F7A Loco - which one

[Purrs]

  afternoon fellow modellers of the n world. I wish to get a f7a loco, however I do not know which is better ie kato etc. also if I want sound which is the best decoder for that? Your opinions are appreciated.

[Kisatchie]

Kato F7A locos are excellent, as are Intermountain F7As.


Hmm... as are termites
and bananas...

[MichaelWinicki]

I don't have a Kato F7A.

But I can vouch for the Intermountain version– a very good model.

[sizemore]

Both are great models. The Intermountain is a hair shorter, thinner in length than Kato. If you're not worried about free standing details and see through grills, go Kato. If you want the details go Intermountain.

The S.

[spookshow]

MRC makes a sound decoder for the Kato F7 (#1957). They also make a sound decoder for Intermountain FP7's (#1833), however these will not work in an IM F7 (or any other IM loco, for that matter).

Cheers,
-Mark

[peteski]

Both are great models. The Intermountain is a hair shorter, thinner in length than Kato. If you're not worried about free standing details and see through grills, go Kato. If you want the details go Intermountain.

The S.

That is good reasoning. Another thing to consider is that Kato models. in general. seem to be built to much tighter tolerances than most other brands. That means they run smoother and have that "quality feel" to them. Supposedly, they are still made in Japan (not in China) if that matters. Funny, decades ago, "Made in Japan" label usually meant crappy product. Not anymore.

The only thing going against Kato mechanisms (and this applies to all of their N locomotives) is that they are geared way too fast. Their top speed seems to usually be over 200 scale miles per hour. But they still have pretty decent slow speed.  Overall, I still prefer Katos over IM or FVM models. But other companies seem to be slowly improving the execution and quality of their models.

[arbomambo]

That is good reasoning. Another thing to consider is that Kato models. in general. seem to be built to much tighter tolerances than most other brands. That means they run smoother and have that "quality feel" to them. Supposedly, they are still made in Japan (not in China) if that matters. Funny, decades ago, "Made in Japan" label usually meant crappy product. Not anymore.

The only thing going against Kato mechanisms (and this applies to all of their N locomotives) is that they are geared way too fast. Their top speed seems to usually be over 200 scale miles per hour. But they still have pretty decent slow speed.  Overall, I still prefer Katos over IM or FVM models. But other companies seem to be slowly improving the execution and quality of their models.

The KATO F's (and E's) capture the classic EMD bulldog nose look just a tad better than the IM units, and, although, not detailed to the level of the IM units with separately applied parts, still appears more accurate..e.g...things like the height of the horns, truck height, etc...I also feel the mechanism is better, tighter, and performs better. I prefer using the KATO F units as a basis for detailing.

Respectfully,
~Bruce

[jnevis]

One word of warning...
As peteski mentioned, the two are geared differently so running them together is problematic, at least DC.  I have an IM FP7A and Kato F3A and B and if I run them 7A-B-3A the B unit gets forced off the tracks by the 3A pushing against the 7A.  It doesn't if the 3A leads, or if just the 7A and B.  If running DCC you could speed match them electrically and, in thoery, it wouldn't matter.

I prefer the IM unit for the detail and would love to trade the Kato F3A and B for IM F7Bs if I could find them

[mmagliaro]

The gearing on the Kato F3 and F7 changed from the old first-gen ones they made starting in the late 1980s,
didn't it?  I have an old pair of F3's from that era, and they are geared quite low.

[sizemore]

truck height, etc...

Respectfully,
~Bruce

It sits like a 4*4 but if you know how to change them you can...

IM F-7 Lowering Pt. I
IM F-7 Lowering Pt. II
IM F-7 Lowering Pt. III

HTH,
The S.

[CBQ Fan]

Kato's are also much more plentiful when it comes to parts and support.  IM does not seem to be able to support theirs as well.

[MichaelWinicki]

Kato's are also much more plentiful when it comes to parts and support.  IM does not seem to be able to support theirs as well.

Hmm.

I thought IM was pretty good.

I've needed parts a couple of times and called out there and they (the parts) were promptly sent. 

But I haven't tried ordering like everything that comes on/with the locomotive as far as parts go.

[Purrs]

Thanks Railwire gurus. The information you have all imparted in a short time has been great. It just reinforces even more how we can help each other, no matter where we are in the world and most importantly where we are in our modelling prowess. Kind regards to you all. NP (Purrs)

[CBQ Fan]

I called them, told them what I needed, gave them all my information and they said they would send it out, or call me with details, or tell me it was not available.  I got nothing in return.  Every part order from Kato has been flawless.

[arbomambo]

with the right parts and a little effort, the KATO F units can be made to look better than the IM units.....









~Bruce