Hey folks. I recently picked up something I have been lusting after for some time. A BNIB old stock Kato Undec F7A. I picked it up off of feeBay for a somewhat decent price and just received it today. I am straying way out of my era here, but since my layout is modeled after "somewhere-burg NEPA" it should look right at home with some imagination. My plans are to build and detail this little guy into a PRR unit. I am planning on using it more for freight so it will be Brunswick Green. Anyway, I am aware of a kit by BLMA for detail parts, but am wondering about a kit for the PRR radio antenna rigs, and also the louvers on the sides of the body. The number boards a bit of a concern as well as this shell doesn't have anyway of having them lit. Also, anything else I may be missing to make this a prototypical PRR unit. Lastly, this unit is not the DCC-friendly version, so I am looking to see if it is better to mill the frame and solder a DCC board into this, or if I should just keep my eyes open for a DCC friendly mech. Any advice would be greatly appreciated, and feel free to share your F7A projects or PRR paraphernalia. Thanks! What I'm shooting for
For the Trainphone antenna Gold Metal Models part # n160-33, Lift rings Sunrise Enterprises Part# N-3006, Freight pilot you might want to contact BLI their pilot on the E7-8 which is a separate items on their engines Judd Barton SPF
You could try one of these frames; http://www.sodigi.com/DigiFrame_Kato.htm I've got a couple of the F7s but havent got around to putting them in yet. I did do a couple of the C30-7s and do notice that they are better pullers than the rest of my C30-7/U30C fleet. Here's their comparison chart; http://www.sodigi.com/DigiFrame_Comp.htm Trevor D.
How are the trucks on these? If the trucks are plastic go to Aztec for the frame. If they are metal I'd recommend getting dcc ready mechanisms just need to swap side glass and the bodies with fit. If you can't find the sunrise lift rings pm me I have a spare set.
This is a copy of one of my previous posts to a different thread that may help address your pilot issue: A reasonable representation of a passenger pilot can be made by using paper to make a template and once you get the shape right, cut it out of an aluminum soda can and glue it over the freight pilot like so: Click here to view the original image of 800x600px and 42KB. Click here to view the original image of 800x600px and 45KB. These are Kato F7 shells my father(MMR443)modified for me many years ago. Mark H. P.S. Normally you would want to leave the step cut into the pilot on, but I was rather fat-fingered in my youth and managed to break them off... As for the louvers I believe Archer Fine Transfers makes N scale louvers.
Just my opnion, but I would go with the DCC ready mechanism as the older mechanism's trucks are no longer supported by Kato (and as you already know, the DCC install will be les problematic). You will lose some weight, but I don't know how important that is to you.
