From 1942-1945, Electro Motive Division's F-unit was the only road freight diesel built in America. While the War Production Board limited competitors Alco and Baldwin to diesel switcher and steam locomotive production during World War II, EMD's 1,350 hp FT became a runaway best-seller. By war's end, Electro Motive had a lead over its competitors that would last until they closed their doors.
With production restrictions lifted and the U.S. economy humming with pent-up demand, railroads clamored for new diesels to replace a steam fleet exhausted by wartime traffic. In July 1946, EMD introduced a new model F-unit, the F3. Horsepower was upgraded to 1,500 and lessons learned on the FT gave the F3 better reliability and lower maintenance. Under the hood throbbed an improved 567-series V-12 engine. With 567 inches of displacement per cylinder, this same engine would power virtually the entire first generation of EMD diesel locomotives.
The F3 hit the market in an era when almost every boy in America wanted toy trains for Christmas, and F3 models quickly became a hot topic in letters to Santa. Such was the desire of railroads for publicity that model train manufacturer Lionel convinced the Santa Fe, the New York Central, and EMD to share the tooling costs for its top-of-the line F3. Even today, half a century later, the Santa Fe F-unit remains an icon of railroading to the American public.
M.T.H. is proud to offer the drama of this postwar locomotive in HO scale. The M.T.H. HO F-3 Diesel Sets include Proto-Sound 3.0 offering authentic EMD 567 prime mover sounds, first generation diesel horn and bell, crew station sounds, break sounds, and cab chatter. The F-3 features superb detailing that characterizes all M.T.H. HO diesels, with added-on details that include legible builder's plates, grab irons, multiple-unit hoses, rooftop lift rings, see-through rooftop fans, steam generator exhaust stack (for passenger versions), windshield wipers, and trucks with separately-applied spring hangers, brake cylinders, and air pipes.
•Directionally Controlled LED Headlights
•Operating MARS Light
•Intricately Detailed ABS Bodies
•1:87 Scale Proportions
•Metal Wheels and Axles
•(1) Scale Operating Kadee Coupler
•(1) Operating Kadee Compatible Remote Controlled Proto-Coupler
•Detailed Truck Sides, Pilots and Fuel Tank
•Powerful 12-Volt 5-Pole Skew-Wound Precision Flywheel Equipped Motor
•Locomotive Speed Control In Scale MPH Increments
•Lighted Cab Interior
•Illuminated Number Boards
•Lighted Marker Lights
•(2) Engineer Cab Figures
•On-Board DCC Receiver
•Operates On Code 70, 83, & 100 Rail Curves
Proto-Sound 3.0 equipped locomotives can be controlled in command mode with any DCC compliant command control system. While the user won't have access to all of the incredible features of Proto-Sound 3.0, independent control over the locomotive is possible. This means you can continue to use your existing DCC controller to independently control your other DCC equipped locomotives in addition to your Proto-Sound 3.0 locomotive on the same track at the same time.
When using a DCC controller, the following Proto-Sound 3.0 locomotive features are accessible:
◦F0 Headlight
◦F1 Bell
◦F2 Horn
◦F3 Start-up/Shut-down
◦F4 PFA
◦F5 Lights (Number Board)
◦F6 Master Volume
◦F7 Front Coupler
◦F8 Rear Coupler
◦F9 Forward Signal
◦F10 Reverse Signal
◦F11 Smoke On/Off
◦F12 Smoke Volume
◦F13 Grade Crossing
◦F14 Coupler Slack
◦F15 Extended Start-up
◦F16 Extended Shut-down
◦F17 Rev Up
◦F18 Rev Down
◦F19 Engine Sounds (On/Off)
◦F20 Single Horn Blast
◦F21 Coupler Close
◦F22 Feature Reset
◦F23 Idle Sequence 1
◦F24 Idle Sequence 2
◦F25 Idle Sequence 3
◦F26 One Shot Doppler (On/Off)
◦F27 Brake Sounds (On/Off)
◦F28 Cab Chatter (On/Off)
◦Proto-Sound 3.0 With The Digital Command System Featuring: Freight Yard Proto-Effects
◦Unit Measures:7" x 1 7/16" x 2 3/8"
◦Operates On 18" Radius Curves
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