EMD Displays – Visible F-Units

During the period between 1946 and 1953, EMD produced a series of “visible” F3B AND F7B locomotives, equipped with removable side panels. They were painted with their equipment and piping systems in the color-coded function scheme shown in operators manuals, with equipment stenciled to indicate its identity, and were fitted with internal floodlights for night display. These locomotives were exhibited at open house events, railroad industry trade shows, and at station platforms in cities throughout the United States. When they were not on display, they sometimes traveled with the EMD Training Cars as a training aid for classes held at railroad shops.

The locomotives usually traveled with an “A” unit that could be an EMD demonstrator or a newly delivered cab-unit from the hosting railroad, and with an equipment car that carried the walk-up visitor ramps and ground displays. The story of these locomotives has been told in F-Unit articles in Railroad Model Craftsman, Railfan & Railroad, and Classic Trains.

The concept for the visible F-Units originated from EMD building several E-Units with glass side panels for display at the 1939-1940 Worlds Fair. The F-Unit tours were very successful and photos of the events show large crowds lined up to see the visible locomotives.

EMD changed out visible “B” units as new features were introduced in production, replacing the older unit with a new production version. The locomotive retired from display service was then brought in and modernized, and sold to a customer.

Any EMD F-Unit or E-Unit with deteriorated side panels is a potential candidate for this kind of conversion.

PC

There's still potential for this kind of display today. When I was a museum docent, I'd typically get positive reactions when cracking open the doors on one of our hood units. I'd be willing to bet that even setting up a motor with plexiglass panels would be a draw.