Show Your F3s, F7s and similar diesels

E5A's

These Lionel legacy E-8’s 6-39603 were modified with silver side frames. I ordered the silver side frames from Lionel parts to match the beautiful and hard to find 18” aluminum Colombian passenger cars. The 7 car set makes a beautiful passenger train  6-29110, 6-25412 & 6-25415.

I'm not sure if K-Line made the Wabash in an AA set or just a powered for inclusion in a starter set.  I got a powered one from eBay and another shell with the same road number from a different eBay auction.  One of my two NYC AA sets sacrificed a non powered chassis so that I would have a Wabash AA.

Yes sir coach joe, K-Line made a nice engine, lost a bid on a shell to make a AA.

Here's my E7 custom painted.

RAY

I got this 1954 or 1955 NYC F3 AA set from Trainz a few months back:

They had a LOT of miles on 'em when I got 'em and didn't run very well, so I went over everything with guidance from @Sitka and now they do. One of my own ideas was to "tether" the "dummy" unit to the powered one with a R/C car connector:

so they can, along with other track-related traversals, do this:

Here they are pulling a 5-car RK NYC streamlined consist at about 30 scale mph:

Now, hang on to your hats (and anything else that might blow away) 'cuz here they are pulling that consist at just over 100 scale mph:

And that's at 3/4 throttle on my Z-1000 controller. Pretty good for a 68 or 69 year-old set...

Bill, they really run top notch now!!

@Bill Swatos posted:

I got this 1954 or 1955 NYC F3 AA set from Trainz a few months back:

They had a LOT of miles on 'em when I got 'em and didn't run very well, so I went over everything with guidance from @Sitka and now they do. One of my own ideas was to "tether" the "dummy" unit to the powered one with a R/C car connector:

so they can, along with other track-related traversals, do this:

Here they are pulling a 5-car RK NYC streamlined consist at about 30 scale mphNow, hang on to your hats (and anything else that might blow away) 'cuz here they are pulling that consist at just over 100 scale mph:

And that's at 3/4 throttle on my Z-1000 controller. Pretty good for a 68 or 69 year-old set...

Great job Bill runs like brand new WTG Blew the passengers right out of the cars

@Don McErlean posted:

Well I really loved this thread, so I went through my archives to see if I could find any more shots of my cab units.  So here are a few more

The classic Lionel 2344 F3 from 1950-1952

The # 2344 F3 with train - "chicken wire" roof vents.

Best Wishes for a great weekend

Don

Nice 2344 set Don! You even have the hard-to-find "B" unit.

@Bill Swatos - Thanks Bill, funny story with that "B" unit.  I found it by chance in a little hobby shop in Ohio and knowing it was hard to find bought it although I did not have the AA units yet.  I then "carried around" that B unit for likely 20 years searching for a 2344 AA units that were both in good shape and I could afford.  Finally found them at a train show in Plano, Texas last year and finally after all that time was able to assemble the ABA.  Guess you just have to have patience

Best Wishes and again thanks for the comment

Don

@prrjim posted:

Here is a potpourri of F units and similar and other stuff.   In stall 5, there is an FA2 and stall 8 has an F3.    In machine shop stall 11 there is an FP7 and next to it in machine shop 12 is one of the FM Cliners.

Looks like 2 rail heaven!!!

@Don McErlean posted:

@Bill Swatos - Thanks Bill, funny story with that "B" unit.  I found it by chance in a little hobby shop in Ohio and knowing it was hard to find bought it although I did not have the AA units yet.  I then "carried around" that B unit for likely 20 years searching for a 2344 AA units that were both in good shape and I could afford.  Finally found them at a train show in Plano, Texas last year and finally after all that time was able to assemble the ABA.  Guess you just have to have patience

Best Wishes and again thanks for the comment

Don

I did not know about the B unit being hard to find.  As it turned out for you the double A was hard to find.  I’m glad you have it all now!

Here is my NYC #2344 ABBA bought the add on B-unit couple years ago.

Great topic for discussion and sharing projects to grow the best hobby in the world. I have been in the hobby 53 years and it has been a fun ride. In the early 1970's we were "glad" to occasionally get "lucky" looking at classified ads , going to garage sales. meeting with a couple of friends in different homes. We came from the school of clean up, fix up, make do and share toy train talents with each other.  I started  "on the carpet" during Christmas of 1972 with my 2 young sons who joined in the fun. Money was scarce, especially for trains. I was getting started in my career, my wife helped out also, college educated, but the "enthusiastic" curious boys really needed a stay at home Mom which she loved to do. We added 1 more boy and 3 girls whom we welcomed into our home. 

There was no MTH, Kline, Williams, Weaver, Atlas, Menards etc. - just old "well used" Lionel. My fondest dream was a Lionel Postwar 2343 or 2353 Santa Fe AA plus aluminum passenger set to match... didn't know about "B" units. My budget was a stretch @ $50.00/month max- sometimes not even that was possible.

But it all worked out and toy trains calmed me down and balanced my life better. I totally was in another world. My wife still doesn't get it (we just celebrated our 54 years together) but the Grandkids sure do. Grandpa Choo Choo loves to host anyone, any time to "play trains". We live in Utah where basements are the norm in every home built going way back in time. Lucky I am.

So a few pictures to bring you up to date on what I have been doing that fit into "show me Your F'3's, F'7s and similar diesels" the last 53 years. I am passionate about Lionel "postwar growlers" and love bringing them back to life. They are tanks! It gives me a buzz every time knowing they are "multigenerational" piece of Americana and worth the effort to cherish and preserve them forever.

I am a superfuss about quality. I know no other way to do it. Anything worth doing is worth doing right- and time. So it always starts with a complete frame off restoration, motors  & driveline, whatever parts are needed replaced, then the finish work. Paint work is 95% prep, and 5% shoot. I have had many F'3's pass thru my hands so let the fun begin.

Regards Everyone!

I

@GrandpaChooChoo posted:

Great topic for discussion and sharing projects to grow the best hobby in the world. I have been in the hobby 53 years and it has been a fun ride. In the early 1970's we were "glad" to occasionally get "lucky" looking at classified ads , going to garage sales. meeting with a couple of friends in different homes. We came from the school of clean up, fix up, make do and share toy train talents with each other.  I started  "on the carpet" during Christmas of 1972 with my 2 young sons who joined in the fun. Money was scarce, especially for trains. I was getting started in my career, my wife helped out also, college educated, but the "enthusiastic" curious boys really needed a stay at home Mom which she loved to do. We added 1 more boy and 3 girls whom we welcomed into our home.

There was no MTH, Kline, Williams, Weaver, Atlas, Menards etc. - just old "well used" Lionel. My fondest dream was a Lionel Postwar 2343 or 2353 Santa Fe AA plus aluminum passenger set to match... didn't know about "B" units. My budget was a stretch @ $50.00/month max- sometimes not even that was possible.

But it all worked out and toy trains calmed me down and balanced my life better. I totally was in another world. My wife still doesn't get it (we just celebrated our 54 years together) but the Grandkids sure do. Grandpa Choo Choo loves to host anyone, any time to "play trains". We live in Utah where basements are the norm in every home built going way back in time. Lucky I am.

So a few pictures to bring you up to date on what I have been doing that fit into "show me Your F'3's, F'7s and similar diesels" the last 53 years. I am passionate about Lionel "postwar growlers" and love bringing them back to life. They are tanks! It gives me a buzz every time knowing they are "multigenerational" piece of Americana and worth the effort to cherish and preserve them forever.

I am a superfuss about quality. I know no other way to do it. Anything worth doing is worth doing right- and time. So it always starts with a complete frame off restoration, motors  & driveline, whatever parts are needed replaced, then the finish work. Paint work is 95% prep, and 5% shoot. I have had many F'3's pass thru my hands so let the fun begin.

Regards Everyone!

I

Hear, hear!

@GrandpaChooChoo posted:

 

Are you still down there on the floor, or were you able to finally get back up??

erdnA

I am 2 years from 80 this past October 2.  I've had both knees replaced in the last 2 years so it's no longer possible to enjoy one of my favorite points of view..

Couple more ......

@GrandpaChooChoo posted:

I am 2 years from 80 this past October 2.  I've had both knees replaced in the last 2 years so it's no longer possible to enjoy one of my favorite points of view..

Well darn. That's not the response I hoped to hear.

I understand. I used to love laying on the floor with the young daughter as we watched our Christmas Train go sailing by. (And sniffing up and savoring that wonderful ozone aroma!) Even with her at 45 years of age now, she still reminisces about doing that!

Sitting on the floor for lengthy times was no issue "then".

However, that's no longer the case with me, either. Getting down, and especially getting back up, comes with more effort "now" compared to "then".

Seems aging happens to all of us as we continue on in our years!

Andre

@laming posted:

Well darn. That's not the response I hoped to hear.

I understand. I used to love laying on the floor with the young daughter as we watched our Christmas Train go sailing by. (And sniffing up and savoring that wonderful ozone aroma!) Even with her at 45 years of age now, she still reminisces about doing that!

Sitting on the floor for lengthy times was no issue "then".

However, that's no longer the case with me, either. Getting down, and especially getting back up, comes with more effort "now" compared to "then".

Seems aging happens to all of us as we continue on in our years!

Andre

@laming and @GrandpaChooChoo:

Don't you wish that gravity came with a convenient on/off switch or that Sir Isaac Newton had kept that gravity thing to himself? I can relate to not getting on the floor anymore.

Here’s a few pieces from my collection of F series and some E series also.

Like these

Some of my "F"s and others

@joe krasko posted:

Some of my "F"s and others

This definately fits under "similar diesels" - a modern cab unit.  Is this a Williams?

Here are my latest F-3s; Rock Island AA

https://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/...9#182044000546391029

One of the members has this new set of E units and the 3 cars on the outer loop this evening. He wasn't in attendance so we only ran his set (conventionally) around to a trestle to get some photos. Personally am not sure if I can get used to these colors...   Beautiful detail however. :-)

Lionel 2233850AA, 223358B, and 2233859 super base B unit set.

Looks like many of you fine Forum folks, including me, have, and have had, a love affair with F3s, F7s and similar diesels.

@Arnold D. Cribari posted:

Looks like many of you fine Forum folks, including me, have, and have had, a love affair with F3s, F7s and similar diesels.

This really is a fun thread, Arnold! One problem, though. It's making me have to get more of the subject locos to show off in future posts!

@CAPPilot posted:

This definately fits under "similar diesels" - a modern cab unit.  Is this a Williams?

It was an early  MTH CSX unit...bell and horn....

@GrandpaChooChoo posted:

I am 2 years from 80 this past October 2.  I've had both knees replaced in the last 2 years so it's no longer possible to enjoy one of my favorite points of view..

@GrandpaChooChoo Wow, that is some incredible paint work work!! I love your ballasted display cases! Very neat idea. I have never seen that before.

@Hudson J1e posted:

@GrandpaChooChoo .....I love your ballasted display cases! Very neat idea. I have never seen that before.

I noticed that too.  Greg's neat display case also has ballasted track.  I was thinking of getting FasTrack, but the ballast does look better.

Here is a sampling from my collection from different manufacturers to compare. Starting on the left is a MTH F3 MT-2152LP, a MTH RailKing F3 (I bought for parts), an Atlas F3 1630-2, a Lionel F7 6-34694, a Lionel F3 6-38189, a K-Line F7 K25102, a Williams F7 F71100, and a 3rd Rail FP7 special run.

The overhead view shows that the manufacturers were really close in their dimensions except for the under sized RailKing model. Also note the roof details like tall fans vs short fans; dynamic brakes, lift rings, and steam generators. This view shows the flatness of the Williams model front. One day I will 3-D print a pilot that will look better for that unit.

Here are my favorite F units.

Tom

One of my best conventional running locomotives are these Williams Penn Central F3s in this video hauling Williams aluminum NY Central passenger cars:

Arnold

MTH Premier Maine Central F3 #683

Arnold, This topic has caused me to start looking for inexpensive F-units during a time when I said I wasn't going to buy any more engines and concentrate on the layout scenery!  Famous last words!!   

Southern Pacific.

Had to dig most of these out of boxes. Need to build more shelf space.  I really thought I had a few more.  From left to right:

• Great Northern PA2  MTH Premier  PS2  A-B-A
• Burlington F3 MTH Rail King  PS3  A-B-A
• Milwaukee Road F3 K-Line (early version)  TMCC   A-B-A
• Milwaukee Road F3 K-Line (version 3 last run)  TMCC A-B-B-A  fixed pilot
• Burlington Northern F3  MTH Premier  PS3 A-B
• Denver Rio Grande F3 MTH Rail King  PS1 A-A
• Santa Fe F3  MTH Rail King  PS3 A-B-A

Rather odd to me MTH dropped a nose light in the PS3 RailKing SF version.

Well, I guess that Es count so here is my HO Proto 2000 FEC E6:

It is operating on a friend's layout in this photo. He and I are both trying to figure out how the BR MK1 Brake second got to Cumberland! Must have gotten there with the assistance of the Freightliner Class 66.