NP F5 "Kitbash"

I have been pestering Intermountain for some time to release a F5.
Now, EMD never officially had a F5, but a late model Phase F3 (Phase 4) was labeled "F5" by some railroads. A F5 looks nearly identical to a F7, but has the dynamic brake vents of the F3.

The NP aqcuired a number of F5 when they converted the passenger F3 fleet from ABB to ABA configuration. The trailing units became F5 (later conversions got F7), un-used boosters were converted to the middle units of new freight ABBAs, again the A-units were F5.
So in my timeframe 1949 there were no pure passenger F3 units, all were F3/F5 or F3/F7 combinations.

This is how such an engine combo looked like: The lead unit is a F5:


Back in 2006 I visited Intermountain (part of the N Scal Collector convention in Denver), and the great team there handed me some roof detail sprues. So instead of waiting longer for my F5 to be produced I decided to convert one of my F7:


So far the conversion included:

• Removing the dynamic break fan: On my engine I could press it out applying pressure from the inside: No cutting required, the panel was only glued in at very few spots
• Adding a vent panel from the IM roof detail sprue
• Removing the numbers
• Adding a few grab-irons
• Painting the roof panel black

I still need to add the number decals and weather is lightly to blend the panel, so here is a peek preview:



Once it is numbered and weathered it is ready to be teamed up with a F3 combo to pull the NCL, the Alaskan or the 408.

Thanks for looking
Cheers
Dirk

 

Looks good Dirk.:thumbs_up:

 

Well, as far as the first one in N-scale, I did this one 5 or 6 years ago with a Kato F7.

http://home.roadrunner.com/~jimngage/Marc/images/rdg%20f3a%201.jpg

 

I also did one several years ago for N Scale Magazine using a Life Like shell-- but your looks a whole lot better.

Great job.

Several railroads had them. I know Pennsy had some. As did Clinchfield.

 

Did these last to BN?
Kevin

 

Nice work.:thumbs_up:

It would be good if IM made those sprues of roof parts available for kitbashers. Santa Fe had some F3's with the low F7 style fans, but the fans were interchangeable, when units were overhauled whatever fans were next out of the shop were used, I've seen photos of Santa Fe F's with a mixture of high and low fans.

 

Northern Pacific Color Pictorial Vol. 1 (Four Ways West pub.; Joseph W. Shine author), pages 66/67 lists only the following 'F5' units... #6005A/BN 706; 6005D; 6006A; 6006D; 6051A/BN 760; and 6052A/BN 762. F5 pics appear on pages 70-73 all in freight colors.

Northern Pacific in Color Vol.1 1949-1959 (Morning Sun Books; Doug Nighswonger author) has photos of two F5's (6505C & 6503A) in NP Loewy colors on pages 109/110


Fallen Flags lists three photo links:

This first photo is listed as an F5: Auborn WA - 09/08/76 - {Dan Bolyard Collection}
http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/bn/bn702bdb.jpg

However this same loco was later listed as an F3 (which is correct): Auburn WA - 08/08/81 - {Alan Gaines Photo}
http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/bn/bn702aga.jpg

And there's this loco which listed by Gaines as an F5, is more likely GN 280A F3 according to Charles Biel BN Photo Archive site: Auburn WA - 08/08/81 - {Alan Gaines Photo}
http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/bn/bn708aga.jpg


This was all I could find so far... am looking for more. :tb-err:

 

Westfalen,
I completely agree, these parts make excellent kitbash material.
The sprues includes all kind of roof detail (dynamic break fan, radiator fan section, steam generator panel) as well as nose doors ans other detail parts.

Contact IM, they might have a few flying around.
If you need a specific part PM me, I will check if I have spares....

Marc, U18b,
nice to see that there are other kitbashes around, it shows that there is market potential

Now that I have done the conversion I expect IM to announce their version....
:tb-biggrin:

Cheers
Dirk

 

very nice conversion job.

 

I just checked my '73 and '73 annuals. F3/F5 were 6051-6052 according to the NP pictorial VII. I don't see any BN numbers for them in the annuals though...

 

I have been looking around and it almost seems that they did make it to BN but not called F5's, just f3's.
Kevin

 

ok, I dig a bit more.. here's a few NP - BN numbers... according to the BN '72 annual.


6011A --BN 722
6017A --BN 744

6015B --BN 737
6011B --BN 701