MTH Santa Fe F-3 ABA Diesel Set Reviewed

My review and running of MTH's 20-20046-1 Premier Line Santa Fe F-3 ABA Diesel Set. Sponsored by The Train Loft, an O-Gauge Train Store (www.trainloft.com). More pics and info at www.ericstrains.com.

[@janemarkham4133]

We have the Santa Fe F-3 ABA Diesel Set & we love her. Thanks Eric for this review its great!! H. & J. M.😃😊👍👍

[@terencenelson4472]

Nice review, Eric. Interestingly, the tower voice recognized the train as # "17" but the cab no. is "26".

[@PghTrainFanatic]

That's an awesome set Eric! Congratulations on the new purchase! It looks, and sounds amazing!

[@caverjam]

I am new to the hobby of our scale trains and I am hooked on watching your videos one of the things that makes your video so incredibly good is your speaking voice your speaking voice is so clear I can easily understand every word you say

[@Por2gesDiesel]

Eric - have been watching this video almost everyday for three weeks :). Ordered my set and all the passenger cars from The Train Loft today. Thanks for the great videos.

[@BXGUY73]

Great looking set and powerful pulling power. AWESOME!

[@gordonsnell6735]

Very nice & 38 cars?? WOW 😮😮 Nice LONG train 😊😊

[@Ericstrains]

@aocruiser Not yet. I'm hoping it will be arriving in the next couple weeks.

[@fleetwin1]

The technology today is amazing....So beautiful and great detail

[@mamanbear1]

Eric - Great review - very professionally done. I have the the 1997 version of F-3's by Mike. I love the new iteration - I just wish he would have added the MARS light on these. I remember traveling on the Santa Fe and most of the passenger diesels for the SF had the MARS light. i run mine with the new Golden Gate SF cars., Gorgeous set. It takes me back to 1938. Keep up the good reviews.

[@knightingalesaid]

Those Santa Fe War bonnet color schemes are one of the most beautiful Engines out there. I have several of them in a smaller scale. Thanks for the beautiful video and information.

[@dimidomo7946]

My comment is old to your post. ericstrains presented the description quite well. Nice looking and well outfitted engine setup. $700+, maybe Warren Buffett can front me.

[@Ericstrains]

@JDStucks The door that's on the rear of the front A units open up to reveal the controls.

[@JDStucks]

Eric, I have the same set and I have a question. Where is the volume and smoke adjustment? I have looked all over my loco and cannot find it. Any idea?

[@danielboone3770]

I love this diesel set!

[@williamschlenger1518]

Great video&I love the view over the bridge.It looks real at that angle.

[@JDStucks]

You stole my locomotive :) Very cool Eric

[@DJW701]

Great Review Eric! I have this set as well. It really looks good pulling all the plated passenger cars. If any views are ever passing through Winston Salem, North Carolina stop at the train loft, its a great place to shop, with a big inventory.

[@dcdad6]

Great job Eric, and We have been to The Train Loft, great store.. Thanks again for a really great presentation... Gerry

[@IllinoisTrains1]

On the G- Gauge version you are able to run the lead A unit by itself or with a B unit. Maybe they changed that on the locomotive but I find that hard to believe.

[@davidstrainsandlego]

Commenting on every ericstrains video 101

[@Ericstrains]

@IllinoisTrains1 You can the head A unit by itself. What I meant is that you can't run the rear A unit by itself.

[@Bassfanatic94]

Nice video Eric! Is the sponsor for all of your videos? Good job on the review! Keep up the good work and congrats on the sponsor

[@Ericstrains]

@emiller72us No, it's just the engines. There are no passenger cars unless you buy those separately. The engines themselves do have and engineer and fireman figure inside though.

[@TouchoftheBrushModelWeathering]

awesome Eric! those SF units are unique! love them- eventually ill have a set of my own! layout is taking shape! i heard the tunnel portals are giving you a little trouble- nuthin to it! lol you have great talent for this- you can easily fix it! cant wait to see the next update!!

[@aocruiser]

Nice review Eric!!! Did your trestle bridge ever come in from stainless unlimited?

[@SteamKing2160]

I have a Santa Fe F3 but its the Lionel one from 1991 and man I love the heck out of that horn. I dont run it conventionally, I use the TMCC remote to control it.

[@trainlover9943]

Does it have the same horn as the Texas Special PWC model?

[@SteamKing2160]

no its different but still sounds awesome.

[@MUEagle2002]

Beautiful!!! I'm a Northern Pacific foamer, and I have the NP set on layaway at my lhs. I'm looking forward to picking it up. This only wets my apetitie!! =)

[@Ericstrains]

@AndrewNeilFalconer It'd be nice if there was a smoke unit on the B unit, but doing so would also raise the retail price. There's nothing in the B unit, so I'm sure you could add a smoke unit to the B unit if you really wanted to.

[@bradstrains]

I've pulled 37 cars behind my SD40-2 from MTH, with no signs of struggling. MTH makes great pulling engines in my opinion. But I'm pretty sure your Legacy SD-80MAC could handle more than 24 cars.

[@bradstrains]

True, but with the Railking Scale F3 A-B-A set only the first A unit is driving, thee other A unit is a complete dummy where as here both A units drive.

[@MrBorderman01]

Hey Eric Is this version , MTH 20-20264-1 F-7 Premier the same chrome material as the one you have?

[@AndrewNeilFalconer]

That MTH DCS/Proto.Sounds electronics arrangement would not work for someone modeling the Soo Line. On the Soo Line the F-3 A-Units and B-Units were run both together and paired with other diesel models like the Soo Line's GP9s, GP30s, GP35s, GP40s. Future versions have to have smoke and electronics in each individual unit.

[@Ericstrains]

@1980gsd I've ever had any problems with Atlas track.

[@trainboy1773]

this is one of my mom favorite train

[@Peter43John]

I have this set. Mike needs to offer people the option of a motherboard in the rear A Unit. I would GLADLY give another $150 for it! NO wires and the ability to run each A separately! I HATE THOSE WIRES!!!-AND I BOUGHT THE 2ND B UNIT!!!!!

[@Ericstrains]

@2000trainguy No, I live in Georgia.

[@Ericstrains]

Those are made by MTH.

[@nathansearle959]

Hey you say that this model has 12 doors that are able to be open so theirs the 2 on the main A Unit so where are the other doors that can be opened ?

[@upheritage6]

I have N scale SP F3 A-B-A set from Kato. Really nice!

[@nathanpayette5130]

I have a Santa Fe like that it in HO in the 70s!!!!!!!!

[@Melodre]

Same here.

[@dv713]

Very nice engine. Great sounds and detail.

[@rail-ryder7135]

Can I use the powered A unit by itself?

[@___axg96___63]

how could anyone dislike your videos?

[@CentralJerseyRailfan]

___Axg96 ___ They still boost his views

[@kjchicago1]

About how much would a train set like this cost? This is a great hobby for anybody who's into trains! I had a train set when I was little and this reminds me of those days! At Chicago's Museum Of Science & Industry, they have a train set(all Santa Fe)that runs around the track and it's interesting! So, all in all, this video is interesting!

[@josephfoster3819]

kjchicago1Mth's website says 699.95

[@Turbopilot787]

Great Video! Who makes the NS Hoppers in the background?

[@ethanrain7505]

Awesome video. 38 cars?! Wow, the most I got was 24 by a Lionel legacy SD80MAC.

[@Ericstrains]

@Railroadtrip445 I'm filming it now, so maybe a few days.

[@stuartlang9968]

Can you still buy this set?

[@Ericstrains]

@ejerailroad9999 I believe the sound sets are similar.

[@buddhikasugathadasa5839]

How you bought it

[@linkjoe806]

How long did it take to build your layout?

[@Ericstrains]

@2000trainguy near Atlanta

[@ishmamtaahasattar4810]

But does MTH's trains run on Lionel tracks?

[@Ericstrains]

@Railroadtrip445 Yes, I also got a Yellowstone set. I'm doing a review video for that as well.

[@MobileGamer-ow1co]

Thats a beauty

[@emiller72us]

Does this set come with any passenger cars?

[@salvadorvasallo3330]

What scale is it?

[@M18Hellcat]

dude your vids are awesome i dont get whi u dont have more vivvew .Like and sub keep up the good work.

[@TommyZTrains]

Still only smoke from the A's ... Still only sound in ONLY one A ? ... **these are the chief reason I'm "F' ed" out. The are KILLER georgus! ... BUT look at them coming !! ... with that silent B and sound in "again", ... only in the one? That sinks my sail. Stainless sides and windows are neat, but otherwise it's the same ole thing. GREAT VIDEO ERIC !

[@fritzb43]

Whoa! What's with the grossly oversized, non-scale, unrealistic coupler?

[@bradstrains]

And what I mean by driving is "motorized" and providing tractive effort to the train.

[@user-ky6vw5up9m]

Some driving-ends are non-motorized.

[@M.R.Flanagan]

Cool set like it but I like Lionel Better then MTH but MTH is ok but didnt you say you got another MTH steam engines

[@iantha_branch]

Cool engine!

[@stephenkiefer]

Just be sure the engines aren't pulling against each other!!!

[@luckyrail23]

stephen kiefer one is a dummy and one is a the real engine the 2nd car makes the engines lights and electrical currants flow!

[@artvanderlay2110]

You did all the work to make this video and did not show the smoke units I really wanted to see the smoke units :(

[@ejerailroad9999]

i have a question are the railking f3 have the some sound as the ones in the vidoe

[@centralintelligencepolicea413]

video??

[@dtkgaming2255]

6:00 San Bernardino I live there that's cool because san Bernardino is a very slow city now days

[@Train2589]

WOW!

[@kickzkickx29]

where cAN I BUY ?

[@M.R.Flanagan]

@esiegel76 Cool when is it gonna be up I really like that engine

[@ble643]

Hey nice F'units now you need the passenger car

[@trainguy111]

Nice scene at 7:16

[@Ericstrains]

@bigsteam5344 Cool

[@cocococcovizzo9525]

cool

[@leannes9136]

that looks like wilson from chuggington

[@deeznuts1067]

Ha Ha He Said Ready to Pull Out LOL

[@nitendo64fan28]

6 streams.

[@MrAlex-ej8ov]

I accidentally went too far back in time...

[@nitendo64fan28]

a you mean

[@Marrio49]

Beautiful engine. To me the voices are rediculous.

[@campervanelvisitoofonyou8720]

If it's Amtrack it'll derail

[@keithewing9944]

I have tons of trains I'd like to sale. Ho scale.

[@MichaelJohnson-vt1qp]

Michael Johnson bus stop you from your house