My favorite prototype shortline in western NY, the Arcade and Attica Railroad, owns two steam locomotives. Both were acquired used from other railroads. Because of their features, neither would be easy to replicate using a commercially available HO plastic model. The three domes are the hardest part.
One engine, A&A #18, is a 2-8-0 built by Alco/Cooke in 1920 for the Boyne City Railroad, who later sold it to the A&A in 1962.
The other, A&A #14, is a 4-6-0 built by Baldwin in 1917 (#45086) for the Escanaba and Lake Superior Railroad, who later sold it to the A&A in 1963.
While I know models were never commercially available in brass for the A&A engines, I wondered if perhaps brass models were available for the engines for the BCRR or the E&LS RR. Unlikely, but who knows?
Is there a book, or website, or some other resource that lists all HO brass engines produced?
Thanks!
Modeling the D&H in 1984: http://dandhcoloniemain.blogspot.com/
All? No. They're still being produced, so doing "all" is ongoing.
Closest is likely the famous Brown book ("The Brown Book of Brass Locomotives" by John Glaab). Mine is a third edition copyright 1994. I don't know whether there were later editions. I don't find any listing for your railroads.
Brass manufacturers tended to go with what would sell. I wonder why. Anyway, that tended to be railroads with wide followings. So getting an obscure railroad's loco done was unusual. There were exceptions. PFM imported many copies of a Maryland and Pennsylvania 2-8-0. And Ken Kidder brought in a nice Lake Shore and Michigan Southern 4-6-0. They were unusual.
Anyway, there is a brass collectors Yahoo group:
https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/brasscollectors/conversations/messages
You can bring up the subject there.
Most builders, back in the day, listed "catalog locomotives". Which were just what they sound like. Big railroads had big enough orders that they could afford a "custom run". Smaller railroads probably compared the price of a short run of custom to catalog and took the latter. So it's possible your locomotives were stunningly similar to ones owned by other railroads.
Domes can be hand-made. If that is what is keeping you from your goal, it might be time to hand-make.
Ed
Your best bet would be these 3 books.
the Brown Book Third Edition.By Glaab.
the Brass Train Guide.
the Brass Model Trains Price & Data Guide,
the latter two by Dan Glasure.
these are at this time the most comprehensive study’s on Brass Locomotives and rollingstock.
Brasstrains.com has a Brass Guide. I really don't know much about it. It may be a catalog of brass that has come through their shop
https://brasstrains.com/brassguide/pdg/list?showTutorial=true
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
Thanks for all of your help. It is certainly a long shot.
I usually just use google search to find old listings from Brasstrains.com.
THE most comprehensive database of brass railroad models IS the one online at brasstrains.com which contains more than 22,000 models.
It is free to join their site and become a member. You can search the database without being a member but some information is not publicly shared, including the recent price trends (what they actually sold models for in what recent month of what year).
Howard Zane mentored brasstrains' Dan Glasure early on, and there is most likely nobody alive on earth who knows more about HO brass model trains, or any brass model trains, than Dan and his staff.
If it was made, they have assigned a website catalogue number to it.
Unfortunately, Ray Brown, the author of the original Brown Book (prior to John Glaab's later version) assembled his book from magazine advertisements back in the day and his own personal experience. That is why there are catalogue numbers assigned to models that were never made. A few of those mistakes were passed through John Glaab's (third?) edition of the Brown Book, on down to today.
So brasstrains website catalogue includes a few models that may never have actually been produced, like for example, the Key Imports/Samhongsa Texas and Pacific USRA Heavy 2-8-2 in original, or 1920's (prior to modernization) configuration (not to be confused with the temporarily owned Light version). All the HO models I have ever seen photos of have been the later, rebuilt heavy version. No brass dealer I've spoken to knows anything about a 1920's Texas & Pacific 2-8-2 version actually having being produced. An online search only reveals photo images of the rebuilt version.
They also have assigned catalogue numbers to models that are currently on order but have not been constructed.
For Santa Fe modelers, there have been two editions of a photo guide to all HO ATSF steam locomotive models. The latest edition is really pretty good, and a valuable resource for any Santa Fe steam fans.
John Mock
I also recommend the guide at BRASSTRAINS dot com.
.
If you create an account, they will send you an email when an item on your watch list becomes available. This is a huge help.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
You may be able to find brass locomotives that would be suitable as starting points, although the Bachmann 10-Wheeler might also work, at least for #14. Precision Scale offers a wide selection of detail parts, including numerous domes, and Cal-Scale (Bowser) also has a good selection of detail parts, too. You'd need to modify or replace the cylinders (Bachmann often offers parts for their locos, and the ones from their 2-6-0 might be suitable). There's also a thread HERE that shows how to modify the 10-Wheelers' cylinders.
The 18 will be a little more difficult in plastic, not for the domes, but for the relatively skinny boiler and the low drivers. The low drivers can be found on an older Tyco Consolidation with a tender-drive, and I have plans to use those drivers and frame, along with a boiler from the Spectrum Consolidation, a can motor, and NWSL gearbox, to create a powered model of a preserved locomotive in my area. The cab and tender will likely have to be scratchbuilt.For your Consolidation, using a Bachmann 10-wheeler boiler, lengthened somewhat and with suitable domes, might be do-able on a Tyco chassis, along with the motor/gearbox mentioned.
Wayne
Wayne, might that be TH&B 103? With your talent it should look great!
Jim
You've got some pretty good deductive skills there, Jim. However, it's only one of ten locomotive projects I have lined up for myself, and those won't get won't get much attention until I take care of eight brass locomotives that need painting for a couple of friends.
Thanks for the vote of confidence, too.