FP7

[Desertdweller]

This month I received a shipment from a mail-order hobby supply house.  They were running a special deal-included with the order was a free model!  The model included was a Santa-Fe FP7 cab unit display model.  It looked to me like a Bachmann.

This was really a nice model, with a great paint job, and a closed front coupler pocket.
I had rebuilt a Bachmann F-unit chassis to power it with.

Today I removed the model from its display base, and took the chassis out of it.  When I tried to fit my Bachmann chassis under it, I found it was too short.  Experimenting with other models, the only one I found would fit was the Rapido FP9 chassis.  This would be expected, as the FP7's and 9's were the same length, 4' longer than a regular F-unit.  The Rapido chassis would have required some work to use.  I didn't use it, as it was under a unit that gets a lot of use (a D&GRW unit).

My question to the Bach-man:  Was this display loco a Bachmann product?  If so, is there going to be a run of these as powered models?  I didn't really expect much for free, but was very impressed by the appearance of this model.

Les

[the Bach-man]

Dear Les,
I have no idea, but I'll ask around.
Happy New Year!
the Bach-man

[skipgear]

Sounds like a Del Prado display loco. There is a full series of oddball and famous loco's that they do that set on N scale track.

http://modeltrains.99k.org/trains.html - Look about 3/4 of the way down the page.

As far as an FP7 fitting an F7 frame, or an F9 for that matter, it won't. FP7's were longer wheelbase to allow room for a steam generator and some other equipment.

[Desertdweller]

Happy New Year, Bach-man and Skip!

I had no idea the Del Prado line existed.  They certainly have some nice looking models.
Too bad they don't run.

I couldn't help but think as I looked at these that these nicely detailed and decorated bodies would make nice conversions on existing power chassis.  Did you see the Milwaukee Road Bi-Polar?  Imagine that Bad Boy on a GG1 chassis!

Maybe in Europe there is a demand for display-only loco models.  Del Prado certainly looks like they have that market covered.  The only improvement I could suggest would be to lighten up those incredibly heavy handrails on some of the Diesels.

Del Prado needs to make a deal with an international manufacturer of N-scale locomotives to get those nice body shells on operating drives (hint, hint).

Les

[skipgear]

The Del Prado stuff is just a notch above toy grade. I know a few people have tried to clean up the Krauss Maffei loco to make something passable but it still looked clunky and toylike. The other one that people have tried to work with is the CP Royal Hudson.

They are really not even as good as early Bachmann and Lima stuff. They were never intended for the model railroad market. It as a collector series that a toy company put out that happend to be designed to fit on N track for display.

[Desertdweller]

Tony,

I'm sorry to hear that this line of models is so clunky.  The FP7 certainly isn't.

That KM loco looked like it had possibilities, but I don't know where anyone could get trucks for it.  Maybe the original truck side frames could be removed and re-used, if the axle spacing was correct.

That line included most of the great European locomotives I have in an illustrated coffe table book.  My personal favorite was included, the little streamlined Belgian 4-4-2.

I think these models could be an N-scale kitbasher's fodder.

Les