Born in Beloit ... Fairbanks Morse

I have posted this before, but it illustrates why Fairbanks-Morse locomotives always get my attention.

@dPrasse posted:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ilUCzz8nhsw

Great dPrasse! I love Niles Canyon. I enjoy seeing their H12-44 painted like the SP 1487. Thank you for sharing that video. Here’s a photo I took at Niles about 8 years ago.

FM's first locomotive: Milwaukee Road H10-44 760:

Milwaukee Road H10-44 731 at the old Kansas City Railroad Museum in the River Quay district in 1977:

Alas, the 731 was without the prime mover.  Whereabouts currently unknown.

Rusty

@Number 90 posted:

I have posted this before, but it illustrates why Fairbanks-Morse locomotives always get my attention.

Thank you for sharing that , again ... id not seen that video , before ...

Fantastic scene and backdrop !

A few pieces from my FM collection ....

@Rusty Traque posted:

FM's first locomotive: Milwaukee Road H10-44 760:

Milwaukee Road H10-44 731 at the old Kansas City Railroad Museum in the River Quay district in 1977:

Alas, the 731 was without the prime mover.  Whereabouts currently unknown.

Rusty

I miss seeing 760 ... havent been to Union since we moved from Freeport to SC , 9yrs ago ....

Heres 760s FM Builder Photo , from my collection ..

Santa Fe H12-44TS (Terminal Switcher) 543.  Only 3 built:

Rusty

@Rusty Traque posted:

Santa Fe H12-44TS (Terminal Switcher) 543.  Only 3 built:

Rusty

Another great Union Railway Museum save !

Class Family Protrait

ATSF 542 , from my collection ..

@Artie-DL&W posted:

The Lackawanna mixed their purchases, and were buyers of the Train Master. They were also used into the E-L era.

FM made a real nice sales brochure covering the Lackawana deal...

Brochure from my collection ...

Photographed this gem at the Northwest Railway Museum in Snoqualmie, WA in 2019.  A great little museum off the beaten path a bit.

For FM models, I have a few AHM HO C Liners from the late 70's.  Not particularly great models so I don't have photographs.  I also have Train Masters though in O, HO, and N.  My HO one is a Blue Box Athearn in PRR and was the first Athearn locomotive I ever received as a gift from my uncle when I was 9 or 10.  The O locomotive is a Williams while the N is an Atlas.  The Atlas has better detail.

@Number 90 posted:

I have posted this before, but it illustrates why Fairbanks-Morse locomotives always get my attention.

That is an excellent short video. I sure wouldn't mind seeing some more of that fantastic looking Layout'... That backdrop is a killing it'.. Very impressive'.. Thanks for re-posting'.. First time for me seeing this'....👀👍

@GG1 4877 posted:

Photographed this gem at the Northwest Railway Museum in Snoqualmie, WA in 2019.  A great little museum off the beaten path a bit.

For FM models, I have a few AHM HO C Liners from the late 70's.  Not particularly great models so I don't have photographs.  I also have Train Masters though in O, HO, and N.  My HO one is a Blue Box Athearn in PRR and was the first Athearn locomotive I ever received as a gift from my uncle when I was 9 or 10.  The O locomotive is a Williams while the N is an Atlas.  The Atlas has better detail.

Very nice museum piece !

No S scale Train Master ? 🤣

( i dont have one , either ..)

That CNJ TM is sharp...

I do have N scale FM power and a few pieces of HO ...

H12-44 at Mad River & Nickel Plate Museum in Bellevue, Ohio:

Tom

@GG1 4877 posted:

For FM models, I have a few AHM HO C Liners from the late 70's.  Not particularly great models so I don't have photographs.

Well, here's the AHM C-Liners...  Cutting off the front "platforms" improved the looks somewhat:

And the much better looking Life-Like Proto 2000's:

Rusty

Here's a picture of my FM H12-44, all dirty and working hard spotting ore cars at the dock. I also have an undecorated Train Master of unknown origin. Possibly a  Lionel Pennsy unit based on the holes drilled in its side for a train phone.  Has TMCC and a smoke unit. Shell is  cracked on the roof,  will need repairs and then I'll paint it CNW  colors .

FM's are cool.

Oddly, I did not include them on my "Kansas City & Gulf" paper roster when I developed the roster back in the early-mid 1990s. This in spite of FM's of some sort being on 3 of my "Foundational Four" railroads I used to guide my decisions about my fictional KC&G. (i.e. "Foundational Four" = Frisco, Mop, Rock Island, KCS.)

FM's on my "Foundational Four" breaks down as follows:

* The Frisco had a small amount of FM switchers.

* The Rock Island had a few FM 4 axle road switchers.

* The KCS had two FM 4 axle road switchers.

I will say, though, the Frisco's were quite good looking in the black w/yellow strip schemes.

Frisco's "Full Stripe" scheme:

Or the Frisco's "Simplified" scheme:

However, the Orange and White scheme? Well, you be the judge:

Andre

@third rail posted:

Here's a picture of my FM H12-44, all dirty and working hard spotting ore cars at the dock. I also have an undecorated Train Master of unknown origin. Possibly a  Lionel Pennsy unit based on the holes drilled in its side for a train phone.  Has TMCC and a smoke unit. Shell is  cracked on the roof,  will need repairs and then I'll paint it CNW  colors .

I borrowed and operated a friends Lionel H12-44 ... fun engine to operate , but , friend wasnt selling ... was just teasing me

@laming posted:

FM's are cool.

Oddly, I did not include them on my "Kansas City & Gulf" paper roster when I developed the roster back in the early-mid 1990s. This in spite of FM's of some sort being on 3 of my "Foundational Four" railroads I used to guide my decisions about my fictional KC&G. (i.e. "Foundational Four" = Frisco, Mop, Rock Island, KCS.)

FM's on my "Foundational Four" breaks down as follows:

* The Frisco had a small amount of FM switchers.

* The Rock Island had a few FM 4 axle road switchers.

* The KCS had two FM 4 axle road switchers.

I will say, though, the Frisco's were quite good looking in the black w/yellow strip schemes.

Frisco's "Full Stripe" scheme:

Or the Frisco's "Simplified" scheme:

However, the Orange and White scheme? Well, you be the judge:

Andre

KCS had 6 Erie Builts , also ... an ABBA 8000hp set , initially ... then 2 more A units to build 2 ABA sets .... the 8000hp set had a problem of breaking couplers , mid train ... they needed better twist tues ti keep couplers closed , i guess 🤣

A few Frisco FM ads in my collection ...

my mth Frisco H10-44 ,

and a RI FM ad ....

The RI did test Train Master Demonstrators , fall of 53 ... an interesting what-if !

I do think the simplified Frisco is the sharpest of the 3 ...

dPrasse:

Right you are!

I totally forgot about the KCS Erie-built road units.

Andre

@laming posted:

dPrasse:

Right you are!

I totally forgot about the KCS Erie-built road units.

Andre

Very colorful units,  from FM ...

They were "boringized" when EMD'd ..

dPrasse:

Yes, KCS had a great looking "original" schemes.

Never really cared for the all-red, but I do like the "Blonde" scheme.

In regards to the KCS FM Erie-Built's, LOVE the "Chop Top" versions!

Here's a pic shot by my late friend, of a Chop Top in a consist at a location that's just 14 miles from where I live:

So cool! IF someone made a good looking, good running, plastic model of a Chop Top (UP had them, too) in HO, I could almost guarantee there would be a leased Chop Top unit operating on my KC&G!

Andre