Model Railroading > More HO Frisco steam

4026 is another heavily reworked PFM USRA light 2-8-2. Frisco had 33 of them.
Making a Frisco version of a PFM mike requires a lot of work. Straight running boards and one of two cab designs. This is the standard Frisco cab. Some 4000s (like my 4003) had the tall cab.
The PFM tender was swapped out for an Akane because the PFM was wrong for Frisco. All of them had the Frisco "face".

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The last of my 4000s that I photographed. I had build at least 3 others which were sold or traded. I traded one for a 4x5 Speed Graphic and accessories. Crazy days.

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4101 was scratchbuilt using the running gear of a PFM lt. Mike. Boiler, cab and tender were scratchbuilt. This was one of the engines that I hated to part with when I dismantled the layout.
I built this early in my "career" before some really nice castings came along. I had planned to strip it and add more detail, such as jacket clamps and certain other fittings and detail parts were now available.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/31/25 08:37 by Frisco1522.

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Another scratchbuild. Used a PFM Frisco 1500 tender and converted it to coal.

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Last of the 2-8-2s. Hallmark (sorta) 4200. I was really looking forward to the HMK model until I got it. I thought they made a mistake and sent me the wrong model.
Certain parts of the HMK disaster were used in basically builting a new model.  New running and valve gear. New sand dome many other new or reworked items. Dong jin should have been arrested for what he did to these models.
By the time I was finished with it, at least it looked like a 4200.
I'll stop for now.

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Wonderful scale models !

You have done really nice work on these models. Although I have many questions, I'll ask just one. When you cut a strip of brass, say for a running board, what tool do you use and how do you keep the strip straight during and afterwards?

Westbound Wrote:
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> You have done really nice work on these models.
> Although I have many questions, I'll ask just one.
> When you cut a strip of brass, say for a running
> board, what tool do you use and how do you keep
> the strip straight during and afterwards?

I have a "square shear" that will cut sheet stock up to 12" wide. Cutting things like the running boards with tin snips or any scissor type cutter would cause curl.

I am not a steam guy, here is my question. Why do steam model tenders always modeled with a full heaping of coal? In real life this would deplete over the course of the trip? Fantastic modeling btw!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/01/25 10:46 by wpdude.

wpdude Wrote:
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> I am not a steam guy, here is my question. Why do
> steam model tenders always modeled with a full
> heaping of coal? In real life this would deplete
> over the course of the trip? Fantastic modeling
> btw!
Good question. I've always done that to make the engine look "battle ready".

After I found this post, I had to go backwards and find all the previous ones.  I'm surely not bored by any of them.  I guess my dad gave me an appreciation for steam locomotives,  brass models and especially steam models.  I still have the first one my dad sneaked home in the late fifties I think.  He worked for the C&NW so it happened to be a big 4-8-4 by Sakura.  We didn't have a lot of money back then, but The $56 bucks he paid for it then might have caused a divorce if my mom found out about it.   Unfortunately the locomotive has spent most of it's life hidden from my mom and the light of day.  Anyhow I really appreciate seeing your work.  I wish I had the skill and patience that you do, and I'm always looking for your entries on T.O.s   Thanks

Craig Hanson
Vay, Idaho