Zeuke-TT, what's new?

[rdikken]

and all mentioned are in the planning, but not all at once.

[sacto-tt]

Were Cotton Belt locomotives used together with SP locomotives? Could you have a F7A and B from SP followed by a Cotton Belt F7A?

Rob

Rob,

Yes, seeing Cotton Belt locomotives mixed with SP locomotives was a common sight, even on branch lines. My father worked for the NWP & SP and I saw many Cotton Belt locos while train watching.
In the book NWP Vol 2 by Scott Inman & Ed Mackinson, there is a picture on page 69 of a Cotton Belt GP-40 leading an SP train on its way to Roseville.

[rdikken]

Thxs Joe. Than we will start with a mix, a SP and a SSW F7A Black Widow. Red Nose will follow later. The first batch will be only F7A's. Probably SP, SSW, 2xCN and one B&O. After that a batch with F7B's will follow.

After the first 2 batches things will slow down to 2 till 4 locomotives per year depending on the demand.
Rob

[gerhard_k]

Thxs Joe. Than we will start with a mix, a SP and a SSW F7A Black Widow. Red Nose will follow later. The first batch will be only F7A's. Probably SP, SSW, 2xCN and one B&O. After that a batch with F7B's will follow.

After the first 2 batches things will slow down to 2 till 4 locomotives per year depending on the demand.
Rob

Even though my layout will not be large, I will commit to buying at least 2 of the Black Widow F7As. Then of course they will need B units...

Best of luck with your plans, Rob!

[MacG]

Hello Rob, your first series of F7As does not let me see that the intended target group is to be new NA TT model railroaders. The selection is too specific for that.

For the later C&NW, here's some info before I forget
The C&NW purchased 32 F7 Phase I cab units in 1949. Series 4067-4087 with an additional A or C for the paired F7As. Most of them were renumbered to the 400 series for suburban service starting in 1971, and only a few were converted to freight service and placed into the 200 series. All were equipped with dynamic braking. F7Bs were also ordered for numbers 4067-4084, all with dynamic brakes. However, all B units were traded to EMD as early as 1964.

[Marquette]

Incidentally: what can we know of the availability of the boxcars?

[Marquette]

Hello Rob, your first series of F7As does not let me see that the intended target group is to be new NA TT model railroaders. The selection is too specific for that.

Strikes me as filling the most widely mentioned interests with SP and CN. B&O kinda surprises me, I would have thought PRR or ATSF Warbonnet would've been the obvious one.

edit: obvious one, in the sense of recognition by people who don't know aught about NorAm trains. What is a more stereotypically American train than an F unit in Warbonnet?

[AstroGoat760]

Rob,

I would prefer mid-western locale railroads myself (SOO Line, Northern Pacific, Great Northern, Burlington Northern, and so on), but regardless, I will buy as many as I can afford of the F-7 project locos.

I hope to have more of the F-7 A/Bs than I have of the MTB SWs, which says something, as I have at least a dozen of the MTB SWs at this time.

Will there be undecorated models available?

[rdikken]

First of all: Merry Christmas to you all.

Furthermore: Patience grasshoppers, this is a slow dance, 2 steps forward, one step back. Due to money problems we cannot start with a 6-axle diesel. But we need a locomotive to sell freight cars and the F7 will suit that purpose. Now the ATSF Bonnets are the most beautiful painted F7 locomotives and they are also very difficult and expensive to paint. Let the production team first get some experience in assembling and painting SP and CN locomotives. They should not start with the most difficult ones. With PRR there is another challenge called pull eyes in front of the F7 house. I do not have an answer at this moment for all the technical challenges. Top 15 is my goal, but it will take some time to realize that.

The planning is first the 2-bay hopper in 2023, then the PS-1 in the end of 2023 / beginning 2024, and the F7A the end of 2024.

So, let's dance.

Ciao,
Rob

[ConducTTor]