F7 A unit as solitary power

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Harpo

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Jan 21, 2005
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I believe this question has been asked before...but here goes again. Regarding F7 A units: Is it true that originally the F7 when used in passenger service required a B unit to supply (in addition to extra motive power) ...was it steam for heating systems? But later on there was a modification so that just the A unit could be used in commuter and light passenger service? Am I getting this right? And if so, then how might one modify an N gauge F7.. or would that modification even show? Thanks for setting me straight.

On a second, lighter, note...I'm ready to tear down the first far-from-finished N layout. Its been great fun, and an excellent learning experience. (Didn't like the first attempt; time to try again. Wheeeeeee!) Since we will soon move to a much larger house, a much larger RR seems only proper. . AND....the wife wants an under glass coffee table RR in her office besides. Sounds like win-win to me...
Harpo
 
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Russ Bellinis

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Feb 13, 2003
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The f-7 was built at a time when passenger trains used steam for both heating and air conditioning. Head end power started with the Amtrak fp40s I think. The f units were originally intended by EMD to be used in freight service. They wanted to sell e units to the railroads for passenger service. The standard f unit did not have room for both a steam generator and a cab. Santa Fe liked to use f units for passenger service, so they always had at least 1 b unit with a steam generator where the cab would be on an a unit in the consist of any passenger train running f units. EMD later came out with fp7s and fp9s for passenger service. These where f units built on a longer wheelbase & frame to allow a steam generator to fit on the back of the a unit.
 
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shaygetz

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I love what the Osarka Railroad, a branchline of the old Clinchfield, did when they needed a loco. Finding no usable motive power for sale, they managed to fanaggle an F7 B unit from the Cinchfield. Undeterred, they simply cut a porthole into the left side and the left forward portion of what would be the front of the loco, added a control stand and seat and woo hoo, the world's first and only F7BA. Ran for years that way...:thumb:
 
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60103

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Harpo: I think the difference between the F7 and the FP7 (or 9) was about 4 feet. That's just about noticeable.
CN and some other roads built steam heating cars, which looked rather like refrigerator cars with no doors. This meant that any available freight diesel could be used. I think some roads built them out of surplus tenders.
Should note that Alco had the same differences with the FAn and the FPAn.
 
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Russ Bellinis

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I don't know what is available in n scale, Atlas made fp7s or 9s in ho, but I don't know if they also offerred it in n scale. You could kitbash a fp body by combining two f7a's or a f7a & b, but with the typical n scale chassis consisting of two half frames sandwiching the motor and gear drives, I'm not sure how easy it is stretch a frame.
 
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isboris4449

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With more mountain ranges to cross, the western railroads favored F's in passenger service, using examples of every model from FT's to F-9's. With their A-1-A trucks, E units were not suited to the sustained demands of heavy passenger trains over long grades. SP, WP, NP, GN, AT&SF , D&RGW and SP&S all had passenger F's There was room in the A units for steam boilers, the problem was water capacity, so EMD produced the FP7's with their longer wheelbase to make room for more water tanks. Some railroads opted to have boilers only in the B units, and used the space in the A's for another water tank.

Tom
 
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shaygetz

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Clerk said:
:wave: :wave: WOW. First time I heard about that Bob. Would sure like to see a photo of one.:thumb: :thumb: sign1 sign1
Click to expand...

It took me a bit, but I finally found it---pg. 4-5 of the October '96 Rail Model Journal. I got the roadname wrong, it's the Haysi Railroad that ran the old Greenbrier branch of the Clinchfield.
 
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