I voted F3, but I really mean early F3 or F2 with the high fans. Something about those high fans and chickenwire just looks good. Plus the super long Warbonnet on Santa Fe.
EMC FTs wearing as-delivered Milwaukee Road paint = perfection. Too bad I missed out when they were available in N scale RTR.
Agree with YoHo! The "chickenwire" grills and high fans are attractive. Plus I have several Proto 1000 models for good prices, so that helps with the favoritism. I have also seen several pictures of old beat up F3's the Gulf Mobile & Ohio had plus several southern shortlines. They just look great to me when they were rode hard and put up wet when they were at the end of their lives.
Another reason I like the early F3/F2 is because of the MTC G16 made by the Miniature train company I grew up with her at Kiddieland. EMD provided the engineering drawings for the F2 to MTC and so she's a perfect model.
My favorite is the executioner of steam the EMC FT in a ABBA set in Southern Railway paint. I do like F3's and late model ones as well sometimes called F5's.
I chose F7, but in truth I also like the F3s and FP7s. And of course, in Frisco black & yellow.:teeth:
I like the F7, it seems to be the most ubiquitous F unit. Along with the look-alike F3 late and early F9 models, there were thousands of them out there.
Having a choice and only one vote isn't fair. Is there any hint here as to how I feel about F types. See Avatar. The thing is I like them all. If you get a chance to visit my layout you will find as many flavors of the F's, as my hands can get a hold of. Even the E's, find favor with this railroad modeler.
I'm going with the F7 in the B&M Marron and gold pinstripe scheme, even though on my era the F7's were wearing various forms of a blue dip.
My choice is the FT, only because they were the first F's I saw on B&M's Fitchburg Division in 1947. Jim, your photo of 4268 is lovely. The only photo I could find of a Minute Man FT is in a copy-righted book....-(