I found this on MICRO TRAINS “Z-scale New Release” section. Is this an old posting of some sort that they forgot to pull down, or are they back in the F7 business??? It shows a release date of 6/23. This could get very interesting if they’re back in business for engines. https://www.micro-trains.com/index.php?route=product/category&path=75_76
It's a re-release coming mid-month June 2023. They've been trickling out F7s here and there. Had a bunch of Amtraks about 1 year ago. Missed out on the UP last month, but I did get some of the PRR ordered for this month. The ability to order LIKELY won't appear on their site as they have sold out via direct sales to dealers. Must be a limited quantity available.
This is great news in my opinion. Yeah, smokin’ hot price too! Looks like a few folks on FleaBay are going to have to adjust their prices
Maybe I'm jaded, or cranky (or just spoiled by AZL), but this means almost nothing to the hobby, in my opinion. MTL has become a novelty toy train company as far as Z scale is concerned. The fact that they re-run an F7 every now and then to make it look like they still care just amplifies that fact. It's the same critically flawed mechanism they've been churning out for decades now. I mean, Glen Chenier showed them decades ago how to improve the running characteristics with wheel wipers. Did they ever revise the design? Credit to them for the price point, though! AND the fact that they DID at least redo the F7 mold, and finally went with separate horns instead of bumps on the shell. So it's not ALL bad, just not a big deal, TO ME anyway. Okay, I feel better now. Feel free to ignore my rant.
What would be cool is if someone produced a replacement high quality drive mechanism that re-uses the MTL trucks, but adds a coreless motor, and frame that accepts the Digitrax MTL decoder.
It’s a glimmer of hope for something bigger and better though in my opinion. And agreed, flawed design/mechanism, and could be made much better. No argument that AZL has a better unit. My greater hope is that they will step back into the freight car production arena and start producing rolling stock. But I’m not holding my breath. I would argue though that this might have a minor impact on the Z-scale community, especially newbies. Have you surfed EBay lately? Minimal supply, and boxcars(that nobody wants) averaging $24.95 - with no takers. Stuff sitting on there for weeks and months. Although the forum has hashed this out before. At least a newbie can grab a new, unused F7 at a decent price point and feel the “thrill of victory” of catching a bargain - for those that consider it so.
I’m loco’d out but good to see, especially with other roads than AZL or lesser paint. While we run both AZL & MTL at shows, Matt with AZL F3’s with 100+ MTL 40-50’ freight for reliable running and kid’s counting, I run AZL modern freight (lessor but longer cars) & Passengers. The original idea for all the modules I built, was to be able to do switching, requires MTL freight and couplers. With the group retiring off members over the past 20 years, I can’t really do it any more, with all the interfacing with the crowds. But at home, I can switch all I want !!! I use most all MTL freight with modified coupler MTL locos, especially the SW, RS + an MTL GP9. Some other ‘switching’ I just move a short freight (mixed MTL/AZL) from one place to another by pulling out an backing in other spurs. In the background I run AZL.
You asked so here it is A drop in Can Motor with no modification to the MTL F7 Chassis needed. And yes there is room for a decoder under the motor. I'll post a quick writeup later today on how I did it and what parts I used. But Please NOTE this is a work in progress I'm still testing for reliability and durability over the long term.
With an upgrade like that, there is actually room for an N or HO sized decoder that is cheaper. I can imagine my "Permanently Drawbared" ABA set running with 2 powered A's and a sound equipt dummy B, but all wheel electrical pickup. In fast I think I will add that to my list of projects once I get my modules loop of track finished.
