[Maxum]

I just had a ABBA set of MTH's new F7's show up. I just had time to get one of the A units out and look at it before I had to run an errand. Pretty impressive looking. I was a little disappointed to see the air horns were not installed straight and the grabs on the nose and ice breakers were painted yellow instead of red. The real Santa Fe 347C in the California Railroad Museum has the grabs painted yellow, but I can not find a single vintage picture of Santa Fe F7's in service with anything other than red grabs. It appears the grabs were painted yellow sometime during it's museum ownership.

Later when I got back from my errand, I went and got the other A unit out, number 44. All the grabs are red, it has lifting hook eyes on the nose that the 347C doesn't. The big surprise was that it's a different shade of red from the 347C. I'm trying to figure out what that's all about. Anyone else buy the new MTH Santa Fe F7's?

 

[Spence]

You could try getting in touch with MTH customer service.

 

[Krieglok]

It almost looks like a PRR unit with the lift rings. Pennsy didn’t use mars lights though...

Doing some quick photo research, I noticed most of the Fs painted in the blue freight scheme have lift rings on the nose, as do the pre-Amtrak passenger Fs in the yellow war bonnet. Some were painted in the silver/red scheme, such as the 44.

As for your units, the 44 is correct. It had lift rings. See the photo below.

The 347 is correct as per the unit in the California museum.

As far as painting, many museums are notorious for less than historically correct paint schemes. They are close but many details, such as painted grabs, tend to be freelanced when they are restored...

None the less, you MTH units are really great looking and correct. I would love to have the same set!

Tom

 

[Maxum]

Just to be clear, I'm not really too upset about the yellow grabs on the 347C. I can paint them. It is correct for them to be yellow since while 347C has been in the possession of the California State Railroad Museum they have been painted yellow. MTH just copied how they are currently. I do wish MTH would put out good photos on in their catalogs showing what the actual product is going to look like. I would have bought a different A unit.

Does anyone else see the difference in the red paint between the two units or is it just me?

 

[beachhead2]

I see it.

 

[SantaFeJim]

Ice breakers on a Santa Fe F-unit? No such animal.

Those F’s are a combination of two separate series. The cab numbers are a dead giveaway.

Engine 347C was the trailing A on the ABBA set where the lead unit was 347.

You can take that to the bank.

 

[Krieglok]

Yes, the 44 seems to be a bit deeper red while 347 has a slightly pink look to it. Red tends to "Pink out" with age. While MTH would go to such lengths to apply slightly different shades of red on a pair is beyond me...

Tom

 

[Old_Hobo]

Ice breakers on a Santa Fe F-unit? No such animal.

I believe he meant the anti-climber, which would also tend to break snow and ice, if ever encountered.....

 

[Maxum]

Ice breakers on a Santa Fe F-unit? No such animal.

Those F’s are a combination of two separate series. The cab numbers are a dead giveaway.

Engine 347C was the trailing A on the ABBA set where the lead unit was 347.

You can take that to the bank.

I understand how Santa Fe numbered their F units. In service, the F units got all mixed up. Ice breakers might be the wrong term, but the bars above the windshields.

 

[Old_Hobo]

Those "bars" are just handrails/handholds for crews doing maintenance on the windshield, etc.....

 

[Jeff T]

Are you sure it's a MTH??

In recent years I've been led to believe only Lionel is capable of making a mistake...

Seriously though, I hope you get it sorted out to your satisfaction.

 

[superwarp1]

Are you sure it's a MTH??

In recent years I've been led to believe only Lionel is capable of making a mistake...

Seriously though, I hope you get it sorted out to your satisfaction.

LMAO

One reason I'm going to break the bank with 3rdrail F3 units. No minor detail oversights or factory screwups. If there are Scott will stop them from shipping.

Those are Sweet looking units otherwise.