Athearn HO Scale F7A Diesel Locomotive - Burlington Northern

Athearn HO Scale Ready To Run F7A Locomotive - Burlington Northern #714

Product Features

Fully assembled and ready for your layout
Super weight installed for extra traction
Painted to complement existing locomotives and passenger cars
Machined RP25 profile metal wheels
McHenry scale knuckle spring couplers installed

Product Description

Features / / * Fully assembled and ready to operate / * Super weight installed for extra traction / * Painted to complement existing locomotives and passenger cars / * Machined RP25 profile metal wheels / * McHenry semi-scale operating knuckle couplers installed / / Specifications / / DCC: No / SOUND: No / PROTOTYPE MANUFACTURER: EMD / COUPLER STYLE: Knuckle / RTR/KIT: Ready to Roll / ERA: 1940 - 1970

The EMD F7 was a 1,500 horsepower (1,100 kW) Diesel-electric locomotive produced between February 1949 and December 1953 by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors (EMD) and General Motors Diesel (GMD). It succeeded the F3 model in GM-EMD's F-unit sequence, and was replaced in turn by the F9. Final assembly was at GM-EMD's La Grange, Illinois plant or GMD's London, Ontario facility. Although originally promoted as a freight-hauling unit by EMD, the F7 was also used in passenger service hauling such trains as the Santa Fe's El Capitan.

A total of 2,366 cab-equipped lead A-units and 1,483 cabless booster or B-units were built. The F7 was the fourth model in GM-EMD's successful line of F-unit locomotives, and by far the highest-selling cab unit of all time.

Many F7s remained in service for decades, as railroads found them economical to operate and maintain. However the locomotive was not very popular with the yard crews who operated them in switching service because they were difficult to mount and dismount, and it was also nearly impossible for the engineer to see hand signals from his ground crew without leaning way outside the window. As most of these engines were bought and operated before two-way radio became standard on most American railroads, this was a major point of contention. In later years, with the advent of the “GP” type “road switchers”, Fs were primarily used in “through freight” and “unit train” service where there was very little or no switching to be done on line of road.

The F7 can be considered the zenith of the cab unit freight Diesel, as it was ubiquitous on North American railroads until the 1970s (longer in Canada). The F7 design has become entrenched in the popular imagination due to it having been the motive power of some of the most famous trains in North American railroad history.

The F7 replaced the F3, differing primarily in internal equipment (mostly electrical) and some external features. The F7 was eventually succeeded by the more powerful but mechanically similar F9.

Other HO Scale Burlington Northern Locomotives: Trainline EMD GP9M HO Scale Locomotive - Burlington Northern / Athearn HO Scale SD60M Locomotive - Burlington Northern / BNSF / Athearn HO Scale SD60M Locomotive - Burlington Northern Santa Fe

Other HO Scale F7 Locomotives: Proto 2000 HO Scale EMD F7A-B Locomotives - Canadian Pacific / Proto 2000 Diesel EMD F7A-B Set Powered - HO Scale - Santa Fe / Walthers HO Scale F7 Locomotive - Santa Fe