Let's see your ALCO FA's

@PH1975 posted:

Krieglok - Thanks for clarifying that.  Actually, I bought the Canadian National FPA set that was released simultaneously with your NYC set.  So am I correct in assuming the two 'B' units you bought were both non-powered because I don't recall any powered Bs being released for these FAs?  

The powered B comes unpowered but as of last year Lionel had the parts to power them. In the Case of the NYC AAs, one comes unpowered but does have a radio board, smoke unit, lights and operating coupler. Adding motors, geared trucks and motor driver will give you a second powered unit. I swapped out the front Odyssey driver for a Cruise M and added a Cruise M to the second A unit. Then added a smoke unit, sound, and a radio board board to the B unit resulting in 3 smoke units, two sound units and 4 motors. If this sounds like a huge investment, including the cost of the engines it was still less than a single 3rd Rail A unit.

I posted a video of this engine in this thread.

https://ogrforum.com/...20#85480113091455220

Pete

Thanks for the interesting info and video Pete.  I wish I had half the technical know-how that you have.  Hope you have a nice day!

Here are a few in Military dress.

@Krieglok posted:

 

 

No, Lou.
It is an early factory painted Erie MTH PS2/3v set I bought taking a chance. I was elated when it turned out to be a 3v system as opposed to the 5v system that the MTH site showed as being the case. 

Set# MTH 20-2456-1

Tom

Tom,

Thanks for the insight.  I'll keep a look out.

Lou N

The Williams units say "Reproduction Series" on the box.

CAPPilot I learned some things from this thread too.  It looks like Williams / Bachmann made two versions of the Alco FA.  The small postwar style with a fixed apron as posted by c.sam and Ahitpy.  And also the scale version posted by cpowell.  The scale version has the see-through screens, but a truck-mounted swinging pilot.

c.sam I'm not familiar with the LCCA reissues, so I can't comment on their quality.  Sometime in the last few years Lionel released an improved, traditional-size Alco with LionChief Plus.  I would LOVE to read a side-by-side comparison of the LC+ version and the Bachmann-Williams reproductions!

@PH1975 posted:

Krieglok - Thanks for clarifying that.  Actually, I bought the Canadian National FPA set that was released simultaneously with your NYC set.  So am I correct in assuming the two 'B' units you bought were both non-powered because I don't recall any powered Bs being released for these FAs?  

You are right. The B units are non powered. Pete seems to have summed it up pretty well!

Tom

Lionel / LCCA Burlington passenger set

Postwar style. Erie Alco AAs.

This is a Williams B&O FA-1 ABA set. I added crew figures, a LED headlight, 2 motors to the B unit, and upgraded the sound to TrueBlast Plus. It’s a great set, see-through screens, lots of add on detail pieces, and a great paint job. The units couple very closely together, and the set can pull a hundred freight cars with ease.

The whole thing set me back $389.

Apples55 - I agree with you that Lionel's Canadian Pacific FA-2 set (from their 2019 catalog) is a beautiful set.  It has all the bells & whistles and numerous hand applied details.  Needless to say, I have the ABA set too, and decided to get the Superbass 'B' unit rather than the powered 'B' simply because with both A units being dual-motored, 4 motors on my small layout would provide more than enough power.  It's a smooth runner and I certainly have no regrets getting the Superbass unit because the sounds are fantastic.  This is now one of favourite sets and, best of all, upon arrival everything worked as advertised!

Sort of ignoring this thread, because I was thinking those old Lionel O-27 units.  I see a scattering of scale FAs here and there, so here are mine.  I have great plans of a B&O A-B-A set, and already have Great Northern.  I found some "Pilot" pens for the skinny stripes, and for the yellow I use white first, and let it dry for a week before putting the yellow on.

....on the layout last winter...

Peter

@bob2 posted:

I see a scattering of scale FAs here and there, so here are mine.  I have great plans of a B&O A-B-A set, and already have Great Northern.

Really nice work  Who made that brass FA-1?

Hi Ron - a deal - tell me where you get your nice stone wall, and I'll tell you of the provenance of these FAs?

They are Ken Krayer patterns, cast in bronze/brass by Henry Pearce (or in the beginning, probably by a local foundry).  I have five - three As and two Bs.  I assembled three of them - I got good at soldering such heavy castings a while back.  Takes a torch and some heavy duty jigs.

They are as close to scale as one gets with heavy sand castings.  One is powered by All Nation, the rest are dummy.

I also have PAs done in the same fashion, but without rivets.  Really nice historical pieces.  Next time a PA thread starts, I shall post them.  I prefer PAs to FAs.

@bob2 posted:

Hi Ron - a deal - tell me where you get your nice stone wall, and I'll tell you of the provenance of these FAs?

They are Ken Krayer patterns, cast in bronze/brass by Henry Pearce (or in the beginning, probably by a local foundry).  I have five - three As and two Bs.  I assembled three of them - I got good at soldering such heavy castings a while back.  Takes a torch and some heavy duty jigs.

Wow.  Impressive.  I do not have the talent, nor steady hand, to do something like that.  I think it is great there are folks such as yourself that can do such great work.  The only way I'm going to get an FA-1 is to buy the Williams/WbB scale version and upgrade it.  My efforts to pressure 3rd Rail into doing a PRR version of their FA-1 seems to have failed.

The stone wall I think you are referring to I bought from Scenic Express at York.  Pennsy O-Gauge Flex-Wall, #FL8150.

Thanks!  I will order some!

Soldering heavy castings does not require steady hands - just welding gloves and lots of heat.  Welding does require steady hands, and I never really got good at it, although I did fabricate a set of shock struts, and had the courage to actually fly them.

I admire your brick wall each time you post a photo - I have a two-level test loop that needs some "dress-up."

The first little Lionel I ever bought! $100 from ebay... And it's still got 2 rolls of nickels in it to help with the traction problem!

And I guess this would be an Alco PA - close enough. Two motors, built like a tank. Did the series modification to slow it down a little. 

Williams CPR A unit - thinking of getting the power kit for the B unit. It has just a little trouble with a Williams CPR passenger set, but not too much. Seen here slightly upstaged by a Lionel Mike in CNR guise.

Here’s my Post War C&O ALCO with a manifest of Menards cars 

Lionel 38357 USMC Alco FA

Lehigh Valley Units 

@Firewood posted:

Williams CPR A unit

 

There's a real one of those in front of the museum in Cranbrook, BC.

@SteamWolf posted:

There's a real one of those in front of the museum in Cranbrook, BC.

Thanks! Hope to be out that way in the next year or so.

@Firewood posted:

Thanks! Hope to be out that way in the next year or so.

They have an awesome Railway museum in Cranbrook. Ft. Steele, just up hwy 93 has an operating steam train ride, an old compressed air locomotive and the farm a little ways further has awesome veggies if you come on season. Kimberly (up hwy 95a) has an underground mine train ride. If you're visiting that part of the Kootenay's, slide into Alberta too down highway 3 into the Crowsnest Pass. Check out the Frank Slide, stop at the Rum Runner in Coleman and look for the huge pair of snowshoes (my great grandpa's) and 2 pairs of cross country skis. There's lots of touristy train stuff there, some of the most beautiful scenery on the planet and some really decent people too. 

Kusan US Army

While busy hanging out Wednesday's wash* I got to thinking how a Lionel railroader can explain silver painted Burlington FAs?  Simple, they're on long term lease from the Spokane, Portland & Seattle. 

GN, NP, CB&Q, C&S, FW&D, SP&S, all proudly part of the Hill Lines family!

* The clothes came clean with T  I  D  E, TIDE, thanx to Menards of course!

Here’s a old 202 that was in bad shape when I got it so I re painted/ decaled it in NYC Zebra 

WOW whatta paint job lee! 

Shark Bay R.R. ALCO FA1 #400.

@BAR GP7 #63 posted:

Shark Bay R.R. ALCO FA2 #400.

Really nice paint/weather work.  Who made the model?  Thanks.

got these mint condition,OB and English-French paperwork...

@CAPPilot posted:

Really nice paint/weather work.  Not sure, but I think that is an FA-1.  Who made the model?  Thanks.

Ron. Thank you very much. It´s an Williams FA1, i just paint & added decals and weathering that.

Johan

Joe - NICE!  As you say - in Mint Condition.  That AA set was obviously (because of the French instructions) originally released for the Canadian market and, according to a Price and Rarity Guide I have, was an Uncataloged (U71-U73) Set.

Excellent find!

@BAR GP7 #63 posted:

Ron. Thank you very much. It´s an Williams FA2, i just paint & added decals and weathering that.

Johan

Ron. Thanks for posting me some really good information. Yes the locomotive is FA1. The locomotive box is obviously not original if it reads FA2. Have a great day.

Johan

No pictures available but 2 sets of K-line NYC Lightning Stripes, a K-line Wabash and a Weaver Snap-on model.  I believe the K-line offerings were nicer than the Lionel offerings of the early to mid '90s.

Williams, roof-top dynamic brake details removed for GM&O units, fixed pilots; TA Studios TMCC/sound in both FA1's; FB1 is a dummy. I painted/weathered. A LOT of masking/striping. Then, a few years later, WbB comes out with their own GM&O-scheme FA1's. Grrr.

The photo diorama is 2-rail; the locos are not. 

The GM&O bought the FA1 demonstrators. they and the earliest FA1's had a different headlight treatment from all later FA1's - see loco on right. This was actually a fairly easy mod.

The Gulf, Mobile & Ohio had the first Alco FA1's ever built. The NYC - the second owner of FA1's - had to wait for the GM&O's order to be completed. 

And, appropriately enough, my 2 favorite roads happen to be the GM&O (hometown - Mobile - road and a former employer) and the New York Central, so I guess that I just had to like Alco FA's.

My striping is a bit awkward over the number boards, I know. I'm still OK with the units.

Weaver FA2, Louisville and Nashville; still conventional. The nose lettering is accurate, but a seldom-used scheme.

Weaver FA2; still conventional. I had to guess at the red contour on the rooftop. I think that it is wrong. Couldn't find a photo. NdeM used red/yellow and a very dark green on these locos. Guess which road was the "dark green" Weaver-painted FA2 donor? I only had to paint the red and yellow.