EMD F 7 -- Conclusion

Even though it was presented in the 2001 flyer "NEW ITEMS" and was supposed to be an LGBoA exclusive, the LGB F7 # 26570, # 26582, the Great Northern, and # 26574 and # 26584, the blue/yellow Santa Fe, didn't make their entrance to the dealer's store or customer's home until 2005.
By then it had been marked as eXtra -item. The eXtra- series/ marketing scheme was an ill-advised idea by Rolf Richter. Big dealers were forced to invest a significant amount of money into some obscure computer ordering scheme with elaborate decorative shelving builds at their store only to find out that the customer could just as well order the same eXtra items from home or directly via the internet either from LGBoA SanDiego or LGB Nuremberg.
Even though the internet was still young, dealers were not happy! Neither in Germany nor in USA. What was sold to them as "this will bring customers into your store"  turned into simple phone order business or less. Shadows of the looming end were casting their spell.....

Here are the ominous LGBoA/ eXtra F7s

LGB 26570 - Courtesy of Only Trains

LGB 26582 - Courtesy of Only Trains

and  the Blue / Yellow Santa Fe set

Courtesy of grossbahnen.shop

The same fate befell the LGB # 28570 and # 28582, the New Haven. Fun Fact: This F7 was in real life actually an EMD FL9. General Motors built 60 units of this dual motor electric-diesel locomotive for the New York, New Haven and Hartford between 1956 and 1960. How many F7's LGB produced of this type is unknown but an educated guess might put the number between 700 and 800 or less.

Courtesy of Champex-Linden

Courtesy of Champex-Linden

It is difficult to say whether the SP Daylight, the blue/yellow Santa Fe or the LGB 29570 Coca-Cola F7 set was the last F7 to be manufactured by the old LGB. In the 2002 LGBoA catalog/brochure they were all shown. What was actually delivered before 2005 remains unknown.

Courtesy of worthpoint.com

 The Coca-Cola set had a limited edition of 500. Price was approx. US$ 1,500.00

LGB 29570 set - Courtesy of Only Trains.

Since its inauguration in 1996 until 2002/2005 LGB had made 30 A and B versions or 15 "sets" of the F7. Since the Simba-Dickie Group took over LGB and Maerklin in 2009 more versions came onto the market; the latest as of 2019 being the Napa Valley Wine Train F7 A unit. The real EMD F7 was a remarkable engine forming an era of train travel and freight in the United States for decades.

To all LGB engineers and operators: Please check your engines for proper operation before Thanksgiving! Call Klaus with any needs. THANKS!