Model Railroading > A Bigger Frisco Mike

Did this one as a favor to a friend (plus some renumeration).  This was actually made out of two engines.  A PFM Frisco 1500 4-8-2 supplied the tender, pilot, cylinders and after some sectioning the boiler.  The running gear is PFM USRA Lt 2-8-2 with custom valve gear hanger, trailing truck and a ton of detailing.  I like to see people's faces when I tell them I cut up a Frisco 4-8-2 in order to make this.  I built one some years ago as 4106 with Baker gear from scratch.  There was more work to do on this than I remembered.  Can motor, Tsunami 2. Finished this one up about a month and a half ago.  Owner seems pleased with it.

---

---

---

This is a nice skill you have!

For "coonskin" fans, check out a post on the Nostalgia board today at 17:55



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/24/20 19:20 by boejoe.

Frisco1522 Wrote:
> Owner seems pleased with it.

I hope that's a bit of understatement!

If the owner isn't happy, I'll take it.

Don, what did you do with 4-8-2 mechanism?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/25/20 09:18 by tomstp.

What skill you have to turn out something this beautiful!  From what I've seen of your work in previous posts, I can understand the fascination with modeling Frisco.  They must have been an exciting road to railfan in their day.

Don- I must admit I gasped to see you did the sacrilegious and cut up a 1500 class to build a lowly Mike. All kidding aside, a gorgeous finished product anyone should be proud to have. Weren't these the heaviest of the 2-8-2's on the Frisco?

MWPerkins
former 1522 grunt

Posted from Android

Mike, the Frisco had one heavier class 2-8-2.  The 4200-4219 were, until the GN O8 came along were the worlds biggest Mikados.  They worked Kansas City to Birmingham mainly in the hilly country on that line.  They were big brutes.

---

Really nice work, Don. ANY owner would be pleased to have that engine. I had forgotten that this class had the "torpedo tube" air reservoirs on the top of the boiler. Frisco had a liking for doing that...including on our girl, the 1522.

Keep up the splendid work, and thanks for sharing it with us.

Posted from Android

It depended on which series of engines you would see.  4100-4135 had Baker valve gear and the air reservoirs below the running board, like the 1500-1514.   4135 and up to the 4164 as well as 1515-1529 all had Walschaerts valve gear and the reservoirs up topside.  When they were build, that was done because of the exhaust steam injector setups didn't allow enough room under the running boards.  They quickly went to just 2 Chicago injectors, but never reconfigured the running boards or air reservoirs.

---

Thanks for the information and clarification. We can always count on your knowledge of Frisco steam. And that 4101 is another beautiful model. Thanks as always for sharing it with us.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/27/20 08:38 by ironmtn.