Does anyone have a photo or knowledge of how the tops of these units looked after conversion? Especially the treatment of the dynamic/access hatches. Were they removed, resulting in a smooth roof area, or left in place? I have a couple of old Lifelike FA's that will probably get "re-powered" and dummy-fied. Glenn in Tulsa
Sadly, I don't have any roof pictures of a converted FA. I'm traveling for work, too, so I can't check my books. But I don't think any of the Frisco FAs had dynamic brakes to begin with, so they should have a smooth roof.
I found this picture on Dr. Mike Condren's site of a re-engined FA-1. It's not a roof shot, though, but I'll keep looking: http://condrenrails.com/FSVB/Engine-Terminals/jmages/SLSF-5216-FSM-3-65.jpg I think someone on this site posted a FA-1 roof shot awhile ago--maybe Ken? Edit: In the Real Frisco, Motive Power index, there are some FA-1 shots under AlCo. No good roof shots of a repowered loco, though.
Gary - The only roof shot I have is one of my 244-powered P2K models. See my album - there is a shot in there showing the difference between the air cooled and water cooled turbo exhausts. The roof of an ALCo FA/FB was pretty clean vs the EMD roof. Mike Condren's site has a good side shot of repowered SLSF 5208 which will show you the location of the two EMD exhausts and spark arrestors. I've never seen an overhead shot of the other small details up there. Ken
Having asked the qustion, I'll share the info that I found to answer the question for me. The LL (and P2K?) FA's are models of units WITHOUT dynamic brakes (wich can be identified as a raised three-part moulding on the old Train Minatures model) So all one has to do to model the Frisco FA-1m is add the EMD exhaust stacks. (Pity the poor MKT modeler...who has to perform MUCH roof-top surgery to achieve the same end!)
Someone who is more conversational with the indexes of the old FMIG newsletters might be able to refer us to the nice FA kitbash article in there?? As I remember, there were quite a few pictures of both prototype and the models and maybe an overhead view was in that article?? Sorry but I can't even recall the author/modeler's name?? Anyone recall the newsletter that FA modeling article was in? Tom
I believe the FMIG NL with the nice FA modeling article is #38, but I can't find it here on the chat board?? Can somebody help with finding #38? Tom
Correct! And Mike Condren's pic that I referred to above will show you where to locate the two EMD stacks/smoke arrestors lengthwise on the centerline of the body roof. Ken
It is FMIG #38. Nice ALCo FA/FB article by Richard Napper. My scan copy, however, is very poor, and I can't even read half of the text. It looks like RN does show where to locate the roof details (on a TM FA/FB set it looks like as it has d/b) and he does show a roof pic. Doug - We might need a rescan on that one, unless for some reason my on-line copy is just bad. Ken
I remember taking the photo that Gary referenced and that Mike Condren has posted -- it was in March 1965 at Fort Smith -- but at that point I was more interested in finding any FA's that had NOT been repowered (though they were probably all gone by then). I'm certain, however, that the exhausts/spark-arresters were centered, left-to-right, on the roof of the units. I remember being grateful that, unlike the RS-2's that were repowered and received new long hoods, there was really nothing other than the exhausts that had been changed. Gordon
That's a great photo on the bridge at West Memphis -- of the FA but also of the nice string of 40' boxcars on the MoPac bridge behind. Not one of the railroads represented, Frisco, T&P, T&NO/SP and Wabash, still exists. Gordon
Today must be ALCo day--when I peeked at the site today, of the Latest 8 random attachments, two were of FA-1s. One was Ken's detailed units rooftop shot: http://www.frisco.org/vb/showthread.php?p=13286#postid13286 The other was an austerity scheme from Tom: http://www.frisco.org/vb/showthread.php?p=13137#postid13137 I think that unit has been repowered, too. I'm going to look at some other books tonight, like the Railroad Cyclopedia--they might have a picture of a repowered ALCo, though not necessarily Frisco, that could be helpful.
I will fall on this sword too. This is how I did my Alco repower a few years back. Have no idea if it is exact or not. Researched it as long as I could stand it then just did it. Tom|-|
A few months back, I picked up a painted-and-detailed Frisco FA1 from Action Hobbies in Tulsa. It has the EMD-style spark arrestors on the roof. Also has a metal chassis (wonder if it's a TrainMiniature shell?), and is weathered. I don't see any evidence of a dynamic brake on the shell, so I guess it's correct.
