PROTOTYPE AND BACKGROUND INFO:

EMD F-units were a line of diesel-electric locomotives produced between November 1939 and November 1960 by General Motors Electro-Motive Division and General Motors-Diesel Division. Final assembly for all F-units was at the GM-EMD plant at La Grange, Illinois and the GMDD plant in London, Ontario, Canada. They were sold to railroads throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

The EMD FP7 was a 1,500 horsepower (1,100 kW), B-B passenger-hauling diesel locomotive produced between June 1949 and December 1953 by General Motors’ Electro-Motive Division and General Motors Diesel. Final assembly was at GM-EMD’s La Grange, Illinois plant, excepting locomotives destined for Canada, in which case final assembly was at GMD’s plant in London, Ontario. The locomotive contained an auxiliary water tank and steam generator to supply steam heat to the trailing passenger cars. This necessitated a longer body and frame. Although intended for passenger service, these locomotive still were regularly assigned into freight locomotive pools as well.

F-Unit SERIES LOCOMOTIVE FEATURES:

• Coupler cut levers
• Windshield wipers
• Wire grab irons
• Trainline and MU hoses
• Lift rings
• Sanding lines
• Cab Interior
• Lit signal lights, beacons, and ditchlights, if equipped
• Bell placement & type per prototype
• Detailed Blomberg-B trucks with prototype-specific wheel bearings
• Directional constant lighting
• Headlight brightness remains constant
• Separately-applied photo-etched metal and injection molded detail parts
• Detailed fuel tank with fuel fillers, fuel gauges, breather pipes & retention tanks
• Speed recorder unless noted
• See-through cab windows and full cab interior
• Etched metal fan grilles
• Body-mounted McHenry scale knuckle couplers – Kadee compatible
• DCC-ready features Quick Plug plug-and-play technology with 21-pin NEM connector
• Scaled from prototype resources including drawings, field measurements, photographs, and more
• Accurately painted and printed paint schemes
• Genesis driveline with 5-pole skew wound motor, precision machined flywheels, and multi-link drivetrain
• All-wheel drive with precision gears for smooth & quiet operation
• All-wheel electrical pickup provides reliable current flow
• Wheels with RP25 contours operate on all popular brands of track
• LED Lighting for realistic appearance
• Heavy die-cast frame for greater traction and more pulling power
• Packaging securely holds for the model for safe storage
• Minimum radius: 18” — Recommended radius: 22”

Reading

The year 1950 marked a change in passenger service for the Reading when six FP7’s (#900-#905) began replacing steam powered commuter trains. Originally, the FP7 powered trains used two units coupled back-to-back. This eliminated terminal dwell time, as the A-A configuration did not require the use of a turntable. Despite setbacks to the financial viability of passenger service, in 1967, three units continued to serve the Reading until 1974 when SEPTA (Southeastern Pennsylvania Transit Authority) took over operation of Reading’s passenger trains. Their original Reading paint scheme lasted until 1978, when the units were renumbered by SEPTA.

RDG FEATURES:

• S5T horn
• Steam generator
• Ladder grabs and nose side grabs
• Dual sealed-beam headlight
• Cut skirts
• Warning labels are road number specific

Looking for more Athearn (Electro-Motive Division) FP7 Diesel Locomotives? Click here!