The Finest 4-8-4 "Northerns" Ever Built UP's Legendary FEF-3
Laughing past the speed limits, the flying mass of steam and steel bears down. A banshee whistle screams. A heartbeat blur of rods, drivers and dust... and its gone. A machine-gun burst of wheels clattering on rails chases it out of town. Red markers trail into the distance and quiet returns.
Imagine the thrill as a million pounds of 4-8-4 approaches at 100 mph! From delivery in late 1944 to fantrip service today, UPs legendary class FEF-3, (Four-Eight-Four, 3rd Series) Northerns have delighted generations of modelers and railfans.
Examine these superb, new HO Scale replicas from Rivarossi. Completely revised with an all-new drive, DCC-ready electronics and more realistic detail, they're a must for any collection of steam power. And with three authentic schemes to choose from, you'll discover new possibilities for creating realistic passenger trains in the steam, transition and modern era.
The pressure of Korean War traffic kept the FEF-3s hopping. Servicing time was cut and they were seldom washed. Concerns over dirty engines on passenger trains and the public perception of passenger engines pulling freights led to the FEF-3s being repainted black. With more diesels arriving, the FEF-3s were gradually reassigned as freight engines. They were often seen on crack merchandise runs, as well as important fruit and livestock trains. And they still pulled passenger trains! By the late 50s, they were among the last UP steam locos held for seasonal traffic peaks.
Engine #840 is finished in 1950s basic black with a light graphite smokebox and firebox. It's a perfect engine on passenger trains made up of cars in sets 635-6995 and 635-6996 (both sold separately, matching add-on cars are also available to build a longer train) and would be equally at home in fast freight service with Walthers CA-1 Caboose (932-7540 series, sold separately) bringing up the markers.
Laughing past the speed limits, the flying mass of steam and steel bears down. A banshee whistle screams. A heartbeat blur of rods, drivers and dust... and its gone. A machine-gun burst of wheels clattering on rails chases it out of town. Red markers trail into the distance and quiet returns.
Imagine the thrill as a million pounds of 4-8-4 approaches at 100 mph! From delivery in late 1944 to fantrip service today, UPs legendary class FEF-3, (Four-Eight-Four, 3rd Series) Northerns have delighted generations of modelers and railfans.
Examine these superb, new HO Scale replicas from Rivarossi. Completely revised with an all-new drive, DCC-ready electronics and more realistic detail, they're a must for any collection of steam power. And with three authentic schemes to choose from, you'll discover new possibilities for creating realistic passenger trains in the steam, transition and modern era.
The pressure of Korean War traffic kept the FEF-3s hopping. Servicing time was cut and they were seldom washed. Concerns over dirty engines on passenger trains and the public perception of passenger engines pulling freights led to the FEF-3s being repainted black. With more diesels arriving, the FEF-3s were gradually reassigned as freight engines. They were often seen on crack merchandise runs, as well as important fruit and livestock trains. And they still pulled passenger trains! By the late 50s, they were among the last UP steam locos held for seasonal traffic peaks.
Engine #840 is finished in 1950s basic black with a light graphite smokebox and firebox. It's a perfect engine on passenger trains made up of cars in sets 635-6995 and 635-6996 (both sold separately, matching add-on cars are also available to build a longer train) and would be equally at home in fast freight service with Walthers CA-1 Caboose (932-7540 series, sold separately) bringing up the markers.