CanuckMark
Member
What are the round things/devices mounted just above the numberboards on the front? They kinda look like lights...?
Thanks guys!
Mark
Thanks guys!
Mark
Calling F unit experts
- Thread starter CanuckMark
- Start date
Rotorranch
MRR Refugee
Classification lights?
Rotor
Rotor
Yep, they're classification lights. They are another part of the traditional railroading that has died along with the caboose. See http://www.trains.com/trn/default.aspx?c=a&id=200 for more details.
CanuckMark
Member
Awesome, thanks Rotor and Jim (especially for that link). I am on several forums for all sorts of stuff, and this by far is the best of them all for helpful people. *thumbsup*
Mark
Mark
You're welcome, Mark. Now you just have to find out if the railroads in the era you're modeling still used the class lights on the F units or blanked them out. Here's a good link to all EMD cab unit datasheets: http://www.thedieselshop.us/DataEMDIndex.HTML
CanuckMark
Member
Thanks again Jim! OK, here's another Q for you (or another guru) - is there a page where I can find out the details on the roof "layout"? For instance, what each of the fans does? Basically anything on detail.
I'm still trying to figure out what this set is going to be painted as. I'm planning a ABBA set with as much lighting and detail as I am capable of doing (I have access to all kinds of cool LEDs), but the road name is still up in the air. Right now it is looking like either the WP orange and silver engines or a ficticious road name.
Mark
I'm still trying to figure out what this set is going to be painted as. I'm planning a ABBA set with as much lighting and detail as I am capable of doing (I have access to all kinds of cool LEDs), but the road name is still up in the air. Right now it is looking like either the WP orange and silver engines or a ficticious road name.
Mark
I can't find a site that has F unit roof details but there were many, many changes in roof detail from different models and even among different railroads. F-3's were often upgraded throughout their lives so they were indistinguishable from F-7's.
If I take a typical F-7 as an example, there would be a 36" or 48" low mounted fan directly behind the air horns if the unit was equipped with dynamic brakes. This fan exhausted excess heat from the dynamic brake grids when the dynamics were in use. If the unit had no dynamic brakes, the area would be just curved sheet metal that matched the rest of the roof.
Next would come four fans, again either 36" or 48", depending on phase and railroad preference. A few early models had high mounted fans but most had the low mounted, almost flush mount fans. These were exhaust fans mounted directly over the radiator area of the engine and served much the same purpose as the radiator fan on your car.
The engine exhausts also originally used these fans. In later models and in many railroad modifications, these were replaced by small exhaust stacks that came through the roof behind the first and third fans. These exhaust stacks were more efficient than the fan mounted exhaust and added about 50 horsepower to the engine output. In the later years of service, some railroads replaced these with much larger "liberated" exhaust stacks that were even more efficient. These stacks usually had wire spark arresters covering them.
The end of the roof would ether be the same curved sheet metal as the rest of the roof or it would have steam generator appliances. The most prominent was a round exhaust vent for the steam generator. Some railroads had two exhaust vents if they ordered the larger size steam generator. Although some model makers, Athearn in particular, always modeled their F-7's with the steam generator details, most railroads did not have steam generators in their F units, the Santa Fe being a notable exception. If you end up modeling the WP, most of their F units did have steam generators since they were the main passenger locomotive for the California Zephyr.
So, that's my capsule summary. I'm sure others will chime in with additional information or to correct any errors I've made.
If I take a typical F-7 as an example, there would be a 36" or 48" low mounted fan directly behind the air horns if the unit was equipped with dynamic brakes. This fan exhausted excess heat from the dynamic brake grids when the dynamics were in use. If the unit had no dynamic brakes, the area would be just curved sheet metal that matched the rest of the roof.
Next would come four fans, again either 36" or 48", depending on phase and railroad preference. A few early models had high mounted fans but most had the low mounted, almost flush mount fans. These were exhaust fans mounted directly over the radiator area of the engine and served much the same purpose as the radiator fan on your car.
The engine exhausts also originally used these fans. In later models and in many railroad modifications, these were replaced by small exhaust stacks that came through the roof behind the first and third fans. These exhaust stacks were more efficient than the fan mounted exhaust and added about 50 horsepower to the engine output. In the later years of service, some railroads replaced these with much larger "liberated" exhaust stacks that were even more efficient. These stacks usually had wire spark arresters covering them.
The end of the roof would ether be the same curved sheet metal as the rest of the roof or it would have steam generator appliances. The most prominent was a round exhaust vent for the steam generator. Some railroads had two exhaust vents if they ordered the larger size steam generator. Although some model makers, Athearn in particular, always modeled their F-7's with the steam generator details, most railroads did not have steam generators in their F units, the Santa Fe being a notable exception. If you end up modeling the WP, most of their F units did have steam generators since they were the main passenger locomotive for the California Zephyr.
So, that's my capsule summary. I'm sure others will chime in with additional information or to correct any errors I've made.
CanuckMark
Member
Thanks again! 
It is a good ol' Athearn BB I'm doing so the good news is the stuff is all there and can be removed if necessary.
One more dumb question - what is the difference between a F7 and a FP7? I would assume the P stands for passenger, but in any shot I've seen of VIA FP7s they look really similar to a regular F7.
Mark
It is a good ol' Athearn BB I'm doing so the good news is the stuff is all there and can be removed if necessary.
One more dumb question - what is the difference between a F7 and a FP7? I would assume the P stands for passenger, but in any shot I've seen of VIA FP7s they look really similar to a regular F7.
Mark
The FP-7 is an F-7 with a four foot longer longer frame to hold a larger water tank for the steam generator. Some railroads also changed the gearing slightly to increase the top speed to 85 mph from the F-7's usual 70 mph. The easiest way to recognize the difference is to look at the front porthole. If there's a noticeable gap between it and the first body filter, it's FP-7. F-7's have the portholes equally spaced from the front and back body filters.
