This is a rare photo of an A-B-A set of the repainted F-7's. This was taken in 1982 and was the only time I saw an A-B-A set of them as God and Chester Mack intended. The Chester Mack scheme (I call it bold Alaska), was designed for and looks great in an A-B-A configuration. However none of the A units were ever wired for HEP or equipped with pass through steam lines so unless a power car was in the consist the 1517 (steam generator) or 1503 (HEP) were usually placed next to the baggage car with the A units leading. I always wished the FP-7's had been rebuilt instead of acquiring the E-8's. One could have been HEP equipped and the other could have kept the steam generator and the railroad could have run A-B-A F units to the end. As it was the E-8's one being HEP equipped and the other being steam equipped often trailed making an A-B-A consist with F-7A leading a B unit and the E-8A unit trailing. Unfortunately I thought the E's looked terrible in the "bold Alaska" scheme. They were too long so the scheme was stretched out too much and the yellow slash at the rear was much wider than on the F's.

 

On 12/25/12 Jeff DeBroeck adds, "The Jason Kuhn photo of the ABA set of F’s was taken on the MP 350 bridge in the Nenana canyon. If you examine the historical photo of the 350 trestle they are using an LC crane to construct the steel supports for the bridge the F's are on."
 

Photo courtesy of Jason Kuehn