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Post by dave on Apr 3, 2016 17:03:53 GMT -5
Good afternoon...I just got 2 MTL F7s in BN paint and this will be the absolute last time I buy a MTL F7. I have had a couple of these in the past and they were noisy but these are just terrible. They are noisy, they wobble, they are jerky and have a much higher starting voltage than the AZL GP7.
AZL, please do the F3s in the Burlington Route greyback paint scheme. I am begging you.
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Post by charlie on May 22, 2016 11:49:27 GMT -5
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Post by markm on May 22, 2016 13:52:33 GMT -5
Dave, Have you heard about this miracle substance called: paint? It can turn a sow's ear into...well a better looking sow's ear.  If you are really desperate have you thought about swapping shells with an AZL set? Really Dave the MTL design turned 30 years last March did you really expect something that would keep up with the AZL F units? Actually I'm finding the MTL F units to be interesting these days. The price point of the units, particularly on the used market, opens up opportunities for experimentation. I'm currently working on a unit for the WP passenger paint. If it does well, I may just try it on the AZL F3s. Charlie, If we are going to beg for WP, let's get it right before we drop to our knees. What we want is the Zephyr passenger paint scheme (orange on stainless steel), using the Zephyr font. (details available on request)  And since the WP always ran A-B-B, we want a set. Actually, since the AZL folks have been quiet about inquiries like this I've been assuming new roads for the F3's could be a year or more away. Mark |
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Post by dave on May 22, 2016 15:17:58 GMT -5
Markm,
I have thought about buying an AZL F3 set and swapping shells as I have the MTL Burlington units, but I am not mechanically inclined and I don't have a clue nor the talent to custom paint anything. I have been fishing a little bit on this forum to see if the swap actually works (shells fit correctly so units can be handled, no issues with couplers and engines run with no issues). If I could find someone to do the swap for me, I would consider it.
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Post by Rob Albritton on May 22, 2016 16:55:04 GMT -5
Actually, since the AZL folks have been quiet about inquiries like this I've been assuming new roads for the F3's could be a year or more away. Allow me to break the silence. We plan to release new F3 road names for the 2016 holiday season. |
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Post by dave on May 22, 2016 19:22:33 GMT -5
Rob, are you able to give roadnames? I really don't want to do the AZL-MTL swap but if AZL has no intentions of releasing CB&Q models in the foreseeable future, I will probably do it. Thanks for any help you can provide.
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Post by markm on May 23, 2016 14:45:44 GMT -5
Dave,
I do have to say that sooner or later (MTL or AZL) you will need to remove the locomotive shell for care and feeding. The AZL are easy, grab the chassis and pull up on the shell. There is documentation on the AZL web site as well as a video on the Digitrax site. Just need to avoid grabbing any detail pieces on the shell or frame.
MTL is only slightly more difficult. They have a pin on the frame that mates with a hole in the skirting on the shell. You need to force the shell over the pin (I use a toothpick) and lift it off.
Swapping the shells seems simple any easy, but I'm not going to encourage it until I do it myself.
I am somewhat interested in the greyback scheme. A bit of research finds there were about 6 versions: red porthole panels and all grey with red pin stripe top and bottom side panels. On the nose, red whiskers, black whiskers and red wings all with the "Burlington Route, which I believe differentiated between freight, passenger and Zephyr locos. I even found one reference to a loco with nothing more the "Burlington" on the side and three red whiskers. Which does one model?
I appreciate your comment about painting: not everyone is good at it and it's really hard to match the quality of pad printing. However, if you wanted to try, the greyback seems to be the easiest. Basically paint the shells grey and apply decals. If you can find shells molded in grey/off-white, maybe no painting at all.
For Rob, I'm left to ponder if when I pull my California Zephyr set out for Christmas, will I be able to power it in a prototypically correct consist from Chicago all the way to California?
Mark
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Post by dazed on May 23, 2016 21:01:57 GMT -5
I appreciate your comment about painting: not everyone is good at it and it's really hard to match the quality of pad printing. However, if you wanted to try, the greyback seems to be the easiest. Basically paint the shells grey and apply decals. If you can find shells molded in grey/off-white, maybe no painting at all. Even if one has a decent ability to paint, (and I won't even broach the almost "religious" topic of what color of gray "greyback" really is) the big thing that seems to be getting minimized here is....no decals. In this specific case, the decals could *mostly* be printed from home without the need for a white-printing printer or paying custom decal shop. This is assuming that a correct-sized Burlington Route logo could be harvested from an N or HO set. And by no means is this an easy or basic task. For other schemes, it might not be so "easy". If you have to get custom decals done, well now you're looking at a pretty expensive "basic" paint job. Point being, grandstanding for a certain paint job is a pretty common occurrence on model railroading forums. I suppose it could be presumed that if they had the ability to custom paint and decal then they would go that route, but certainly offering that up as an idea has merit. Your other point is good also...the quality of the pad printing is really an attractive feature. Anyway, the Q Greyback scheme is a pretty sought after scheme, no doubt. Out of era for me, but if there was a scheme that would get me to purchase an F-unit, that might be it. |
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Post by dave on May 24, 2016 6:41:58 GMT -5
Thanks for the comments guys. I will wait to see if AZL has any plans to release these (preferred) or if anyone successfully swaps shells with no issues. If neither of those happen, I will go without as I refuse to run MTL F7s because of their running qualities. It really isn't that big of a deal as I have the GP7 to haul cars. I have always liked F units and a pair of SMOOTH and QUIET greybacks pulling a small string of cars would be nice. Have a great day!
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Post by christoff on May 24, 2016 14:57:43 GMT -5
Boxcarwilly has successfully swapped the A unit with no permanent changes then sucsessfully swapped them back
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Post by strummer on Jun 4, 2016 0:08:03 GMT -5
If you really hate those MT F units, I would be very happy to take them off your hands. I rather enjoy tinkering with them...
Mark in Oregon
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Post by cwrr on Nov 4, 2016 1:23:13 GMT -5
Sooo, when is the next F3 release, and what roadnames........?
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Post by dawdawes on Nov 6, 2016 15:42:11 GMT -5
yes please that's the ones I want Sooooo, he he, ok Soo line in both Light grey/red and original maroon/gold
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Post by Hans Riddervold (AZL) on Nov 7, 2016 3:04:01 GMT -5
No dates on the next F3 batch. It will likely consist of F7s as well as F3s.
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Post by dave on Nov 7, 2016 10:59:22 GMT -5
Hans...per the note from way up in this thread, it is close to the 2016 holiday season. Are these F3's at least 6 months out?
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, that would be a biiiiig please 
for F3 WP in orange/grey 801-802-803:
