Broadway Limited 6658 - HO Scale EMD F3A Santa Fe ATSF #31C Warbonnet, Paragon4 Sound/DC/DCC

The trailing cab of Santa Fe's F3 passenger set #31, in the red-and-silver Warbonnet – one of the most famous paint schemes ever to roll on American rails.

The Prototype

Created by Electro-Motive stylist Leland Knickerbocker and first applied in 1937, Santa Fe's Warbonnet led the railroad's premier trains, including the Super Chief and El Capitan, across the Southwest between Chicago and California. After World War II, Santa Fe bought EMD F3s to power those trains.

The EMD F3 was a 1,500 hp cab-unit diesel built by General Motors' Electro-Motive Division from 1945 to 1949. It was EMD's third F-unit model and the second most produced after the F7, with more than 1,100 A-units and almost 700 B-units built for both passenger and freight service.

Santa Fe identified the units in each passenger set by letter: the lead cab carried an "L," the boosters "A" and "B," and the trailing cab a "C." That makes #31C the rear A-unit of set 31.

Build the Full Set

Combine with BLI 6650 (F3 A/B set, ATSF 31L/31A) and 6659 (F3B, ATSF 31B) for a prototypical four-unit 31L-31A-31B-31C passenger lash-up. We also carry the ATSF #31B booster.

Paragon4 Sound & Control

• Factory-installed Paragon4 decoder – runs on DC or DCC (use DCMaster for sound on DC)
• Rolling Thunder: pair with BLI's Rolling Thunder receiver/subwoofer for deep, room-filling prime mover rumble
• Back EMF motor control for smooth slow-speed running
• Built-in capacitance to ride through dirty or imperfect track
• Pro Lighting Mode – individual control of every light
• Switcher Mode for precise low-speed control
• Record & Play – records and plays back sounds and movements for automatic operation
• High-resolution audio with quillable horn and 3 selectable horns
• Adjustable bell rate, automatic grade-crossing and forward/reverse signals
• Prime mover sound varies with load; individually adjustable volumes
• EZ Reset button for a quick return to factory defaults

Model Features

• ABS body on a die-cast chassis for maximum pulling power
• Precision drive with all-wheel electrical pickup
• Separately applied handrails, grab irons, horn, bell, wipers and etched-metal grills
• Road-specific details matched to the prototype, including the Santa Fe nose door number plate
• Individually controllable lights: headlight, Mars light (where applicable), numberboards, classification lights, cab light
• Metal Kadee-compatible couplers
• Runs on Code 70, 83 and 100 rail; minimum radius 18"

Specs

• Scale: HO (1:87)
• Manufacturer: Broadway Limited Imports
• Item #: 6658
• Road / number: Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe #31C
• Paint: Warbonnet (red/silver/yellow)
• Model: EMD F3A, powered, Paragon4 Sound/DC/DCC

Photo shows the Warbonnet F3A; road number on the model is 31C.