MOC: Santa Fe Super Chief EMD F7 A-B-A (4-Wide)

[CMF-1138]

Hello, Train Forum!

This MOC was inspired by LEGO's iconic Santa Fe Super Chief set (10020) and the more recent 50 Years on Track (4002016). For those who may be unfamiliar, 4002016 was the 2016 employee gift and included 4-wide builds of six classic LEGO trains. I liked the idea of these small builds, but didn't fancy the high price of the limited-edition set on the resale market, so I initially set about reverse-engineering the 4-wide versions of the Metroliner and the Emerald Night from photos of the set.

What kept nagging me, though, was that the 10020 Super Chief was conspicuously absent from the lineup. I have never owned this set, and I probably never will, but I think it is amazing. So here is my attempt at a 4-wide display version in the style of 4002016:

This A-B-A consist is roughly 62 studs long (the display base is 68 studs). I considered both 10020 and the “real” Super Chief to be my prototypes, which means that my model is not completely true to either, but I hope that it is at least recognizable.

I’d be happy to hear any comments, critiques, or suggestions. Thanks for looking.

Edited March 31, 2021 by CMF-1138

[Feuer Zug]

You've captured the feel of the EMD F-7 exquisitely. I dare say, your nose is far better than the one I did on a 4-wide 5 years ago.

[caiman0637]

This looks excellent! 

[Pdaitabird]

Great job! You've captured a lot of detail and some difficult shapes in 4-wide. 

[CMF-1138]

4 hours ago, Feuer Zug said:

You've captured the feel of the EMD F-7 exquisitely. I dare say, your nose is far better than the one I did on a 4-wide 5 years ago.

2 hours ago, caiman0637 said:

This looks excellent! 

2 hours ago, Pdaitabird said:

Great job! You've captured a lot of detail and some difficult shapes in 4-wide. 

Thanks, all. It was a fun little build. The nose, in particular, was a fun way to challenge myself to explore SNOT techniques and to develop my understanding of how certain pieces fit together. One of the reasons I opted to build this in 4-wide was that I like the way the striping carries through an A-B-A consist, and I knew it was highly unlikely I would ever get around to BrickLinking the parts to build multiple engines in 6-wide or larger. Plus, this is a little easier to display on a shelf.

Edited March 30, 2021 by CMF-1138

[deraven]

Looks great!  The solution for the lights on the nose and keeping the shape with that 2x3 modified plate is lovely!  I've also been eyeing the 50 Years on Track for a while now, but this may just inspire me to put together a different collection of 4-wides.  

[LEGO Train 12 Volts]

Simply amazing!

[Toastie]

Breathtaking.

As far as I am concerned, the smaller the scale, the harder it gets. Capturing the appearance, the look and feel. EMD F7 = Santa Fe Super Chief (for me). Seeing your 4 wide rendition = Santa Fe Super Chief = EMD F7. Instantaneously.

Very, very nice build, I'd like to try myself - with your permission. For personal use only!

And lastly: CF1138: Another magician of the small scale!

Thanks for sharing!

All the best
Thorsten 

[LEGOTrainBuilderSG]

Fantastic job on the front. Instantly recognisable. 

[CMF-1138]

Thank you, @deraven, @LEGO Train 12 Volts, @Toastie, and @LEGOTrainBuilderSG for the kind comments!

@deraven -- for me, 50 Years on Track is one of those sets that I would love to have, but that I could not buy for myself. When I first learned of it, I loved the concept, but only found the Metroliner and the Emerald Night personally appealing (in retrospect, that was a little odd, given that the 4002016 Emerald Night is probably the least successful of the six in capturing the essence of its prototype set, at least to my eye). But it did inspire me to take a crack at designing some 4-wides that appealed to my interests, and that has been a fun little adventure.

@Toastie -- you are far too kind! You, of course, do not need my permission to take this idea and run with it, but I say "build away, full steam ahead!" I would love to see what you can come up with.

For me, 4-wide is a lot of fun. Yes, it can be challenging, especially given the limitations of the LEGO building pallet (I'm still trying to figure out a "good" steam boiler at that scale). But in some ways that also makes it easier, because there are only so many parts that can fit in a given space! More importantly, I find that it is far more approachable. I marvel at the 6- 7- and 8-wide builds (and even larger) that are posted here on a regular basis, and I build at that larger scale, as well. But it can be intimidating to look at one of those amazing behemoths and think, "where do I even start with that?" With 4-wide, I find it is manageable to just sit down with LDD and start moving bricks around to see what I can come up with. All the more so if you are okay with a display model that need not navigate curves (although I should add that I originally designed my model with rotating bogies and it could be easily converted). There is certainly a lower barrier to entry in terms of parts cost if you choose to actually go ahead and build in real bricks.

Edited March 31, 2021 by CMF-1138

[Hod Carrier]

It's great to see some wonderful 4-wide scale builds gracing these pages again.

5 hours ago, CMF-1138 said:

For me, 4-wide is a lot of fun. Yes, it can be challenging, especially given the limitations of the LEGO building pallet (I'm still trying to figure out a "good" steam boiler at that scale). But in some ways that also makes it easier, because there are only so many parts that can fit in a given space! More importantly, I find that it is far more approachable. I marvel at the 6- 7- and 8-wide builds (and even larger) that are posted here on a regular basis, and I build at that larger scale, as well. But it can be intimidating to look at one of those amazing behemoths and think, "where do I even start with that?" With 4-wide, I find it is manageable to just sit down with LDD and start moving bricks around to see what I can come up with. All the more so if you are okay with a display model that need not navigate curves (although I should add that I originally designed my model with rotating bogies and it could be easily converted). There is certainly a lower barrier to entry in terms of parts cost if you choose to actually go ahead and build in real bricks.

Absolutely!! I agree with you 100%. I found that the challenge of 4-wide scale made for a very satisfying build if you can pull off a good likeness, as you have. Sometimes a close-up can be unforgiving at this scale, but there's nothing for you to be embarrassed about with this design. Very many congratulations!! 

[zephyr1934]

That is simply stunning. You did an unbelievable job conquering a very difficult challenge. I attempted a 4 wide F7 and gave up (you could tell what I was aiming for but that was as close as I could get).

[CMF-1138]

Thank you, @Hod Carrier and @zephyr1934, for the kind comments!