unknown loco

[skipepsi]

This is the description of my first US loco,

 

A-b-A three car unit,American make unknown,painted and weathered,New York Central line,only one unit powered,other two trailing,DCC wired to 0003,runs OK,a bit of TLC here and there and you will have an unusual 3 car unit.

 

I have included a picture below can anybody tell me more when they have stopped laughing

[dave1905]

The foreground and middle engines look like Athearn F7's, an A and a B unit.

 

The rear unit is a Cox or other make F3a. It is supposed to have a wire screens over the bracing area on the top of the sides.

[skipepsi]

Thanks for that I had never heard of Cox model locos, the follow up question is is this a valid setup or should I be splitting it into an A-B and a separate loco? Clearly I now need to research F7's and F3a's to give myself a date as well as NYC investigations.

[Prof Klyzlr]

Thanks for that I had never heard of Cox model locos, the follow up question is is this a valid setup or should I be splitting it into an A-B and a separate loco? Clearly I now need to research F7's and F3a's to give myself a date as well as NYC investigations.

 

 

Dear Mick,

 

Some RRs ran their Fs as all-independent units.

 

However, they were always designed, intended, and marketed by EMD as being "modular" and running in teams.

(just keep coupling 'em up until the train starts moving... )

 

As such, some RRs ran A+B units as "one loco", some ran A+B+A sets, and some ran A+B+B+A sets.

 

Suggest you check the "F-units" thread, lots of proto-related info which will help you get into the spirit of running your Fs...

 

Happy Modelling,

Aim to Improve,

Prof Klyzlr

[shortliner]

Mick - Cox's model trains were produced in 1970ish -1978 and built for them by Athearn http://ho-scaletrain...trainsresource/ They also sold RC model Aircraft and motors. The line was sold to Model Power around 1980 and has been sold on a couple of times since then, Wm. K. Walthers also featured some of the equipment in their range of models. It may be worth seeing if the motor( most likely a 3-pole one) can be replaced by a more recent 5-pole motor from the current Athearn range

[skipepsi]

Thanks for the information it is possible the cox loco is a dummy because of motor problems.

[F-UnitMad]

Nothing to add about the models themselves (I'd never heard of Cox either)... just to say, welcome to my world...

[dave1905]

The Cox models are pretty rough, especially when compared to modern Stewart, etc. F3's I modified one I had "back in the day" by cutting tulle on the bias to cover the grill area and make it a "chicken wire" F3. I don't know that I still have the engine any longer.

 

How the railroads arranged the engines depends on era. Very early on the railroads were pretty stuck on operating like consists. Then they mixed same make, different model (F3 & F7). Then they mixed different make and model (F3 and FA or F7 and GP7). An F3 and F7 are essentially identical except for some electrical improvements, same horsepower, same tractive effort (if ballasted the same), so they were essentially interchangeable.

 

How they arrenged them also varied. Most F units came without MU connections on the nose, so early consists were A-A, A-B, A-B-A or A-B-B-A (and so on). Some roads might string together a half dozen or more F units (CGW for example). Eventually roads installed MU connections in the noses of the F units and then you might have A-A-B or A-A-A consists, etc, etc.

 

So for PRR F units, it would be prototypical to run them A-A, A-B, A-B-A or even A-A-B. Basically any arrangement with an A leading (either A) would be appropriate.