SANTA FE MODELER

Volume 14 Number 3
Third Quarter, 1991

THE PASSENGER LOCOMOTIVES

Electro-Motive F-3's

Road numbers 16LABC through 36LABC

EMD's first real model change following the FT was the F-3. Upgraded to a 1500 HP rating and featuring greatly improved brake, throttle, and electrical systems as well as a new carbody, the F-3 set the pattern for the next decade of locomotive production. An F-2 model had been produced, but it was an interim model, essentially being an F-3 with an FT main generator and 1350 HP rating, intended for operation with FT's. Santa Fe had no need for F-2's and did not purchase any.

Santa Fe received its first F-3's in November 1946 and deliveries continued into 1949 when the F-3 was superseded by the F-7. Santa Fe's passenger F-3's comprised the 16 class (units 16LABC through 36LABC), all delivered in A-B-B-A sets, all set up for passenger service and wearing the famous red and silver paint scheme. The 16 class F-3's were subject to continuous improvement, both by EMD during production and by the Santa Fe after delivery.

Early units 16LABC through 21LABC featured the classic F-3 appearance of raised radiator fans and slit type D/B opening in the roof, "chicken wire" screening over the upper carbody openings, and three portholes on the sides of both A and B units. They did not remain in the as-delivered configuration for long, however, as the A-units underwent a modification that eliminated the center port holes, with the entire area between the two portholes being covered with "chicken wire" screening. B-units emained mostly unchanged.

EMD soon made a production change that resulted in another appearance change by the time units 22LABC through 29LABC were delivered. These units featured low profile roof fans and two portholes on the A-units with louvered filter openings between the portholes, but the "chicken wire" screening over the upper carbody openings remained. These and all subsequent passenger F's also featured stainless steel side panels in back of, and below the portholes, whereas the earlier units had painted panels.

The final delivery of 16 class F-3's, units 30LABC through 36LABC came from the factory with stainless steel grilles over the upper carbody openings which eliminated the unsightly "chicken wire" screening of previous production units, making them similar to the later F-7 in appearance.

Earlier units were also upgraded over a several years time span to have F-7 appearance of the carbody sides, but they retained the raised early style roof fans. Units 16 through 21C featured the "long" version of the red warbonnet paint similar to that used on E-units to the end, however (see the styling diagrams of the F-3 and F-7 passenger units). Early 16 class units were delivered with single headlights, but not too long after delivery the Santa Fe installed a rotating Mars light in the upper headlight casing and a new headlight housing was installed on the upper portion of the nose door. Later units were delivered with the upper Mars light and the lower headlight arrangement. These changes seem to have been rather sporadic and the exact date for any given change is difficult to pin down, but it seems that all the 16 class had a close to F- 7 appearance by the very early 1950's.

As time passed, many extra grab irons were added and radio antennas of several different types appeared including a flat plate type mounted on four legs centered on the cab roof on a few units, similar to the arrangement used on E-units.

All the 16 class units were built with the typical F-3 slit type D/B opening in the roof, but in later years some had a fan installed or had the D/B removed completely. The raised type early F-3 cooling fans were often replaced with the later low profile type and many ended up with any combination of raised or low profile fans, but a few units retained all four raised fans to the end. Raised fans are even known to have migrated to a 200 class F-7 or two as well, one known example being 240C. All the Santa Fe's F-3's were upgraded to F-7 mechanical standards by the mid-1950's.

Posed for their birthday portrait at La Grange, the first four members of the 16-class of F-3's are ready to hit the Santa Fe Trail. It is November 1946 and these first units will receive many, many changes during their lives

Santa Fe Modeler 3rd Quarter 1991 page 27, transcribed in altered form by Russell Crump for the Web.

The 16 class remained in passenger service until the late 1960's when some became surplus and these were demoted to freight service and spent their last miles working branchline freights mixed with freight F's and geeps. When Amtrak took over passenger service the surviving 16 class that were still in passenger service were renumbered into the 300 class. The rest of the A-units were rebuilt into CF-7's while F- 3B's were sold or traded in. All passenger F-3's not renumbered were off the roster by the end of 1972,

Several HO F-3 models have been available over the years, the latest being Stewart's plastic import in several variations. Their "Phase I" F-3 is useful for the as- delivered appearance of Santa Fe units 16LABC through 21LABC. It is available factory painted in Santa Fe passenger colors with a superb paint job. Except for air horns that might have been better, the model is excellent in all respects.

Stewart's "Phase II" F-3 would be used for those same units that were rebuilt with that style carbody for a brief time in the late 1940's. This model is not available factory painted in Santa Fe colors, but the undecorated version could be painted and decaled in the Santa Fe passenger scheme with little problem. Both the "Phase I and "Phase II" appearance were very short lived on Santa Fe F-3's, "Phase I" only in 1946-48 and "Phase II" proably no later than 1951. Stewat's passenger F-3's are available in both A and B units.

Hallmark imported a brass "Phase I" F-3 in early 1970's and it would also do for the very early 16 class-as-delivered. These models had a mechanism similar to that previously described for the FT's. They ran well, but were very noisy. Model Power makes a plastic "Phase I" F-3A that has a fairly good body casting, but a poor mechanism. It could be a starting point for a rebuild and detailing project, but with Stewart's fine units being available, why bother with the Model Power F-3 unless you are simply looking for a project for a project to work on? One of the first plastic HO models was the Varney F-3. It was produced as a metal casting when it was originally introduced, later converted to plastic. Very crude by today's standards, it introduced a lot of modelers to HO scale however. Cary also produced a cast metal F-3 shell that could be built up into a very accurate F-3, but I am uncertain if it is still available.

Santa Fe's late 16 class would probably be better modeled starting with either the Stewart or Athern F-7 as their late appearance was much closer to an F-7 than to the classic early F-3. The biggest problem would be in the D/B and stainless steel grilles. The D/B fan could be replaced with the F-3 slit type D/B from a Highliner B-unit kit. Highliner raised cooling fans could also be used for modeling rebuilt early 16 class units. Stainless steel grilles on most 16 class units were of the vertical slit type rather than the horizontal type found on the Stewart and Athern F-7's. Detail Associates has a very nice vertical slit stainless steel grille for E-units available and this can be shortened and installed on F-units to give the correct appearance.

F-3 number 19LABC at Pasadena in December 1946 illustrates the "as delivered" appearance of 16 class units 16LABC through 21LABC. Identifying features include the three portholes, extended "E-unit" style warbonnet, "chicken wire" screens over the upper carbody openings and raised radiator fans on the roof. Compare this unit with the EMD styling diagrams. -Stan Kistler

Here's the same engine at the same station eighteen months later! By May 1948 the 19's two cab units have been modified with the addition of a lower headlight (Mars light installed in upper headlight housing), removal of the center porthole and installation of "chicken wire" screenings over openings cut in the side panels between the two remaining portholes. The B-units were slightly changed in external appearance. All the early F-3A's (16-21) underwent these modifications within a couple of years of their delivery. -Stan Kistler

Santa Fe Modelers Third Quarter 1991 pages 28 and 30. Transcribed in altered format for the Web by Russell Crump

Santa Fe's second batch of F-3's received stainless steel side panels along the bottom of the carbody and one panel on the second row at the end. The rest of the side panels were painted to simulate stainless steel. Number 27 illustrates this pattern and the as-delivered lower headlight and shortened warbonnet of units 22-29. Units still have their "chicken wire" screens over the air intakes. Photograph was probably made soon after delivery in 1948 somewhere on Raton Pass. -Santa Fe, John McCall Collection

F-3 23L typifies the appearance of late 16 class units 22 through 36 in their final years. Note the firecracker type radio antenna at the rear of the roof. Two blast from the Leslie 3-chime air horn and 23L will leave Newton with a freight train this February day in 1970.

F-3 19C has had a 36-inch dynamic brake fan added and the first two high mounted radiator fans replaced with low profile fans and wrecking lugs mounted on its nose at some point in its career. Units 16LC-21LC retained their long warbonnet paint to the end

Stewart's "Phase I" F-3 represents the as delivered appearance of Santa Fe's 16 through 21. As indicated elsewhere this appearance was very short lived as they were converted to "Phase II" appearance, sans the center porthole and more "chicken wire". Except for addition of Kadee couplers and a road number, this model is unmodified.

F-3B 21B has had two of its original high mounted radiator fans replaced with low profile fans and its original dynamic brake has been replaced with a 36-inch fan as well. Such modifications were extremely common on the early 16-class F-3's. Photographed at Nickerson, Kansas in February 1970.

Added to the WWW 03-20-97
Updated 08-12-2002