Lionel Postwar Santa Fe 2343 ABA F-3 Set Modified

This project was to carry out a vision that I had to power all trucks on a Lionel 2343 ABA F-3 set. It functions very reliably and has a ton of pulling power. This was really fun and I thought I’d share it here for those that may be interested or have done the same- it’d be cool to chat about it in the comments. Also, this project was carried out in a way to preserve the original integrity of the vintage set as much as possible using only original parts and using the least intrusive methods possible. I wanted to keep it clean. Thanks for watching!

[camstrams]

WOW! THOSE HORNS. It quite literally makes a choir of voices. I hear the bass, tenor, and soprano. So cool!

[TwistedMacGyversTrains]

Love the growling sound these locomotives make. This is amazing and I have to do this!😊

[nickltrains]

One awesome job in wiring the 6 Moters and 4 horns.

[jamesearhartjr]

Outstanding. Great job. Now that’s a Lashup!!!

[Berkshire]

Holy moly now that’s just impressive! It’s good to know you can make a B unit powered! Seriously can’t get over those 4 horns all sounding at once. LOL

[Pguy]

A Lionel “sleeper” powerhouse. Thank you for posting.

[dagryffynhobby]

That’s sick! That has to be a monster puller

[Fazoo]

Awesome, creative thinking and machinery chops to match !

[joeystrains.]

Incredible power and impressive horns!

[RoundaboutMikey-nrbn]

This is awesome! I have had this idea for several years and never got around to it. Main reason I never did it is because I am too cheap to buy all the parts needed.. But I'm glad to see someone created this lash up and it works! I did not think of adding that many horns but I like the sound. I also like how you made the B unit frame. That was one of the things I was debating the most on how to do. Never know I may actually still do this some day.

[turdferguson]

Interesting build. That thing must pull 12 amps. The four horns sound really nice.

[SoCal_Jerry]

Totally awesome job! Absolutely love your quality work! I just wonder how you transport it from your test track to your layout, with no way to unplug each engine. Does it take two people to move the three units as one? I’m a new viewer of your channel. Really enjoy seeing your take on my favorite Lionel train, the Santa Fe War Bonnet F3. I own four of them. Jerry:>)

[classicmodeltrains]

Greetings tyfude, I just purchased a 2343 A-B-A. I make repair video's and am doing some research, when I stumbled upon your video here. I love what you have done! Immediately subbed, liked, and am now commenting. These beasts can navigate O-27? I would not have guessed. You do good wiring. Nice and clean!!

[StreamlinersCinema]

Holy cow that's a sound, m8! Now you make me wanna get a B-unit so's I can add more horns! (I already filled my A dummy with something else...)

[myrtistaylor]

I did this same thing to a lionel amtrak ABA set from the mpc Era. I didn't add the horns but I did add a sound board to one of the A-units and for the B unit I used an A unit chassis with the front corners filed down a bit fit pretty good.

[herbemont]

Six motors pulling through one E-unit? lots of amps for those tiny little fingers

[Outcast]

This. Is. Incredible. Only thing that worries me is that do the finger boards and drum on the E unit get hot from the current draw from all 6 motors? I’m planning on doing this to some old Lionel ALCOs I got.

[philliprowe]

Pretty cool so it has just the one E unit and it was not necessary to slave the E units together like was suggested in the old CTT article?

[thomasst.martin]

Impressive. How did you cut and weld [?] or glue [?] that B unit frame??? That would be an awesome video to see how that was done. Short of an actual video, can you give a blow by blow explanation of how to do it?

[TwistedMacGyversTrains]

How did you attach the two frames together for the b unit?