trailrider
Well-Known Member
Without naming any particular manufacturer or marketer, because I've seen too many examples, but almost all the HO scale model F-7 diesel "motors" (locomotives) decorated for C.B.&Q. have freight pilots, whereas the "Q" used passenger pilots on most of their freight cab units. The exception was on the early FT's and F-2's. The difference is that the freight pilot dips inward below the anti-climber, whereas the passenger pilots come straight down from the anti-climber and the front couplers were generally hidden behind clamshell covers on the lead units. (When an "A" unit was run backwards behind others, the couplers were, of course, exposed.) Now, I do understand that most railroads used freight pilots on their freight diesels, so a model manufacturer that is decorating for different roads has to keep the model generic enough. But maybe they could provide a separate passenger pilot that could be used to model the "Q" units.