I am painting a SCL/L&N Family Lines F7 AB set. It's the grey with the red and yellow "banners". The decal sheet only pictures the A unit, but says there was one B unit. How was the B unit painted, fully decorated like the A, just the SCL/L&N logo, just numbers? Thanks

-- John Pilgrim (jfp452@webtv.net), February 12, 2001

Answers

I had the opportunity to hostle these units when they were in Tampa for layover from the Executive Train, I think when Mr Carpenter was reveiwing the territory. Anyway the units were painted Seaboard System, all grey with the yellow and red stylized "S" on each side with a yellow trim stripe along the base just above the running gear. The fuel caps were red as well as the outloine of the sight glass on each fuel tank. The interior was a light gray, new seats and still the original throttle and "24" brake. Horn sounded nice as well. Ssad to see them go... Still better than the f40's now pulling the train

-- Walt Rogers (wjriii@verizon.net), May 29, 2002.

To the best of my knowledge, only the A units were painted in FLS grey. I think the B units went out of service right aroud the time the A's were painted grey. I think they were painted because they became CRR's principal excursion/Santa train power after their small steam engine went out of service. Incidentally, the main role of the B units (which I think wore Pullman green) was to ride behind the steamer as backup/extra power. The B's eventually did wear french grey, but it was after the SBD merger and their resuscitation by Dick Sanborn, but that's another story for another day. Sorry for the rambling reply and any inaccuracies.

-- Steven Holmes (stevenholmes@mindspring.com), February 12, 2001.

I never saw a famiy lines painted F unit to be honest with you... I saw them painted in seaboard system, but not FL... If there was one, i would imagine that there would have been the yellow and red stripe along the length of the unit and the FL logo dead smack in the middle... if at all

-- troy nolen (kirkwood@gdn.net), February 12, 2001.