Hi guys.
Thinking of getting an etch made to replace the old chicken wire grills with the F3 rebuild or F7 standard grills, the sort with all the little virticle slits.
They would just be a direct replacement for the old one’s and let you creat a rebuilt F3 or F7 with a little work.
I reckon they will be around £15 to £20 UK sterling a set plus shipping which should be cheap.
I’m the guy that did the KM ML4000 on here if you are wondering about quality.
If we get enough interest then I can get these made quite quickly.
Cheers
Rob
Rob,
You did such a great job on the KM loco, would you consider doing a correct F3,F7 body for the USA model? USA screwed up the nose contour, and pilot so bad that I just can’t see buying them.
Sorry buddy. I do like the F units a great deal, but I have such little time to make a whole new master body of one that would be accurate. I have decided to have a bash at improving the F3 sat here. the grills are the big thing that will transform it straight away, they will get made now as there has been some good interest in the UK. I will be reprofiling the cab window area which is the main problem with them, and then sorting the bigger fuel tank out and turning her into an F9m in Black Widow.
Cheers
Rob
I understand, I hope you post pictures of how you reworked the USA F, maybe that will inspire me to do the same.
Chris
Trouble is they are flawed in so many areas, the roof is the wrong profile so that throws the cab roof and windows out. I intend to realy just try to alter the front windows and try to get that nice curved “sad eye” look rather than what I think is more of the square Alco FA or PA unit look.
The Aristo F8 looks far better and perhaps the best way would be to get hold of a spare or damaged body and create one loco from the mix of parts in a sort of Frankenstein way?
Cheers
Rob
IMO the Aristo E8 also has a slighty “off” cab/nose/window profile…definately better than the USA Trains F3, but still not quite right…
the LGB F-unit has a good looking cab, but the rest of the unit is squirrely…
Im a commited 1/29 scale modeler…I dont plan to ever have much (or any) 1/32 scale…
however I have to admit the MTH 1/32 scale F7 is definately the best looking Large Scale F-unit available!
it looks fantastic…no obvious deformities visable, and excellent detail…they really got it right…
(I have compared all these units, USA, Aristo, LGB, and MTH, in person, at Ridge Road station, several times)
someday I would like to model a Lehigh Valley ABBA EMD FT set…I would definately consider the MTH units as the basis for the conversion…then maybe make a 1/32 scale specific train to go with them…
I will probably never buy a USA trains F3…it just looks too weird…its clearly deformed…
(although my USA trains Alco PA’s are my favorite engines! 
I love them…)
that EMD bulldog nose is a tricky one to get right!
IMO, Only MTH has gotten it right in Large Scale…
Scot
I have a set of F-3’s. I think they look good, at least to me, I really don’t care for that stupid screen that they used. I also don’t like the spacing between the units and intend to figure out how to cut the diaphragms down so that I can couple them closer together,
Regarding Bill’s comments. Has anybody come up with a workable way to eliminate the distance between the units with the USA F units. They do look terrible so far apart. I am interested in putting on KD’s, Self contained (or possibly trailer car) battery, RCS or Aristo Revolution, and a Phoenix sound system, BUT, I would prefer to have them closer together also.
Thank you.
Noel
I’m putting batteries, AirWire & Soundtraxx in all 3 units. No battery cars for me.