Maine

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  • clerestory

Well, I "semi-scalified" my Q F7's this weekend by mounting the scale couplers. Looks a lot better now with the gap between the units closed.

F7 BandA 1F7 BandA 2

One other thing accomplished during this round:  From MTH (SHS did it, too) the MARS light is in the nose door and the headlight in the top bezel.  I took the shell off and reversed the wires.  The headlight and MARS light are the wires with blue and green connectors.  All that was needed was to simply swap the connectors and the MARS light is on top and the headlight in the door, as it should be.

Still have a couple of things to do, but as this was literally a "kitchen table" project, the rest will have to wait for when I can get my workbench set up.  Still to be done: Modify and install the coupler cover to close the gap in the pilot, install the scale wheels and add the MU cables to the ends of the units.

I've been puttering these things back and forth on my modules using conventional DC and they run fine.  It's interesting under DC they run opposite of a conventional DC locomotive.  A minor inconvenience. The numberboards and class lights stay lit under power in both directions, the headlight and MARS light come on in forward, off in reverse.

Now to hook up my DCC system...

BTW, I also pre-ordered the non-powered A-unit, but it appears to have gone AWOL.  My LHS is looking in to it, but I don't know if it'll ever show up as it looks like production of the F7's was really tight.

Rusty

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  • F7 BandA 1
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Rusty - you mention that on the Burlington F7 the MARS light is on top - do you happen to know if UP did the same for their F and E units?  I have an American Models F-7 in UP paint that was never fully 'tricked out' (I think I have all the pieces) - and I bought a Dallee version of a MARS light (which I'm not sure they offer anymore).  But I wasn't sure which of the two light openings had the MARS light in it.

thanks, Rich

@Strummer posted:

According to the "modeltrainforum", on the UP it was the upper light that had the "Mars" feature.

Mark in Oregon

@richs09 posted:

Rusty - you mention that on the Burlington F7 the MARS light is on top - do you happen to know if UP did the same for their F and E units?  I have an American Models F-7 in UP paint that was never fully 'tricked out' (I think I have all the pieces) - and I bought a Dallee version of a MARS light (which I'm not sure they offer anymore).  But I wasn't sure which of the two light openings had the MARS light in it.

thanks, Rich

Short answer: The MARS light (or Gyralight) always goes on top.

I have never seen a photo or in real life of the MARS light being in the lower (door) opening on either an E or F unit.  Same goes for PA's, FA's, FM C-Liners, FM Erie Builts and BLW Shark Noses.  The mechanism would get in the way of the door being able to be opened all the way.

Even when Santa Fe outfitted their E6's with MARS lights, they reinstalled the headlight lower on the nose and put the MARS light in the top bezel.

The ONLY exception was the Rock Island TA, where the Rock Island cut a hole in the nose below the herald to install the light.

Rusty



I've been puttering these things back and forth on my modules using conventional DC and they run fine.  It's interesting under DC they run opposite of a conventional DC locomotive.  A minor inconvenience.



Rusty

On an all DC layout, I find that almost a show stopper.  If I understand this correctly, it means running two trains on the same loop won’t work without throwing the direction switch for each block before the engine enters it.  Man, that’s major!  I have to run my Y-3 alone because its conversion to DC (by Flyonel) makes it respond differently and if my Reading MTH F7 ever shows up, it’s going to run alone, too.

These proprietary systems are more than a PITA.  I, for one, will be glad when they are gone.

Tom Stoltz

in Maine

@Tom Stoltz posted:

On an all DC layout, I find that almost a show stopper.  If I understand this correctly, it means running two trains on the same loop won’t work without throwing the direction switch for each block before the engine enters it.  Man, that’s major!  I have to run my Y-3 alone because its conversion to DC (by Flyonel) makes it respond differently and if my Reading MTH F7 ever shows up, it’s going to run alone, too.

These proprietary systems are more than a PITA.  I, for one, will be glad when they are gone.

Tom Stoltz

in Maine

Well there are switches in the back of the loco, behind the door casting, for reversing the motor and lights for"back-to-back" DCC/DCS operation so you don't have to mess with command settings, but I don't know if they are activated in conventional DC.

All I can add is "forward" is forward under DCC with the switch setting in the default position.

Rusty

Last edited by Rusty Traque

Well there are switches in the back of the loco, behind the door casting, for reversing the motor and lights for"back-to-back" DCC/DCS operation so you don't have to mess with command settings, but I don't know if they are activated in conventional DC.

All I can add is "forward" is forward under DCC with the switch setting in the default position.

Rusty

Oh bother, what a PITA for DC runners.  But maybe a moot point because I haven't received my Reading F7s from Doug Peck yet.  I know he is over busy and I think he tool some time off.

Tom Stoltz

in Maine

@Tom Stoltz posted:

Oh bother, what a PITA for DC runners.  But maybe a moot point because I haven't received my Reading F7s from Doug Peck yet.  I know he is over busy and I think he tool some time off.

Tom Stoltz

in Maine

OK, Tom.  I went downstairs and verified the headlight and motor switches do reverse the motor and headlight operation on conventional DC.  The "reverse" function for DC's not mentioned in the user manual.

002

Of course, you can always gut the electronics and wire things in directly.

Rusty

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OK, Tom.  I went downstairs and verified the headlight and motor switches do reverse the motor and headlight operation on conventional DC.  The "reverse" function for DC's not mentioned in the user manual.

002

Of course, you can always gut the electronics and wire things in directly.

Rusty

Thank you, thank you, Rusty.  Oh happy day!  But of course it's all dependent on mine being delivered.

How about some more good news for Reading fans?  Spoke with Ron today and they are now in the probably category for running the Reading heavyweights!!!

Tom Stoltz

in Maine, but spent my youth midway between the Lansdale and Hatboro branches.  And a lot of that time was in the YM tower at Glenside -- playing with real trains.

Note: Hatboro is named because of their 3 corner hats.

@Francine posted:

Hi Tom,

Lived and still live near the old Reading Lansdale Line.  As a kid in Ambler, it went right past my house.

I have photos of the sign on the Ambler Station,

I was just a few stations down the line in North Hills.  My wife and I lived in Oreland for a while and the Oreland Station was our back yard.

We almost bought the house at 420 Ellerslie Ave. in Ambler...

Tom Stoltz

in Maine

Hi Tom,

I worked in a place that was behind the Oreland Y, you know the old Plymouth Reading Line. I followed it as far as it went.  There was a small bridge before you get to Church Road (RT 73) and there is nothing after the bridge.  They built houses were the line used to cross RT 73,  At Bethlehem pike you can still see where the line used to be, but after that nothing, not at the quarry or anywhere.

Rusty,

I see them at some places, but haven't heard a word from Hennings yet.  I know they sometimes get things late, but when the Berkshires and GP7s came out - they received them same as others.

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