Here is a little project I want to try. I was looking at some pictures I took back in the 1970's of Western Maryland F7s mixed in with the Chessie System power at Garrett, Indiana. I have an older BevBel/Life-Like F7 in the "circus" red, white, and black paint scheme, and I want to try to do some basic updates to the unit. I have a Detail Associates no. 8212 plow that I thought I would try to attach to the nose. I also have a Sunrise Enterprises N-704 Nathan 5-chime horn to replace the horns on top. Anyway, it's a start. What other recommendations does anyone have, such as Micro Trains couplers to use, are there "ready to install" handrails available, etc. Also, I could use a WM herald and stripes decal for the nose... I don't want to get too involved with the upgrade - and don't want to re-paint it. And would it be socially unacceptable if I just painted over the lower headlight rather than trying to remove it???
Tim I've worked over a couple of sets of the LifeLike F7's. Stainless steel side grills can be glued on and look great if appropriate for the model. The other thing that's not too difficult to do (at least once you've done the first one) is to take some small pieces of styrene and some Squadron Green putty and fill in the holes in the pilot, cut off the coupler from the fron truck, and body mount a MicroTrains coupler on the front end. You don't need to repaint the whole engine, just the pilot. These two modifications make the LL F units pretty nice looking locos.
BLMA has an E/F unit detail set that covers the grabs and other small items. http://www.blmamodels.com/cgi-bin/w...=1&&c=detail.red.htm&t=main.red.htm&itemid=99
I can't speak for Tim L, but in my case cost was a big factor. I wanted a couple of pairs of F units. The cost for the four Life Like locos was about the same as one Kato loco. That was in the days before the Intermountain F units were around. And I still like them - they run very well, especially in pairs.
Just inquiring why you're using a LL F-7 opposed to a Kato or IM? Tim I already have the Life-Like in the WM "circus" paint scheme - just want to do what I can to fix this old thing up - and it does run pretty well. Just don't have the time to invest in a larger project, especially a re-paint. Any one know of a source for the WM logo decal for the front???
Isn't the LL version an FP7 size? Spookshow. Am I thinking of Model Power? Spookshow. It's not such a detailed shell, but it is a good project. Nice runner, too.
From the Micro-Scale website - LINK From the Micro-Trains website - LINK From the BLMA Website - LINK HTH, Tim
The LL is an FP-whatever. According to those who know more about it than I do, it does have some FP-7 features as well as some FP-9 features. While numerous roads in the United States ran FP-7s, the only US road to run FP-9s was the Northwestern; I understand that those were really rebuilds of either F-3s or FTs. The only WM diesels that had steam generators were the four hammerhead RS-3s. But, as the man typed, he already has the shell in the circus scheme and does not want to get involved in a complicated repaint, just a bit of an upgrade. These things will, after all, pull every piece of rolling stock that you own up a fifty per cent grade on a seven inch radius curve. The MT conversion has two possibilities, depending on which one you have. If it is the version with the clip on the coupler box, MT makes a kit specifically for LL diesels with the clip on the coupler box. If it is the version with the pocket, I seem to recall that MT recommends one of their generics: 1128/1129 or something similar. I was less than happy with the results of the latter and ended up doing body mounts. The former functions well, IF you have that version. As for the nose herald................ah, there we have something that has taken up much of the bandwidth that has been devoted to WM diesels. The only MicroScale sheet that has the winged nose herald is the speed lettered hood diesel sheet. The wings on the nose herald are too short for cab diesels. Your choices are: 1) live with the too short wings or 2) lengthen the wings. I did a pair of FA-2s in speed lettering and chose the latter. Upon the advice of another gentleman, I bought several of the WM hood diesel sheets. I applied the first herald, in its entirety, to the nose of the FA. After allowing it to dry, I clipped the wings from another herald and added them to each side of the herald that was already on the nose. Finally, I added a third set of wings. I only used one set of wings to extend on #301, as according to Messrs. Stakem, the wings on the nose herald of #301 were shorter than the other three. This method is allright for the FAs, but according to a gentleman with experience in this matter, the nose herald on the hood diesel sheet is ill-suited to the contours of the nose of an Electro-Motive F-unit. Despite this, I was going to try to do the two F-3s that went off to EMD for rebuild and returned in 1954 as F-7s. I had already purchased a pair of Kato F-3s and had stripped them to start the project. The main spotting features of these two are that although EMD added grilles in place of the original chicken wire, and, they added a dynamic brake fan in place of the vents, they left the original high shrouded fans, which made for a pair of unique units. Since the IM F-7s have appeared, I have been tempted to do something else with the Katos ad buy a pair of the F-7s, erase the numbers and substitute the numbers of the F-3/F-7s and substitute high shrouded fans for the ones there. If I recall correctly, there is a panel on the IM shell that has the fans; all that I need to is push it out. Of course, I will have to try to get IM to part with the panel that has the high-shrouded fans. Failing that, I will simply have to buy the detail part, if anyone sells it, or cut them from the Kato and do a swap; make the Katos later phase F-3s. The only WM equipment for my era that had speed lettering were the FAs and the two F-3/F-7s; everything else is fireball, so, naturally, I would have to want the power that requires speed lettering. I am aware that LL sold FAs in WM, but they ain't none too easy to find, no more. I did have one pair, but, being unable to find another and simply changing the numbers, I painted and lettered the other two, myself. But, I stray. To get something that is ANYthing close to the nose herald, you will have to buy at least three sets of the MicroScale WM hood sheet.
Thanks for the advice and info everyone. This loco has the clip on the coupler box, so I'll see what MT has for it. Now I have to figure out if I have pre or post 1995 Blomberg truck sideframes...? I still don't know what I'm going to do about the pilot - I guess I'll try what Big Snooze did and use strip styrene - if I cut off the bottom of the pilot and try to glue the Detail Associates plow on, it wont be very sturdy - and I'll still need to fill a 1/8" gap with strip styrene. This came from Bev-Bel with a "peel and stick" decal for the front herald, but it's way to thick. I tried to scan it to see if I could make my own decal, but I don't think it will be sharp enough. Looks like BLMA has some nice MU hoses - I'll get those on order. Wish there were more options for the 5-chime Nathan horns...
If you have the one with the clip on the coupler box, it is the older issue. MT makes a kit just for those locomotives. The MT kit retains the truck mounts, so it you are going to dress up the front, you will have to body mount. I guess that you must choose from 1023, 1015/1016 or 2004. For the aft, you can still use the truck mount kit; it works well, I have used the kit on more than one LL locomotive. I believe that they were designed for the F-unit, the BL-2, the GP-38 and maybe one or two others. The real shame is that MT did not make a kit to plug the gaping hole in the pilot of the F-unit, as it did for the plastic frame LL FA-2. I guess it is because the plastic frame FA-2 was considered LL's first 'serious' N scale locomotive, the ones before that were either considered junque, T-O-Y-S, or not-quite-up-to-standards, although some will assert that the BL-2 was the first LL 'serious' N scale locomotive. Some of that older LL power is truly not as pathetic as some consider it. With a little bit of work or help, the older LL power can find work on a pike.
All I really want to do is fix up the front of this thing to make it a little more acceptable. I was talking to someone who remembered seeing the WM F units in Garrett Indiana back in the 1970s, and they mentioned that they would like to see some model railroads with WM and Chessie units mixed together - so I'll give it a shot. Still not sure how I'll fill that gap and get a coupler on, but the plow I plan to put on, MU hoses, and 5-chime Nathan horns should help. I think it was John Allen that said something like I am far more interested in general character than specific details. I just wont take close up pictures of this when I'm done...
