Freudenreich F40PH

Long awaited - she is now available! The Freudenreich F40PH. For this this review we got one undecorated version. This can be painted and decorated to the modelers choice. Detailing parts are added separately for applying after painting. The loco can be modeled with or without railing for the rear side. The shell is nicely detailed and moulded in black plastic. The body is made of etched and milled components. Ladders and especially the air tanks with separately applied tubing are looking really great. Even just undecorated without details this model is one of the best models of an American diesel.

Difficult to fotograf is the black shell.

4 srews are fixing the shell to the body. The chassis is made very solid, it's weiht provides excellent pulling performance. A Faulhaber motor, connected to a large flywhell is connected to the drive shafts to both trucks. The circuit board is the home of a constant lighting circuit.

The drive shaft is well engineered with an outside support bearing.

The functional test was succesful too. Especially the constant headlight is a feature which should become a standard!

Pulling performance is excellent, a commuter train will never be a problem for this engine and also a fast freight train will not be a real challenge. Even with the normal Märklin transformer the loco run very well from creeping to a realistic end speed.

 
 
Copyright: FR Feinwerktechnik 7/12/2004:

7/12/2004: At the NTS show in Seattle FR presents the new F40PH in Caltrain livery and a Coalporter in UP lettering.

 

The pre-production model is sporting the colourful Metra livery in blue and red. The production model's price is targeted at around €350. Supply shall start in autumn 2003 first in Metra livery and un- decorated. The will be later also versions available with railing at the back platform. The highly detailled plastic shell is mounted with 4 srews to the chassis. The engine is driven by a Faulhaber motor with a large flywheel. There will be enough space for a decoder and some capacitors.     Backside view. Left picture: Chassis and shell  Some more images from the FR booth: ore hopper and coalporter in new livery.