Browsing ebay today and found this: http://cgi.ebay.com/PACIFIC-FRISCO-...18528?pt=Diecast_Vehicles&hash=item563d111a80 Interesting piece. Note the road number doesn't exist, its the year this was built. It would be cool to have, but not at the price tag.
I believe this would have to be classified as "folk art" rather than a scale model, basically a novelty or curiosity. I agree, much too expensive. The seller also has an odd collection of other items. Too bad some of those farm tractors aren't in common model railroad scales. Tom
WOW! I'm sure some knuckle head will finally buy it, maybe Donald Trump or Bill Gates, but I about dropped my laptop when I saw the asking price.
Being that it is totally scratchbuilt, it does sit on a "standard" large scale gauge track (3 1/2"), and it is not really that good of a model compared to what can be built with readily available pieces from long-term suppliers, I would not consider it. Besides live steam carries with it some "liabilities" if you don't really know what you have and aren't knowledgeable about safe operation. For a good model, if in operating condition, the price might well be acceptable. One of the live steamers I knew in the KC Live Steamers, Fred Shields, sold a 1 1/2"-foot scale 4-6-2 Heavy Pacific that was an exquisite model and a perfect-running locomotive for $35,000 after enjoying for about ten years. He spent 5 years lovingly building that engine and it was a thing of real beauty and was a joy to operate. Had I known that he was selling it, I might not be on this forum, but running a 7 1/2" gauge live steamer! Pictures attached, I apologize that it is not a Frisco loco and that the pictures are grainy.
Here's an example of someone that does NICE work! http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170509465729
Nice British style rounded cab windows. If he'll add a face with moving eyes, I'll give him $2.20 for it.
With somewhat of a retraction of my last sarcastic comment, I'll be the first to admit that I could not build anything like this. I'm lucky to get a Life-Like plastic kit together. Considering that a German fellow built a model of an American prototype at about the same time Hitler was coming into power, it's not bad at all.
This engine has been on ebay for quite a while. Way overpriced for such a small steamer, IMHO. The fact that it hasn't sold is also an indicator that it is overpriced. But, having said that... if you find a live steam loco you like, and have to choose between it or a new car... buy the steamer! - James
