Anybody have an old (not the new DCC version) Bachmann F7?

[spookshow]

Oh nevermind. I don't need a picture anymore 

[garethashenden]

There is a DCC version?

[spookshow]

Yeah, just came out. Although, this is probably not the thread to start a discussion about it 

Cheers,
-Mark

[pwnj]

Oh, I might. I'll check the F-box later tonight.

[Chris333]

I think BLW just put the old ones up for like $13 bucks.

[kalbert]

My first engine circa 1988 was one. She had a rough life but I still have it and with some fiddling it will still lurch around the loop with 3-5 cars in tow emitting a pleasing buzz with a hint of ozone.

[LV LOU]

 Now,there's a foreboding eye opener..Just looked at MBK,Bachmann F7's are 5 bucks more than a Kato...

[peteski]

Now,there's a foreboding eye opener..Just looked at MBK,Bachmann F7's are 5 bucks more than a Kato...

Bachmann includes a $5 DCC decoder! 

[pwnj]

My first engine circa 1988 was one. She had a rough life but I still have it and with some fiddling it will still lurch around the loop with 3-5 cars in tow emitting a pleasing buzz with a hint of ozone.

That's actually the F9.  The F7 came out in 94 and you can tell the difference on the shell by the 4-in-a-row fans on the F7.

[kalbert]

Really? I guess I never noticed. I figured bachmann made one "close enough" F? shell, put bunch if fooby paint schemes on, and called it an F7 or 9 based on what the label on the box said. I've got a few more of these units, I'll have to dig them out and see if any are different.

[peteski]

Really? I guess I never noticed. I figured bachmann made one "close enough" F? shell, put bunch if fooby paint schemes on, and called it an F7 or 9 based on what the label on the box said. I've got a few more of these units, I'll have to dig them out and see if any are different.

Mark has entries (with photos) for both locos.   It is easy to see the differences.
http://www.spookshow.net/loco/bachf7.html
http://www.spookshow.net/loco/bachf9a.html

[wcfn100]

Anyone have a prototype for the Bachmann F7?  I don't know if the 48" DB fan and horizontal louvers ever happened.


Jason

[nkalanaga]

The horizontal louvers weren't uncommon on F7s, as that was a customer-specified detail, and could easily be changed by shop crews after purchase. 

As for the 48 inch DB fan, the GN and NP don't seem to have had any.  However, EMD had a habit of changing models a part at a time, resulting in such things as the "F2", which was basically an FT in an F3 body, and the "F5", an F3 with F7 traction motors, so there may be one somewhere.  And it's always possible that a buyer, for whatever reason, replaced the DBs on an F7 with the F9 parts.  It would be a very rare beast, though, and I would also like to see a prototype picture, just out of curiosity.

[wcfn100]

The horizontal louvers weren't uncommon on F7s,

They may have been more common for all I know as they were part of the 'Phase I' body style.  It's just that they were changed in production to the vertical louvers before the 48" fans came into place.

I'm just curious if it's correct for anything.

Jason

[wcfn100]

They may have been more common for all I know as they were part of the 'Phase I' body style.  It's just that they were changed in production to the vertical louvers before the 48" fans came into place.

I'm just curious if it's correct for anything.

Jason

So thanks to Mark (Spookshow) I see the grills are the early horizontal type. 

There were many small changes over the years, but I think there are four that are easy to see on a model; grills, louvers, DB fan and rear overhang.

The Bachmann model splits those down the middle.  It has the early grills and louvers, but has the late 48" DB fan and (very late) no rear overhang (although I doubt that was left off for detail reasons, more likely time/cost/ease of molding).


If anyone comes across a prototype for this combination, please post it as it would be interesting to see.  I know UP had some real odd configurations like F3s updated to F9s that went to the RI.  And the ATSF continually upgraded their F unit fleet too.

Jason