Re: (erielack) List of Erie HO Brass (it's a long list . . . )

["Schuyler G Larrabee" <sgl2_@_ix.netcom.com>]

- ----- Original Message -----
From: <jferris_@_infoblvd.net>
To: <erielack_@_lists.railfan.net>
Sent: Sunday, March 03, 2002 8:20 PM
Subject: (erielack) List of Erie HO Brass


> List,
>
> Has anyone compiled a complete listing of Erie steam locomotives (HO
scale)
> that have been imported in brass?  I know about the berkshires that were
> produced by PFM and I've seen one of the N-1 mikes imported by NPP, but
> what others have been produced?
>
> Jeremy
>
 Well, now, that's an interesting exercise.  Here's a start, but I'd include
Erie/DL&W/EL specific motive power models besides steam.  HO assumed, but an
O list would be nice.  So would a rolling stock list, cabooses and so on.

Errors, extensions, corrections, additions gratefully accepted.

Erie Steam:

B 0-6-0
    None

C 0-8-0
    Akane, PFM USRA versions, others?  Sunset?

D 4-4-0
    None

E 4-4-2
    None

F 2-6-0
    None

G 4-6-0
    G15a and G15b, both by Nickel Plate Products.  Very nice models,
essentially correct.  About 1980? (An S scale version was also produced some
years ago.)

H 2-8-0
    None, but conversions from UP "Harriman" 2-8-0's are possible, and Tony
Horn wrote up this process in an issue of "Erie Railfan", predecessor to
"The Diamond."

I ?-?-?
    I don't think there >was< an "I" class

J 2-10-0
    J1 the camelback version, none
    J2 the "Russian" version, Sunset brass as Erie, also recent P2K.  PFM's
by the thousands, but all Friscos.

K 4-6-2
    K1 Nickel Plate Products did these, but in an as-built version, that
really doesn't correspond to most people's image of them.  Not a great
model, Korean.
    K5, done by Akane, Max Gray, and Key.  The Akanes come both sprung and
rigid frames, and the sprung ones are really not a bad model.  The Max Gray
version came with a large tender, as a K5a modernized, but the valve gear
hanger is not a cast-frame version.  The Key's came in original, modernized
1941, and "ultimate 1950" versions.  All three run like a watch, and are
beautifully made.  Most came painted.

L 0-8-8-0
    Custom Brass did this first, came unpainted, runs OK
    Overland did this as well, came painted, incorrect lettering on the
tender, but beautiful model otherwise, which I understand runs very well.
Overland also planned, but I am not sure whether or not they actually did
produce, the rebuilt 2-8-8-2 version.

M (several things)
    M1 2-6-8-0  An experiment with an add-on boiler extension.
Unsuccessful, reverted to an H-class 2-8-0 from whence it came.  Tony Horn
wrote this up, too.

N 2-8-2
    N1 and N3  Done by Nickel Plate Products from inaccurate but published
drawings.  Unfortunately, a good representation of the inaccurate drawings.
Boiler's too high off the rails, and again, an as-built version, not what
they looked like in later years.  Runs, well . . . OK.
    N2 USRA 2-8-2 Heavy.  Done by Akane, and by Overland, and (I think) by
Sunset in recent years.  The Akane is a fairly good model considering the
era when it was produced, and is a good basis for a detailing project.  The
Overland model was an uneven model.  The first one I had had
non-concentric-to-the-axle drivers, but the one they sent next time, from
the same run, was fine.  Why I sold that, I still don't know, but since I
have obtained a replacement.  Both the Akane and the Overland has standard
USRA tenders, which was fine for the first few years the Erie had them, but
they raised the coal boards pretty quickly.  The only solution (in brass) I
know of is a tender from a PFM USRA mike they produced which was labeled
just "USRA Mikado," which is a Light mike, not heavy, but does have a
modified tender.  The Sunset version, as with many of Sunset's budget
sensitive models in recent years is a little light on detail, but well
proportioned and a good basis for a detailing exercise.  Athearn promises
that they will do a heavy version of their light USRA Mike.

O ?-?-?
    Again, I don't know of an "O" class

P 2-8-8-8-2
    The Triplex.  Done by Akane, which had two motors and a dummy tender.
There may have been a three-motor version later.  I >think< that LMB also
did a version, not sure of that.  The Akanes run fairly well and can be made
to look quite nice.  Also done by Key (and sell on eBay in the $1500.00
range now) both bare brass and painted in a rather garish version of Russian
Iron boiler jacket.  The Keys run like watches.

Q ?-?-?
    Again . . .

R 2-10-2
    R1 & R2, Erie design.  There is only one model, the Alco models version
of the WC Hayes, No 4000, the first one.  I am led to understand that
changes were made after this sample engine was on the road for a while, and
mods need to be made to the model to accurately represent the rest of the R1
class.  The R2 is different  in appearance, with four separate sand domes,
among other changes.
    R3 USRA Heavy
    I am pretty sure that Akane did these, and I know that Key did them as
well.  See comments above about N2 tenders, same message applies here.  Key
model runs very nicely.  If you are seeking one of these, look for a
Southern version, since they >were< made with the Southern valve gear which
is what the Erie had on these engines.  I am pretty sure that this was done
by Sunset with the correct valve gear, but probably doesn't say "ERIE" on
the box.

S 2-8-4
    S1 Done by Custom Brass, a fairly nice model, dipped in clear lacquer,
which must be removed to do a decent paint job, much less, do any detailing.
It is light in weight, used apparently thin brass, with a high copper
content, and can look rather oddly reddish.
    S2 Custom Brass tried to get away with changing the trailing truck on
the S1 and a new tender, change the label, and voila! a new model.  Doesn't
work at all, the locomotives were more different than just the trailing
truck, and the tender is a laughable fraud.  They didn't use easily
available prototype dimensional data, just scaled off a photo with an
incorrect length assumption at the start.  Result is one of the most
impressively large tenders this side of a PRR "Coast-to-coast."  It is
WRONG!  There is no accurate model of an S2 in brass.  Or anything else, for
that matter.
    S3  Done by Oriental.  Nice model, reasonably accurate, came painted but
not lettered.  Dan Biernacki says this is actually a more accurate S4 than
the PFM model, even if it's supposed to represent the S3.
    S4  Done in two runs by PFM.  First run was unpainted, and had no
backhead, but an exposed backend of the open frame motor.  Second run had a
backhead, and was painted.  Very nice models, run well, pull well.  Dan says
this is a better S3 than it is an S4.

Other than steam:

    M1 (Second class) B-B Alco-GE-IR 300 hp switcher.  Closest is the MDC
model, which, again, Tony Horn did an Erie Railfan article about how to
detail it to better represent the prototype.

    M2 B-B Alco-GE-IR 600 hp switcher  Brass model done by Oriental, mostly
because it is a GN engine too, but I understood that there was greater
demand for the Erie version than the GN.  Nice model.

I am not covering typical EMD switchers, geeps, SD's and so on.

Other interesting brass models of Erie/DL&W/EL

Motor car.  Done by Overland, and a tour-de-force model.  The Overland staff
went to the one that still exists in Worthington OH, and measured
EVERYTHING, inside and out.  That model is accurate.  Unfortunately, in part
because of the accuracy, it is hard to get it to run well, since there are
many short circuits that are hard to prevent.  Absent the shorting problems
it runs smoothly . . .  when it runs at all . . . Also made in O scale.

Tug Boat  Overland did the Erie Tug Boat, for which we can thank Preston
Cook.  It is an accurate model.  These came out in 1985.  It was available
painted.

There's more, much more, but this I think covers Erie Steam and a couple
other interesting models.

There's an interesting list for DL&W too, but shorter.

SGL

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