P2K H10-44 from LifeLike- opinions?

Discussion in 'Fairbanks-Morse & Company (F-M)' started by friscobob, May 15, 2011.

  1. friscobob

    friscobob Staff Member Staff Member Frisco.org Supporter

    Today I became the proud owner of an HO scale FM H10-44 in Frisco O/W. It's DCC and sound-equipped, and I am impressed with the details. I can live with the paint (a little weathering should help). It's a gift from an old friend, which blew me away, and it looks dead-on to the pics of these opposed-piston equipped switchers I've seen. I haven't tested it out yet (fortunately, it'll work on a DC layout, and it's definitely pushing me towards a purchase of a DCC set later), but I am impressed as heck with this engine.

    Now, even though I live in Muskogee, and I know these diesels were serviced largely in Tulsa and stayed in Oklahoma, I can break a few rules of prototype fidelity and have it run outside it's intended home (hey, it's model railroading, not brain surgery). So, this beast will be working on my a-building layout.

    Anbody have one of these little guys? And if so, whaddaya think about it? (No, I don't plan on repainting it into black & yellow, but thanks for asking ;) ).

    So far the only other thing I can see to add to it would be Kadee number 58 couplers.
     
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  2. meteor910

    meteor910 2009 Engineer of the Year Staff Member Frisco.org Supporter

    Bob - I agree totally with your comments about the Walthers HO model of the FM H10-44. I have both the initial o/w version (SLSF 270) and the second release in b/y (SLSF 275). These are some of the best out-of-the-box Frisco models that have been offered.

    Regarding add-on details, a few are worth considering to enhance the model even more. See my article in the current issue of The Meteor (Volume 3, Number 1, March 2011) to see what I did to my o/w 270. They run great, too. Enjoy!

    Ken
     
  3. FriscoFriend (Bob Hoover RIP 4/12/2018)

    FriscoFriend (Bob Hoover RIP 4/12/2018) Passed Away April 12, 2018 Frisco.org Supporter

    Maybe Terry would know for sure, but wasn't it possible that the FM's either may have been assigned to or at times roamed to Muskogee? There was I believe a "Diesel Era" magazine article several years ago that showed them in several locations around Tulsa.
     
  4. meteor910

    meteor910 2009 Engineer of the Year Staff Member Frisco.org Supporter

    Frisco FM H10-44 and H12-44 pics in Diesel Era, Jul/Aug 2006, volume 17, number 4:
    SLSF -
    270 - Tulsa
    281 & 282 - Tulsa
    270 - Tulsa
    272 - Tulsa
    283 - Tulsa
    285 & 284 - Tulsa
    270 - Tulsa
    273 - Tulsa
    273 - Tulsa
    274 - Tulsa
    274 - Tulsa
    275 - Tulsa
    281 - Tulsa
    283 - Tulsa
    286 - Tulsa
    286 - Tulsa
    286, 285, 280, 282 - Alton, IL (scrap yard)
    281 - Tulsa

    This list is in the order the pics appeared in the article, yes there are duplicate units. Looks like Tulsa wins - several of the pics are at Cherokee Yard, others are in the Tulsa "area". So, the pic locations in the article do not provide evidence the FM's traveled very far outside the greater Tulsa area. There is no doubt they moved out far from Cherokee Yard on local area switching, transfer and pick up/delivery runs. They all carried marker lamps, except for 286 - the two 286 pics show the unit fairly new out of the shop (after the SLSF purchased it second hand) without marker lamps, and with two tall exhaust stack extensions.

    Ken
     
  5. gbnf

    gbnf Member

    Last edited by a moderator: May 16, 2011
  6. friscobob

    friscobob Staff Member Staff Member Frisco.org Supporter

    Exactly! I imagine Tulsa had folks who were skilled in maintaining these opposed-piston prime movers (heck, they coulda hired ex-Navy submariners from WWII). And since both Okmulgee and Muskogee aren't very far from Tulsa ( was told that they even strayed down to Okie City), made perfect sense to have some in both cities. The person I got the switcher from suggested I model Muskogee (which, come to think about it, I could do, but only in the late 60s/early 70s before the FMs were retired.
     
  7. FriscoFriend (Bob Hoover RIP 4/12/2018)

    FriscoFriend (Bob Hoover RIP 4/12/2018) Passed Away April 12, 2018 Frisco.org Supporter

    I also think they may have made it to Enid, but I'm not sure.
     
  8. meteor910

    meteor910 2009 Engineer of the Year Staff Member Frisco.org Supporter

    The FM locomotives of most all the types offered were pretty good performers, and gave their owners - that knew how to service them - good service for a relatively long time. The Frisco was as good of an example as any. The FM OP (opposed piston) engine was well proven in concept - it powered several US Navy light ships and US Navy submarines, among other things.

    A good history of the FM locomotive story is the John Kirkland book "The Diesel Builders", Volume 1, and in the several David Sweetland books on FM locomotives published by Diesel Era.

    The FM H10-44 and H12-44 were ultimately discarded by the Frisco, as well as the others who liked them and knew how to maintain them, because .......... they were so different than the EMD's, plus FM, realizing this, got out of the locomotive business.

    Ken
     
    Last edited by a moderator: May 16, 2011
  9. mark

    mark Staff Member Staff Member

  10. friscobob

    friscobob Staff Member Staff Member Frisco.org Supporter

    I seriously doubt that the FM switchers ever made it close to Paris, TX, but that's the beauty of model railroading- I can bend reality a little bit and swap out the ubiquitous GP7 for, say, an SW7 or H12-44. Having lived in the area for as long as & did, I know anything is possible. ;)
     
  11. Joseph Toth

    Joseph Toth Member

    The joy of freelancing a generic location even taking some liberty with a specific depot design is one can assign any form of power desired be it steam or diesel. Indeed, this most certainly brings out the slogan that Model Railroader used for years...Model Railroading is Fun, be it a toddler with Thomas, a five year old with his first Lionel, a teen just starting his first HO scale layout or the advanced modeler like Andre Ming and other Master Builders who are in the hobby for entertainment and not just to count the rivets and take home first place in a modeling contest.

    Remove the above and long and behold, no hobby, so do it your way and enjoy it to your fullest. The late great John Allen did just this and that is why he was so respected by all members of the model railroad community. Look carefully at the photos in the book Model Railroading with John Allen and you will see little details that shouldn´t be found on a layout built to such perfection. He goes on to mention that he knew better but didn´t want to loose the humor so many model railroaders tend to when rapped up in a contest level modeling project.

    First prize is nice but friendship is priceless!

    Joe Toth
    The Trinity River Bottoms Boomer
     
  12. renapper (Richard Napper RIP 3/8/2013)

    renapper (Richard Napper RIP 3/8/2013) Passed away March 8, 2013

    Bob,
    I have all four of the H44-10's from Walthers. Very, Very nice, but a real pain to program the QSI decoder. It took me a long time to understand that you have to turn off the sound read back in the decoder if you want to program them. Make CV62 zero, and everything else works just fine.
     
  13. friscobob

    friscobob Staff Member Staff Member Frisco.org Supporter

    The more I test-run that little FM, the more I AM convinced to go DCC. I have made a suggestion (read: plea and beg) to the fat guy in red (well, Mandarin orange, anyway) for a DCC system for late December 2011 delivery.

    But, DCC is a discussion for another forum at another time......... ;)

    On another subject- since we know that the FMs made it to Muskogee, does anybody know of any Frisco railroaders who ran 'em in that area?
     
  14. Rick McClellan

    Rick McClellan 2009 Engineer of the Year

    DCC will change your (hobby) life. :cool: Nothing is sweeter than sound control, light control, the ability to switch at insanely slow speeds (Back EMF), easy decoder installs, etc.

    I think you were in my op session a year ago September. Did you happen to run one of my H10-44s? I have not had any trouble with them except one whose decoder wigged out and needed a reset. I have had that happen with other decoders as well as QSI. Rare but it does happen.

    I know the H10s stayed in the Tulsa area but they were too nice to pass up. They make good stand-in yard power until newer SW1500s or a Phase IV NW2 or more VO-1000s come out.

    Welcome to DCC.
     

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