EMD model F7

(The F-unit roster text by Jim Sandrin, from BRHS Bulletin #4, THE GRAYBACKS ©1982 Burlington Route Historical Society) Click on photos and diagrams to see larger size.

In May 1950, the CB&Q proper acquired its only F7's — 10 A's and three B's. These units had a 36" dynamic brake fan ahead of the four radiator fans, thus differentiating them from the Phase IV F3's. Nine of the F7's were numbered as three-unit A/B/A sets 167-169, while the other four A's were 163A through 166A.

CB&Q F7 #169A in Aurora, IL, probably mid-1960s. You can see the original ABA unit below. (courtesy Jan Kohl/Castle Graphics)
With delivery of the F7's, the last two four-unit F3 sets were broken up and reassembled with the single F7 A-units to form three unit F3-A/F3-B/F7-A sets 163 through 166. The renumbering went as follows:

137A to 163C 138A to 165C
137B to 163B 137B to 165B
137C to 164B 138C to 166B
137D to 164C 138D to 166C

The units in these F3-F7 sets matched well. The only outwardly visible difference between them being in the rooftop dynamic brakes. From the ground, the 163-166 sets appeared identical to the "pure" F7 sets, 167-169.

In August 1950, subsidiaries Colorado & Southern and Fort Worth & Denver both acquired their first F-units—A/B/B/A F7 sets decked out in all the stock Q options but numbered and sublettered for their owners. The C&S sets were 700 through 702, while the FW&D units were 750 through 752.

The C&S and FW&D units turned out to be the Burlington's last F-unit purchases. In 1951 the Q switched to the GP7 (two full years after its introduction! and never bought another carbody-type unit.

FW&D's first F7 set, #750, seen here at Lincoln on their first run on Aug 20, 1950. (Al Holck) One of the last of the three F7 sets on the CB&Q, #169 prepares to pull a westbound out of Clyde on Feb 9th, 1952. (Bruce Black) The final F7 set to go to the C&S, seen here in Lincoln, NE in 1952. The motors have recieved a letter designation since the drawbars have been replaced with couplers. (Al Holck)

Number blt.date Serial # Renumber disp.date description notes
164A 5/50 9693   2/69   6
165A 5/50 9694   2/69   6
166A 5/50 9695   2/69   6
167A 5/50 9696   2/69 1 unit of ABA set #167  
167B 5/50 9702   2/69 1 unit of ABA set #167  
167C 5/50 9697   2/69 1 unit of ABA set #167  
168A 5/50 9698   8/70 1 unit of ABA set #168  
168B 5/50 9703   1/69 1 unit of ABA set #168  
168C 5/50 9699   8/70 1 unit of ABA set #168  
169A 5/50 9700   2/69 1 unit of ABA set #169  
169B 5/50 9704   2/69 1 unit of ABA set #169 8
169C 5/50 9701   2/69 1 unit of ABA set #169  

Footnotes

6. F-3 number series 137 through 138 were broken up and renumbered in 1950 and combined with 4 F-7's to produce F-3-7 series 163 through 166. The F-3 series 137, for example, became F-3-7 163, using an F7 (later renumbered 163A) and F-3 137 (using the ''A" and " B" units), and F-3-7 164, using an F-7 and F-3 137 ("C" and "D" ), and so on.

8. Modified with a square hostler window and controls added

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