Sunset Reading EMD F3’s

Posted on August 28, 2022 by George Losse

Sunset imported EMD F3 A’s and B’s painted decorated for the Reading a few years ago. I did not order any as I DO NOT like to buy any new model sight unseen. This was the first time they were being built and you have no idea if the model will be accurate.

This weekend I finally saw photos of an actual model that was produced. I was not impressed and I’m VERY GLAD I did not order any.

The Reading EMD F3’s were classed as DF-2. They styled very similarly to the later F7’s. The had the later low profile 36 inch fans on the roof. They had the later large angled number boards on the nose. They also had Stainless steel grills on the top of the sides of the locomotives. Outwardly they were often misidentified as F7’s. The only real visual difference is the dynamic brake grid on the roof, they had a pair rectangular roof grids for the Dynamic Brakes instead of the F7’s 36 inch low profile fan.

Below are photos of the Sunset 3rd Rail Reading EMD F3 release.

These views of the A unit show what is wrong with the model:

The Dynamic Brake is not modeled correctly on the model. It’s a blank hatch cover. It should be two rectangular screen-covered grids
The Grills at the top of the car body are not modeled correctly. They should be made to look like stainless steel grills like an F7.
There are a pair of PRR style lifting brackets on the nose of the locomotive that should NOT be there.
Missing the number board on the top of the nose door.
Missing nose door handles

The B Unit also has inaccuracies:

Dynamic Brake not modeled
Missing lettering with unit number and class called out just in front of the rear side door.
Grills at the top of the car body should be like the grills on a F7.

I’m not a fan of the model companies current practice of producing a run of a model. They expect you to buy a model sight unseen before ANY photos are released of an actual model. I have only done this one or two times before. Haven’t always been happy with what was produced. And haven’t always been able to sell off the unwanted BAD model.

When you mention this to other modelers they just say order it or don’t, the manufactures don’t really care. Well I care. I’d rather have a correct model than the beginning of an expensive project to add to the project list. My project list is already too large!

Faced with the future options of having to order a model before it’s produced, I think I’ve ordered my last new model for this lifetime.

I did not order any of these models from Sunset 3rd Rail. Now having seen the actual model that was imported, I’m VERY glad I didn’t.

Makes me again say, I will not order any models sight unseen. If that means I don’t get the New Whatever, so what? I have more than enough models here now to keep my project list full for the rest of my lifetime and maybe another lifetime in addition.

Model photos cropped and edited from online images.
Prototype images from scanned photos and negatives from my collection.

Center for Railroad Photography and Art

Posted on December 12, 2021 by George Losse

This morning I was checking my email and looking at the few Facebook Groups I follow. I found an image embedded in a post on the of the Anthracite Railroads Historical Society. The photo that was embedded was part of a discussion about a location of of a different image.

But when I followed the link, I found a wonderful webpage.

The Center for Railroad Photography and Art has a page of 100 images of the Reading Railroad taken by Donald W. Furler. The images cover many different locations on the Reading Railroad from the early 1940’s into the mid-1950’s. A number of the images have appeared in print before in different publications.

Take a look, this is not your typical railman photography. I enjoyed exploring the page this morning. I hope other Reading fans will also.

Something Is Just Not Right

Posted on December 19, 2020 by George Losse

Ever feel like something just isn’t right?
This image sums up this whole year.

I saw this section of track on the old Camden and Amboy in Cranberry, NJ last year. It appears they took out a turnout on the branch, but they didn’t replace it with anything. There is also a lot fresh ballast for what could be thought of as an abandoned section of railroad.

Kind of reminds you of a model railroad before someone installs a new turnout. But model railroaders usually ballast after they install the turnout.

On a positive note, I’ve been decorating some hopper cars recently. I’ll try to post some progress images in a few days.

Have I ever mentioned that I have a love-hate relationship with dry transfers. Maybe if they were a little fresher, they would work better. That’s the trouble with manufacturers going out of business, you can’t buy new products from them anymore. When the transfers work, they are great. When they act up, they can really get under your skin.

I also have to finish up a number of posts that are sitting here half finished. Makes this site almost feel like another form of model building, too many projects half finished in a box.

Stoney Brook Bridge in Hopewell, NJ

Posted on December 1, 2018 by George Losse

Yesterday was a cold wet rainy day, but I was off from work and wanted to be on the road seeing something. I took the morning to explore a little more on the Reading’s line through New Jersey.

I took some time to explore this four track bridge which spans Stony Brook and Pennington-Hopewell Road. It has three arches over the brook and a steel girder/concrete through span over the road.

This is located between Pennington and Hopewell, NJ. The bridge is still used today, but the line no longer supports four tracks worth of traffic, only a single track remains today.

Also visible on under the bridge it appears that the span was two tracks at one time and widened with tracks on either side of the original abutment which was in the center.

Midwest Railway Preservation Society

Posted on November 3, 2015 by George Losse

On Friday we drove out to Cleveland for the O Scale Show. After setting up our table we decided to take advantage of the tour that Sam Shumaker had added to the show.

In the afternoon we went over to the Midwest Railway Preservation Society to see their operation. They are set up in an old B&O Roundhouse in Cleveland. One of the stalls was occupied with the Reading T-1 2100. The MRPS is renting the stall space to the group that is restoring her.

We surprised them a little when we showed up, but we were treated to a tour of the round house and the grounds outside. Turned into a very nice visit.

More Images from My visit to the Coal Regions

Posted on February 21, 2015 by George Losse

Tamaqua, PA. Looks to date from the early 60’s but still very neat.

Here are some more images from my last trip into the coal regions.

Close up of the car wash sing.

The right end of the of the car wash.

They view of where the Mallet shed was located in Tamaqua. The gas station that was across the street from it is still there. On the left of the image.

Looking right down on what was the engine house in Tamaqua.

Coaldale, PA

Coaldale, PA

Mahanoy City, PA

Concrete curbing in front of the station area at Mahanoy City.

three bridges just past the Station area in Mahanoy City.

The steps that went up to the Station at Mahanoy City. This is behind the station.

Coal Township, PA with remains of the Glen Burn culm pile behind the town. Check out the single light traffic signal.

Coal Township, PA

Holiday Decorations in a Park in Coal Township, PA.

A plastic choir in Coal Township, PA

Looking up South Center Street in Coal Township, PA.

A Visit to Coal Country

Posted on January 4, 2015 by George Losse

Tamaqua Station 2014

My wife and I took a nice ride up into Coal Country this past week. It was a nice warm Winter day, good for exploring the different towns that all too often are just names on an old map.

Tamaqua station looked nice decorated for the holidays. But it does seem a little empty in front of it with only one track left.

I’ve noticed a few folks on the web talking about their traffic on their sites. I usually don’t pay to much attention to that because in my day job I work on sites and there are too many people focused on the numbers. But I thought I’d take a look on my server and check to see what they were. In the last year, I had over 100,000 visits and over 270,000 page views. That’s not bad for a personal site without advertising. Thank you for visiting.

Reading Automobile Boxcar

Posted on May 18, 2014 by George Losse

I had the chance today to take a drive up into the Schuylkill Haven area today. It was a nice day for a drive and I wanted to get some first hand information about what would be visible in the backgrounds for the two “town walls” for the layout.

Coming back from West Cressona I found this beauty today. I wish I had my tape measure with me, next time I will.

January 30th!

Posted on January 30, 2013 by George Losse

Amtrak crossing the ice covered Delaware River

Holy crap that was a fast month!

A lot going on here, mostly life and work stuff, not much new with the layout except that benchwork is moving forward again. I did manage to get away to the Museum in Hamburg this month. It was a great visit! Answered many questions and generated just about as many new ones.

For the people that have asked about Reading Freight Cars Volume 2 & 3, let me just say we are talking with Reading Tech to convert the materials to be published in the Bee Line. More on that as it progresses.

I also pulled out a model project that I started with a friend about ten years ago. After a couple of hours working on it again, it reminded me why I’m in the hobby. It was also wake-up call about the layout. I can’t let the layout get in the way of what I enjoy most about the hobby, which is building freight cars.

A Nice Little Vacation

Posted on October 6, 2012 by George Losse

My wife and I just stepped away for a really nice little vacation in the Finger Lakes area of New York. We stayed in Watkins Glen, NY. Turns out our hotel room overlooked the old Northern Central/PRR line through town. This was part of the Elmira Branch above Elmira. I had studied the line from Elmira to Williamsport, PA with the idea of modeling it. I never did start the layout. I just could not put enough Reading into the layout.

The first day a Finger Lakes Railway local came right past our hotel. We didn’t see any other movement on the line the rest of our time there.

On the ride up we stopped at the Red Rose Diner in Towanda, PA. The service and the food was nice.

I did see a couple of station survivors while exploring the area. The upper image is from Montour Falls, NY also on the Elmira Branch. It’s now a doctor’s office.

The second station is from Hammonsport, NY and it is now a police station.

Just as you get into town in Watkins Glen the is the Millionaires’ row of campers/trailers. They looked nice but the locals were not too friendly.

Now that I’m relaxed from the nice vacation, it’s time to get back to the benchwork.

Modeling the Reading in Proto48

Modeling the Reading in the Summer of '52

Tag Archives: Prototype Photos