Manufactured by the Electro-Motive division of GM (EMD) from 1949 to 1953, the F-7 was a welcome relief to the strict guidelines set in place by the War Production Board during WWII. By 1945 the war had ended and the restrictions were lifted. EMD took advantage of having no limitations on supplies and released their F-series locomotives that same summer. The EMD F-7 shared the same smooth faced pilots and coupler shrouds as the earlier F3, the only noticeable difference between the two was the F-7's modified primary internal equipments, and the replacement of the F-3's chicken wire grilles with stainless steel upper body grilles.
This 1500hp diesel electric locomotive worked hard to meet industry demand after the four years of restriction during the war. Universally associated with North American railroads until the 1970's, EMD's F-7 continued to be used for decades as railroads found them inexpensive to operate and maintain. Originally introduced as a freight-hauling unit, by EMD, the F-7 was also frequently used in passenger service. The F-7 wound up being the best selling carbody-style diesel EMD ever produced, selling over 3,700 units to 49 different railroads. They stayed in service until 1970 and assured itself a place in the railroad record books as a triumph of diesel productivity.
M.T.H. is proud to offer the drama of this postwar locomotive in HO scale. The M.T.H. HO FA-2 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 F7 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. This HO locomotive comes available in the markings of Santa Fe, Erie Lackawanna, Western Maryland, Northern Pacific and Chesapeake & Ohio.
