I am unable to identify the prototype railroad and description of the attached brass beauty. It's the front end that's so unique. The stamp on the bottom indicates it was manufactured by Ajin in January (?) of 1994. I know that Overland marketed scads of Ajin items but I'm not sure that Ajin built only for them. In any case, I'd like to know not only who ran the prototype and how they designated it, but the importer of the model and their catalog number.
Let's see if I can manage a couple photos . . .
Hmm, that didn't work so well. But it should open if you click on the little symbols above. Lemme see if I can fix this, it's thru Imgur.
(Arrggh! I don't do this often enough to get the process down )
John
Some Overland Models from Jan 1985 catalog - HO Seeker
Following from https://brasstrains.com/Classic/Trains/Builders/7/Ajin?showsold=True
https://brasstrains.com/Classic/Product/Detail/141327/HO-Brass-Model-OMI-3143-C-O-Chesapeake-Ohio-Model-2-180-Jordan-Spreader-Unpainted-1990-Run-Ajin
https://brasstrains.com/Classic/Product/Detail/138697/HO-Brass-Model-OMI-1305-UP-Union-Pacific-Jordan-Spreader-Custom-Unlettered-1982-Run-Ajin
https://brasstrains.com/Classic/Product/Detail/138230/HO-Brass-Model-OMI-1302-GN-Great-Northern-Snow-Dozer-1680-1694-Unpainted-1981-Run-Ajin
https://brasstrains.com/Classic/Product/Detail/135673/HO-Brass-Model-OMI-1300-UP-Union-Pacific-Single-Track-Snowplow-Snow-Plow-900005-Unpainted-1980-Run-Ajin-BT-Replacement-Box
https://brasstrains.com/Classic/Product/Detail/130150/HO-Brass-Model-OMI-1398-B-M-as-AT-SF-Santa-Fe-Low-Plow-Mid-Cab-199244-Custom-Weathered-1984-Run
I tried to sell my two cents worth, but no one would give me a plug nickel for it.
I don't have a leg to stand on.
Johns photos
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
This C-P snow melter has a similar "salad chopper" on the front akin to the one on your model?
Perhaps it is a Barber-Greene machine?
Good Luck, Ed
It's a model of GN X1500:
Then to BN 972556:
Later to RRVW 113 (below in 2010):
If you research it's history enough, you will find many contradictory statements, including the proper name of the builder and the build date. Enjoy!
Ed
Johns photos John by Bear, on Flickr John1 by Bear, on Flickr
John by Bear, on Flickr
John1 by Bear, on Flickr
7j43k It's a model of GN X1500: If you research it's history enough, you will find many contradictory statements, including the proper name of the builder and the build date. Enjoy! Ed
That thing would just scare the snow into melting!
Reminds me of a praying mantis.
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
OMI 3031, undecorated. 3031.1, painted as GN X1500. Can't find the info on how many Ajin produced of each.
Made by the William Bros (that is not an abbreviation of 'brothers') company of Minneapolis. Typical of the era, which gave us gems like Boxpok to phonetically pronounce, it's a Sno-Flyr; its melting rather than long-throwing counterpart (which competed with Barber-Greene) was the Sno-Meltr.
Here is the NP version of the device, circa 1949 -- note the different truck arrangement and type:
http://s3.amazonaws.com/rrpa_photos/121309/img514.jpg
If you look at a couple of the components in its business end you will get some appreciation for the problems the machine faced in service... and perhaps why there were so few of them.
For some information about how it works, and some disambiguation about the 'Army' origin of the machine, see January 1946 Popular Mechanics. Note the purpose of the raisable flails on the frame.
Saw this nasty ROCOmodel at the Timonium show today
Roco 72806. Comes in other roadnames too, including 72803, for which this is the prototype appearance:
https://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=92757
This was the one HB1200S Conrail bought in 1986 (their RSB1000; they also had a HB900S that was painted red) -- CSX got it along with the Buffalo Line in the split.
Built by Martin Beilhack GmbH in Rosenheim (now, I believe, made by Aebi Schmidt). It pivots on the B-B undercarriage to run in either direction. Apparently the actual 'blowing' heads are single-stage and the propeller-like things break up the snow in advance. Here is what they look like running, with explanation:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCm18YJ810g
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQYerfVlNqI
Note the single chute and spout attachment rather than the two directable spouts on the Conrail unit; that is a factory option. Note that the reason for the two spouts is that the heads can be extended outboard to cut wider with multiple passes.
They made a HB1600S with 3 turbocharged V12s that can apparently clear over 22000tons/hr (and those are metric tons) in one pass.
Beilhack records apparently show 4 sold in the United States; I am still looking for the other two.