Sunset Reading EMD F3’s

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.

WB: Something Old and New

Well I got the Locomotive Workshop Baldwin kit home and took a good look at it. It is mostly complete. You can’t see the parts bag behind the body etching. The nose casting are softer then I remember from other kits. They will require some work to fit the four pieces together.

I’ve built other LWS kits in the past, to say they are basic is an understament. I had a friend refer to them once as a scratch building project disguised as a kit.

I’ve wanted to build the CNJ DR 4-4-1500 “Baby Faced Freighters” for a long time. This would give me the two nose castings I would need for the project. I could just use them as is and build the freight units, but I still think I want to build the double ended passenger unit. So I’m planning build one nose up and have resin castings made for the project. At any rate, it’s not at the top of the project list right now. Back into the box to wait a little while before starting that project.

I’ve been working on pair of GP7’s recently. I’ve managed to find a pair of the Atlas O GP7 shells. I am replacing the long hood assembly of a Red Caboose GP9 with the Atlas O GP7 long hood to build my GP7’s.

I am working on the drives first. I’ve been acquiring the parts for this build for a while now. Even before I bought the Atlas O shells.

I started with the P&D replacement drives for the Red Caboose GP9. The two drives have been waiting their turn on the workbench for a while. Funny that when I examined the gear towers of the drives. The top gear of both towers in one drive had cracks. Not a problem as I had planned to replace the gear towers anyway.

I am using the FineScale 360 Gear Tower and also a set of Right-O-Way conversion wheels and truck castings for the P&D EMD Blomberg truck. This conversion set might go back to when these parts were sold be Protocraft.

Since you have to disassemble the truck to install the conversion parts, I thought it would also be a good time to install ball bearing on the axels. You can see one of the ball bearings on the axel below. I’m using a FR133-ZZ Flange Mini Ball Bearing from Bearings Direct.

The model’s bearing in side frame have been modified to fit the new ball bearings on the axel ends. Next step is to paint and reassemble the trucks.

Sunset FP-7’s Arrive

The new Sunset FP-7’s arrived today.

My first impression is good. I do see a couple of things that I will want to improve.

For now, I just want to look at them and enjoy them.

Follow-up to this post. About two years after this was posted. I was approached by a friend who was regretting not buying a pair of these. I ended up selling these models to him. He did not mind the things I saw wrong with the models at all. These have since been replaced with Overland FP-7’s working their way through the paint shop.

Reading EMD Freight Cab Units DF-1, DF-2, DF-4

Reading DF-1 #252 A-B
Reading DF-2 EMD F3 #262
Reading DF-4 EMD F7 #266

 

No.BuiltRDG ClassEMD ClassHPEngine House Assignment
2501/45DF-1FTA1350 
250 B1/45DF-1FTB1350 
2511/45DF-1FTA1350 
251 B1/45DF-1FTB1350 
2521/45DF-1FTA1350 
252 B1/45DF-1FTB1350 
2531/45DF-1FTA1350 
253 B1/45DF-1FTB1350 
2541/45DF-1FTA1350 
254 B1/45DF-1FTB1350 
2551/45DF-1FTA1350 
255 B1/45DF-1FTB1350 
2562/45DF-1FTA1350 
256 B2/45DF-1FTB1350 
2572/45DF-1FTA1350 
257 B2/45DF-1FTB1350 
2582/45DF-1FTA1350 
258 B2/45DF-1FTB1350 
2592/45DF-1FTA1350 
259 B2/45DF-1FTB1350 
26011/48DF-2F3A1500 
260 B11/48DF-2F3B1500 
26111/48DF-2F3A1500 
261 B11/48DF-2F3B1500 
26211/48DF-2F3A1500 
262 B11/48DF-2F3B1500 
26311/48DF-2F3A1500 
263 B11/48DF-2F3B1500 
26411/48DF-2F3A1500 
264 B11/48DF-2F3B1500 
26511/48DF-2F3A1500 
265 B11/48DF-2F3B1500 
2663/50DF-4F7A1500 
266 B3/50DF-4F7B1500 
2673/50DF-4F7A1500 
267 B3/50DF-4F7B1500 
2683/50DF-4F7A1500 
268 B3/50DF-4F7B1500 
2693/50DF-4F7A1500 
269 B3/50DF-4F7B1500 
2703/50DF-4F7A1500 
270 B3/50DF-4F7B1500 
2713/50DF-4F7A1500 
271 B3/50DF-4F7B1500 
2723/50DF-4F7A1500NB
2733/50DF-4F7A1500NB
2743/50DF-4F7A1500 
2753/50DF-4F7A1500 
2763/50DF-4F7B1500 
2773/50DF-4F7A1500 
2783/50DF-4F7B1500 
2793/50DF-4F7A1500 
2803/50DF-4F7B1500 
2813/50DF-4F7A1500NB
2823/50DF-4F7B1500 
2833/50DF-4F7A1500 
2843/50DF-4F7B1500 

References:
Diesel Era – 1998 March/April – Reading’s First-Generation Diesels by by Paul K. Withers
FD&S – Vol. 12, No. 2 – Reading’s DF-2: TThe EMD F3 by Richard W. Jahn
Reading Diesels Volume 1 The First Generation – by Dale Woodland
The Revolutionary Diesel EMC’s FT – by Diesel ERA
Photograph’s from George Losse Collection.