[MOC] Santa Fe EMD F7A Warbonnet #315

[SavaTheAggie]

SantaFe_F7_315-01 by Tony Sava, on Flickr

I have finally finished my F7A locomotive, just in time for the NMRA National Train Show in Kansas City.

Full Gallery

SantaFe_F7_315-18 by Tony Sava, on Flickr

My design started with modifying the windscreen design pioneered by Nate Brill, working it around the Technic element I chose for the headlight shroud.  She runs well, powered by two standard PF train motors.

Building the Santa Fe version was actually more of a proof of.concept, my ultimate goal is to build a full Texas and Pacific "Texas Eagle" consist.  I may also build a Texas and Pacific freight F7, as they were painted differently.

Video of the Warbonnet in action may be found here:

--Tony

[supertruper1988]

Tony, this thing is amazing! Love the E and F units! Since the F units were freight locos, any chance you got some video or pics of it pulling some of the BMR freight cars?

[HoMa]

@SavaTheAggie, saw your promising work in progress pictures on Flickr. Yes, this is how the Santa Fe F7A has to look like as LEGO MOC. The use of that one element I don't know the name is just perfect for the large front light. And I still "brain reengineer" how the windscreen is build? The grille tiles seems to hold on the glass rather tight.

Congrats winning the locomotive category from BMRR at the NMRA show.

And thanks for the video showing all the great engines and trains on one of the best LEGO train layouts in the world.

Holger

[Toastie]

Hmmm.

Oh well. Is it me or is it a box on wheels? That is certainly not a steam engine …

… it is a breathtakingly wonderful rendition of an F7A.

That front is so far away from a box as a circle is. As well is the undercarriage. And the detailing on the boxes sides. The model on the left brought me entirely out of my dark ages that days. Your model on the right shines bright light on bright ages ...    

I truly wish you would build more boxes on wheels.

As @HoMa said, congratulations on winning that prize. For a box that is. On wheels.

All the best,
Thorsten

[Carefree_Dude]

As always, love your work. It looks beautiful! 

[3D LEGO]

SavaTheAggie,

Wonderful rendition of the EMD F7A unit. That curious part you used for the upper light is none other than this, 47452 Technic, Brick Modified 2 x 2 with Pin Hole, Rotation Joint Ball Half (Horizontal Top), Rotation Joint Socket, in yellow. 48169 does not exist in yellow but oddly enough, 47452 does. I was beginning to wonder if you have used some paint or something. (Close inspection of the picture of the cab end confirmed this. That does create a problem as that part/those parts only come in so many colors. Next up, a B unit.

If it makes you feel any better, I am running into similar issues with those pesky nose mounted number boards but on a newer, boxy EMD unit. I think I found a solution.

3D LEGO

[Laura Beinbrech]

That's a really nice 8-wide EMD F-7 you built there, Sava.  Definitely a huge improvement over the original LEGO model, and instantly recognizable for what it is.

Also thanks for posting the video of the LEGO layouts at the NMRA show:  I would have liked to go along with Cale & the rest of the PennLUG crew, but after having BronyCon & BrickFair right after each other, there was no way I was going to be in any shape, physically or financially, to drive all the way out to Kansas City for the NMRA show the following week, lol.

[LEGO Train 12 Volts]

Lovely upgrade of a beautiful model Tony ...at 4:14 of the video I can see this beauty in action!

[JopieK]

It is very very nice in that scale! Much better than the original although I also like the original.

[zephyr1934]

Looks like a great time was had by all, you even coaxed John and Ross in to playing trains again! That would have been great to see in person, but glad you got the video.

As for the F7, you got the proportions right and so many of the impossible angles, great build.

[Barduck]

On 8/28/2018 at 1:10 AM, 3D LEGO said:

SavaTheAggie,

Wonderful rendition of the EMD F7A unit. That curious part you used for the upper light is none other than this, 47452 Technic, Brick Modified 2 x 2 with Pin Hole, Rotation Joint Ball Half (Horizontal Top), Rotation Joint Socket, in yellow. 48169 does not exist in yellow but oddly enough, 47452 does. I was beginning to wonder if you have used some paint or something. (Close inspection of the picture of the cab end confirmed this. That does create a problem as that part/those parts only come in so many colors. Next up, a B unit.

If it makes you feel any better, I am running into similar issues with those pesky nose mounted number boards but on a newer, boxy EMD unit. I think I found a solution.

3D LEGO

Sorry to bump an older post but this was bugging me without end. If you look closely you'll see that above the piece you're wondering about there is a 2x2 and a 1x2 tile mounted. This is impossible with the piece you've mentioned to be the most likely one. Also, at this moment, there are only 2 of those in yellow for sale. I don't think Sava would use a piece that is so rare (but I could be mistaken on that part). What I am sure of is that it is this piece that has been used: https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=47454#T=C

Everything points in to the direction of piece 47454, not 47452.

[supertruper1988]

4 hours ago, Barduck said:

Sorry to bump an older post but this was bugging me without end. If you look closely you'll see that above the piece you're wondering about there is a 2x2 and a 1x2 tile mounted. This is impossible with the piece you've mentioned to be the most likely one. Also, at this moment, there are only 2 of those in yellow for sale. I don't think Sava would use a piece that is so rare (but I could be mistaken on that part). What I am sure of is that it is this piece that has been used: https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=47454#T=C

Everything points in to the direction of piece 47454, not 47452.

You can see if you zoom WAAAAAY in that it is indeed 47454 

[3D LEGO]

Barduck,

I was close, just off by a stud. Thank you for catching that discrepancy in my observation. It is still one of those ingenious but rather limited solutions to a problem.

3D LEGO

[mfrazier]

Tony

Great great upgrade to an iconic loco. Will you have instructions for this in your Bricklink store?

Edited November 14, 2018 by mfrazier

[Cylo]

Great build! That windshield looks wayyy better!

[ProvenceTristram]

What is holding the wind shield in place?

[SavaTheAggie]

Thank you all for the kind words.  It was a fun build, but admittedly she was a proof of concept, allowing me to move forward with my plans to build a full Texas & Pacific Texas Eagle consist.

The windshields are held in by grill tiles, which are held together by magic, force of will, and the magic of friendship (and a hefty dose of work by Nate Brill).

Instructions will be soon found in my Bricklink shop.  My goal is before December.

--Tony

[CrispyBassist]

9 hours ago, SavaTheAggie said:

Instructions will be soon found in my Bricklink shop.  My goal is before December.

Thats exciting to hear! I'm thinking this will look good in black, white, and orange ?

[Jeffinslaw]

18 hours ago, SavaTheAggie said:

Instructions will be soon found in my Bricklink shop.  My goal is before December.

Great to hear. Hoping to adapt them to the variants on the Great Northern, Northern Pacific, Southern Pacific, Union Pacific, and SP&S.

-Jeffinslaw

[SavaTheAggie]

Instructions now available for purchase:

https://store.bricklink.com/AggieSava

--Tony

[supertruper1988]

These instructions are great!! Thanks @SavaTheAggie Really glad to support you!

[ecmo47]

For anybody that is considering building Sava's F-7a/b there are a few parts issues that you should be aware of before you take the plunge. The main problem is the scarcity and, thereby, expensive part #6191 (Brick, Modified 1 x 4 x 1 1/3 No Studs, Curved Top) in Dark Blue Gray. The location is circled in red on my Rio Grande version. My fuel tank is the same color as Tony's plans of the Santa Fe version. You will need 4 of these per unit. There are only 16 dealers that currently have them and they run $8.00 to $18.00 each. https://www.bricklink.com/catalogPG.asp?P=6191&colorID=85 The part is not available in Dark grey so no easy substitution there. The only simple solution that I can think is to use eight 1x2x2/3 cheese slopes and a couple 1x8 plates. It would not give you that nice prototypical rounded look but would be passable. 

The other part that can be a little challenging to find is the part #3849 (Minifig lance) in LBG (circled in green). Your need one for each truck side-frame (four per unit). They are not expensive but a little hard to find in quantity. Fortunately you can get them in light grey or pearl light gray which are very close.

 

 

 

 

Edited September 8, 2019 by ecmo47

[zephyr1934]

53 minutes ago, ecmo47 said:

The main problem is the scarcity and, thereby, expensive part #6191 (Brick, Modified 1 x 4 x 1 1/3 No Studs, Curved Top) in Dark Blue Gray. The location is circled in red an my Rio Grande version.

Good point. This is where the BL color guide comes in handy for finding alternates. Click on the number in the "parts" column for the color you are interested in.

 

At least for the Santa Fe it looks like the fuel tanks should be closer to light blay assuming you are already using that for the silver sides.

In which case the light blay version of 6191 is only averaging $1 new, but it opens up this (new to me) part for a little less,

In dark blay, you could go with this for a lot cheaper

or the 1x2 version, or the full curve,

 

53 minutes ago, ecmo47 said:

The other part that can be a little challenging to find is the part #3849 (Minifig lance) in LBG (circled in green)

Well, Tony was a castle guy first, so of course you should expect that he will have a lot of lances. For these, you could use 3 mm rigid hose. Looks like 20 or 21 long might be the cheapest option at the moment.

[SavaTheAggie]

#6191 is pretty easy to find in light bluish grey, so you can build the fuel tank in that color.  I was unaware of the scarcity of the part when I built my original model, mainly because I had 40+ of them on hand, and assumed they weren't rare (LUG support, who knew?)

I had a similar issue with my North Pole Limited instructions, but not at first.  The 2x4x1+1/3 curved slopes in black were available when I first offered the instructions, but LEGO discontinued the part a year later, and Cale always blamed me for creating an artificial shortage because of my design requiring something like 60 of them (I don't remember the exact count, it was a lot).  Fortunately there are alternatives, and lately LEGO has brought the part back. 

This is also a reason why I've been hesitant to finish the instructions for the Eagle coaches - I don't want to create more scarcity for parts used en mass in my designs. 

As it has been said, the minifig lance is easy to find in pearl silver, and that works pretty well.

--Tony

Edited August 12, 2019 by SavaTheAggie

[ecmo47]

10 hours ago, SavaTheAggie said:

#6191 is pretty easy to find in light bluish grey, so you can build the fuel tank in that color.  I was unaware of the scarcity of the part when I built my original model, mainly because I had 40+ of them on hand, and assumed they weren't rare (LUG support, who knew?)

Yeah, I didn't catch that either when I built my four "F" units so I must have had a small stash of them too. I was pretty surprised when I discovered that while collecting parts for a Santa Fe A/B unit. Fortunately I was able to nab twelve of them from a norwegian dealer for a mere  $3.60 each. 

I guess you know how to fund your next project now!