Have any Friso O scale (not O gauge) steam locomotives been made? My meager collection of O scale is three Southern Pacific locomotives and one caboose. I'd like to have a Frisco model in the roundhouse. Thanks, Paul Moore
Early 80's -- Someone (maybe PFM or Sunset) made a "Russian Decapod" years ago. I had one reserved, but divorce wrecked that plan. I think at the time it was close to $900.00. I should have bought it anyway!
Thanks. That could be easily converted to a QA&P. What about a caboose? Is there anything in O scale that's close to a wood or early steel Frisco caboose? Thanks, Sherrel. Paul
Pecos River Brass made the Santa Fe steel caboose in a few variations. With a few minor handrail and window plate mods you can duplicate the Frisco units that were purchased from the Santa Fe. I wish two rail O had dominated the market a lot more than HO, because the size of scale O is so impressive and easy to see and appreciate.
That's great info, Paul. Did you ever see John Smith's club layout that they called "Not so ready for Prime Time O scalers?" It's been torn down, but track plan was pretty impressive. When I lived in the Dallas area, I shopped at his retail store in Lewisville and remember the number of O scale brass models he imported because of his love for O scale. If space were no issue (and budget, to a lesser extent), O scale would be my primary scale to model. Our HO layout is 6' X 12', and you can't do anything in O scale in that amount of space. Currently, there are three brass steamers, one brass caboose and a few pieces of rolling stock (mostly plastic) in our O scale collection. That's all. They sit on a shelf and collect dust. But they look impressive!!!! Just looking at it makes me wish we had space for an O scale layout!!! Paul Moore
Well, if this suits your fancy... https://www.legacystation.com/lionel-1931100-frisco-1501-usra-light-mountain-bto
While it's not Frisco, my friend, Jim Eudaly, has a phenomenal O Scale (2 rail) C&O layout in a 30 x 50 building. Click on his name and you will see what I mean; all structures were scratch-built and all locomotives are DCC with sound. I have been working the Hostler position for a number of years and earlier this year got started dispatching the right side of the CTC panel. The sounds of an Allegheny 2-6-6-6 pulling a coal train up the hill with another (required) Allegheny pushing at the rear is wild. Here's a video made by our own Bruce Adams.
Thanks for the link Keith. That is more than impressive. I had seen that is magazines before but did not know he was a friend of yours. I have been to most if not all the towns he models and it looks spot on.
Another local modeler, Doug Taylor, and I purchased and painted some Shapeways-made coin-operated binoculars for an overlook that Jim has on the layout as you walk in the door of the building. We surreptitiously placed them there. At the end of the operating session, Jim noticed them and mused, "Wonder where those came from? They're not in the right locations though." With that, he placed them where they belonged. His attention to detail is phenomenal.
I was fortunate to operate on this layout during the Prairie Rail 2018 campaign. I have always dreamed of seeing this layout in person. Pictures of this work of art do not do it justice. After I left the op session on this railroad it felt like was on a Bible Revival trip. My dream came true. The only regret was I was born too late. To experience seeing live steam locomotives pulling and pushing rail tonnage over the railroad line.
I so very, very much wish they had popped for new tooling to more accurately depict that engine! I would sacrifice to have a decently accurate 1501 in O3R, but, though I more or less created the same Frankenengine in HO (out of the Bachmann USRA 4-8-2), I can't bring myself to put $1300 into it in O.
Some years ago, a hobby shop owner near Chicago, Hill's Hobbies, had a thing for Hudsons. He had an O scale Frisco Hudson scratchbuilt and it was great looking.
I have a little bit of O-scale, including a couple of Frisco cars. That collection all started when I was given a steam locomotive my Great Grandmother's second Husband built in the 1950s (It's a Pacific, painted as an IC engine...) If I were to build something Frisco, it would likely be the switching operation on Blakeley Island in Mobile Bay. I haven't drawn an exact plan, but I think I could do a reasonable representation in a 2 foot by 19 foot space along one wall in the train room.... with the car float itself being a removable extension only in place when it was being worked. A friend of mine has a N-scale layout with a car float connecting two parts of it. The car float is on a rolling stand that keeps it at layout height. Paul
It should be fairly easy to take a generic USRA Mike and 'bash a 4000-class, especially on without the cab roof lift.
