EMD F-units were a line of diesel-electric locomotives produced between November 1939 and November 1960 by General Motors Electro-Motive Division and General Motors-Diesel Division. Final assembly for all F-units was at the GM-EMD plant at La Grange, Illinois and the GMDD plant in London, Ontario, Canada. They were sold to railroads throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Structurally, the locomotive was a carbody unit, with the body as the main load-bearing structure, designed like a bridge truss and covered with cosmetic panels. The so-called bulldog nose was a distinguishing feature of the locomotive’s appearance, and made a lasting impression in the mind of the traveling public.

The F-units were the most successful “first generation” road (main line) diesel locomotives in North America and were largely responsible for superseding steam locomotives in road freight service. Before this, diesel units were mostly only built as switcher locomotives, and only used in rail yards.

F-units were sometimes known as “covered wagons”, due to the similarity in appearance of the roof of an F-unit to the canvas roof of a Conestoga wagon, an animal-drawn wagon used in the westward expansion of the United States during the late 18th and 19th centuries. When a train’s locomotive consist included only F-units, the train would then be called a wagon train. These two usages are still popular with the railfan community.

ATSF FEATURES:
F7 Phase I
Freight pilot (A-units)
36″ fan-equipped dynamic brakes
Nose & rear lift lugs
Dual single-note air horns (A-units)
Back-up lights with red lenses per prototype practice

With hundreds of F-units on the roster, Santa Fe owned numerous variations of the type. Two unique versions are represented in this release.

Units 261L and 265C are F7A locomotives delivered without stainless-steel grilles, giving them a unique appearance somewhere between that of an F3 and an F7. They are painted in the blue-and-yellow freight scheme.

Units 257L and 257A were among a handful of true dual-service units on the roster. Santa Fe owned several freight units with steam lines that could be used as emergency passenger power- but the 257 was distinctive in that it carried steam generators in the B-units. The units were still geared for freight service (65 mph), but often found themselves pressed into passenger service as well. They are painted in the cat-whisker scheme.

ROAD NUMBER SPECIFIC FEATURES:
#261L
Modernized grab iron configuration – grabs on side & top of nose
Cut skirts
F3 style chicken wire grills – delivered without stainless steel grills
Spark arrestors included to represent later appearance (to be installed by consumer)
Can-style antenna
Inertial air filter installed

#265C
Modernized grab iron configuration – grabs on side & top of nose
Cut skirts
F3 style chicken wire grills – delivered without stainless steel grills
Spark arrestors included to represent later appearance (to be installed by consumer)
Can-style antenna
Inertial air filter installed

#257L
“Stainless steel” grills
As-delivered grab iron configuration
As-delivered skirts
Inertial air filter included to represent later version (to be installed by consumer)
B-unit equipped with steam generator. Both units equipped with water fills

#267A
“Stainless steel” grills
As-delivered grab iron configuration
As-delivered skirts
Inertial air filter included to represent later version (to be installed by consumer)
B-unit equipped with steam generator. Both units equipped with water fills

F-UNIT SERIES LOCOMOTIVE FEATURES:
Coupler cut levers
Trainline and MU hoses
Windshield wipers
Lift rings
Wire grab irons
Sanding lines
Lit signal lights and/or beacons, if equipped
Bell placement & type per prototype
Directional constant lighting
Headlight brightness remains constant
Separately-applied photo-etched metal and injection molded detail parts
Detailed fuel tank with fuel fillers, fuel gauges, breather pipes & retention tanks
Speed recorder unless noted
See-through cab windows and full cab interior
Etched metal fan grilles
Body-mounted McHenry scale knuckle couplers – Kadee compatible
Scaled from prototype resources including drawings, field measurements, photographs, and more
Accurately painted and printed paint schemes
Genesis driveline with 5-pole skew wound motor, precision machined flywheels, and multi-link drivetrain
All-wheel drive with precision gears for smooth & quiet operation
All-wheel electrical pickup provides reliable current flow
Wheels with RP25 contours operate on all popular brands of track
LED Lighting for realistic appearance
Heavy die-cast frame for greater traction and more pulling power
Minimum radius: 18″ – Recommended radius: 22″
DCC-ready features Quick Plug plug-and-play technology with 21-pin NEM connector