SL-SF F9B 143

Karl - That is most likely the source of my adding the rear numbers to my Athearn F7 years ago. I certainly used that set of Microscale decals on them. Thanks.

Ken

 

Thanks Ken and Karl,
I referred to the Microscale diagrams as well, sometimes thy are not that accurate but they are this time. Thanks for helping with the info.

 

Neat diagram, Karl. I'd never really thought of it, but I don't think I've ever seen a photo of the rump side of any of the Frisco's cab units.

I've tried to carefuly scrutinize all of the B-unit photos in "Frisco in Color" and "Frisco Power" to see if I can positively identify EMD builder's plates, but haven't had any luck. I did see some photos were it sometimes it appears that the "A" unit builders plates were painted over?

Best Regards,

 

I wonder if it was because the B units were draw-bared to A units at one time, and simply didnt get the builders plates or some of the markings.

 

During my daily perusal of the "Frisco Archive," I used the tag cloud for "F9B," and found three good o/w photos of nos. 141, 145 and 151.

151 most clearly shows the small numbers on the end, above what appears to be some safety wording. The others also have them, albeit obscured by the camera angle and generous quantities of grime.

A close-up of the sides of each show a conspicuous and glaring absence of any EMD builder's plates.

Especially with Karl's note that these had individual EMD serial numbers, it's a most curious absence indeed. I'll have to keep an eye open for any B units in b/y and hope that they'll show whether the builder's plates were originally included.

Best Regards,

 

This is great information for sure, the knowledge base here never ceases to amaze.
Thanks everyone for the input and help. As luck would have it I did put the numbers on the ends as Chris described, although I will challenge anyone to make the numbers out as you need an electron microscope to see them on the decal sheet, you cant make the numbers out even with magnifying glasses. Whew those things are small. I believe the safety wording to be the "BE CAREFUL" that was on about every piece of equipement the Frisco ever had.

 

Neat recollections, Bob. Thanks for sharing. My first-ever, truly "Frisco" model that I made was of an F7A using an old Athearn blue box F7A that was steam boiler equipped. Since it's my only F-unit, I wish I'd left the steam boiler on made a good-enough FP7 for use on one of the pike-sized trains, as Tom's noted.

Not only did I realize that I'd been too hasty in removing the boiler, I also realized I'd gaffe in leaving the dynamic brake fan on.

Best Regards,

 

Below are a couple links to the SL-SF 143, (didn't want to get flamed for showing the photos) Both photos are shown as taken in 1969. The fallenflags photo kinda shows the vertical hand grabs for going in the car body as a lighter color, but it could just be grimy dust too. The archives photo clearly shows them as Black to me. I was wondering if any of you know if the vertical grabs were ever painted Yellow on EMD F units?
I hand bent all the grabs for this today, boy they sure had a lot of vertical hand grabs on these B units.



http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/slsf/slsf143.jpg

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/pictures\65019\PICT0013.JPG

 

Good question, Tom. Every photo I'm seeing of either an A or B unit in Marre & Sommers' Frisco in Color shows black vertical grabs for the b/y cigar band schemes, with one distinct exception.

F9A #5005 along with 4 other F9Bs and an uidentified A unit on the end are shown, lashed up at OKC. The lead A and following B units have yellow grabs. The only exception seems to the the distant A unit, which not only still appears to have black grabs, but also appears to be in the truncated cigar band only, with no gold striping on the sides.

This photo is dated February, 1965; the photos of F units with black grabs all appear to be pre-1965.

In one of those curious instances of inconsistency, F3A #5009 shows black grabs but with the front nose grabs on the cigar band in yellow. Otherwise, all other A units show the nose grabs in black until the aforementioned 1965 photo of #5005.

Incidentally, any photos of cab units in o/w show the vertical grabs in white.

Best Regards,

 

I see what you guys are talking about. An interesting variation to model, guess I could paint one side Yellow, the other Black and be OK
On page 9 in GS's book bottom right, there appears to be an F9B second in the consist, that caption shows it as an F7B, but I think I see a dyn brake grid fan on it as well as the number 5144 re#'ed to 144 and should be an F9B, and it clearly shows the vertical grabs in Yellow.

 

Aside from the photos that clearly show the grabs Yellow (on later dates it looking). The lighter colors on some of the older shots may be the Black paint wearing off the grabs.I wonder if they painted the sides of these units Yellow at the factory, masked the Yellow, and then painted the Black. And what we may be seeing is the Yellow layer underneath.
I am just wondering if thats what we see in some photos.
I dont know as it was way before my time, but think I remember reading about the FRA or one of those (groups) had the idea to paint the vertical hand grabs in a color that contrasts with the units basic or dominate color to help crews to see the grabs easier in some conditions.