Does anyone know something about this model by Samhongsa and imported by Westside Models?
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It says it is part of the Freelanced Series, but I have never seen another locomotive in this series. Was this an attempt and a failure? Is it the only one.
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I have been told that it is actually based on a GORRE AND DAPHETID “prototype”, but looking at the G&D roster, John Allen never had a 2-10-0.
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Someone else told me it was actually supposed to be a model of a C&O class C12 0-10-0 locomotive, but the maker got some major details wrong, so they added some goofiness and called it a freelanced model.
Given the series and model name, I think I’d lean toward the 2nd hypothesis.
I was watching one of the Brasstrains.com videos a few months ago and a brass manufacturer back in the 70s/80s(?) attempted to sell some of their discards/rejects to recoup some of the cost of manufacturing. Apparently it was done somewhat tongue 'n cheek and at far less than what the original locomotive would have gone for. However, they did manage to sell a few as a novelty item. IIRC, some were pretty hideous looking…
I know Far East Distributors released a “junk brass” series of models. They were ridiculous looking, but they also had good detail and a unique charm to them.
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I had one of these cabooses with a “too tall” cupola. It was quite a model.
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I wish I knew what happened to it. It disappeared about ten years ago.
Until someone can demonstrate a connection between a prototype and this model, I’m inclined to think it’s a total freelance fabrication.
Putting air pumps on the side of the smokebox is something I’ve seen on logging locos. But I’ve never seen it done on a mainline steam locomotive of any size. I just don’t see how a maker could get this “wrong”. The positioning is totally unusual for such an engine. These guys work from data supplied by the importer. Sure they make errors. But the pump placement’s not an error.
If it was based on an 0-10-0, the drivers look too large to me. That’s a tough call without measuring them, but that’s how it looks to me.
I think this model is very much an on-purpose freelance loco generated by Westside Models. Perhaps the manufacturer had some excess frames/drives left over from something, and that prompted the freelance design–that’s as far as I’ll go down that path.
The Brute was made from overuns of B&O S-1(2-10-2) boilers and B&O U-1 (0-10-0) tenders…quite a clever idea for leftover parts. The front mounted air pumps gave this loco a powerful and rather unique look. John Allen had a 4-10-0 of which only one prototype ever existed. Dick Truesdale, the owner of Westside Models was a believer that the hobby was about limitless imagination.His own model railroad, “The Half Hollow and Huntington” was a very believable mythical layout.
“Too tall” cupola, indeed. The above is an accurate model of an SP&S caboose recently imported by North Bank Line. True, it’s a good bit “finer” than the ones brought in by FED (I seem to recall that they MAY have been the very first efforts by Koreans to replace the Japanese in this market).
Below is the FED caboose.
It’s interesting that the logging railroads that FED ascribed their caboose models to were working in the environs of the above railroad. So, it COULD have been an attempt to model (which I wouldn’t call a “junk series”) an actual logging caboose that was bought from the SP&S, and modified. Or perhaps copied by a logging company employee who thought the tall cupola a good idea.
FED also brought in a pretty nice looking SSW 4-4-2 and more of the inexpensive locos typically ascribed to Ken Kidder. Very plain 2-6-0’s, in particular.
Nope. Turns out they were the B&O U-1 with a not-U-1 tender.
They replaced the air pump with a BL-2 feedwater heater, after taking out the left side injector system. The put the now dual air pumps on the smoke box sides. They lowered the headlight to the front of the smokebox, and put the bell in that location. They extended the pilot for the lead truck. They installed a different stack.
I don’t know where the new tender was from. It definitely looks shorter than a U-1 tender to me. I do see they put on a tender booster truck. Comparatively rare, but way way cool.
All of the above thanks to the Brown Book, which noted the U-1 connection, and Brasstrains, which has photos of the Westside U-1, though they’re tough to find and I can’t manage to post them here.
I am inclined to think that the Brute came out of the possible fact that the U-1’s weren’t selling that well. 700 were made. That’s a LOT of 0-10-0’s for the B&O community to absorb. The U-1’s were made in 1977. The Brutes came along two years later. The timing fits pretty well.
Myself, I think the engine would have looked better with a single pump put offset on the smokebox front. Well, better in a switcher kind of way.
Many of the FED brass items were crappy. I painted for a hobby shop in Texarkanna for several years and being in Cotton Belt country with only 2 usable brass engines at the time he sent me many, many…TOO MANY, of their SSW 4-4-2’s. They were junk compared to almost everything I’ve ever seen. Cheap tyco motors, lousy gear boxes, heavy soldering, crude details and sloppy mechanisms. Making one run took more than a miracle.
They did a decent job with their Spartan Series HOn3 4-4-0 and 2-6-0 engines. Very basic engines but had possibilities.
The WSM Brute was a factory made engine using Dick Truesdale’s ideas. It was the only engine in the series as far as I know. I saw one once and it ran well and was well made. I think they were fairly expensive at the time and being freelance and quite unusual weren’t the best sellers. That probably kept the series down to one engine.
WSM did a couple of models in their “Freelance series,” and most of them look as if they were assembled out of excess components. The Brute is a relatively straightforward kitbash of a prototypical 0-10-0, but you can get a better idea of what was probably going on by looking at their HOn3 Garrett, designed to capture the look someone thought an American Beyet-Garratt would have had. Boiler looks like a D&RGW K-27, as do the two engine frame, cylinder, and driving wheel components. Rear tender was a D&RGW K-27, lead was an SP half-cylindrical tender; it looks to me like it came from leftovers.
I have heard it said that no two “Brutes” were exactly alike, because of this process. Other than the Brute and the Garrett, did WSM make any other freelanced engines?
For some of us, the temptation to do freelance modeling is hard to resist. I’ve always loved Alco RSD-5’s, but none of the railroads I model had any. Yikes, what to do? So far, I’ve resisted.
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Not so in the logging field. My natural logging railroad would be the one in Klickitat, WA. They were pretty much a one-Shay railroad. Which just doesn’t work for most model railroaders. So MY Klickitat is freelance. And there’s a 2-6-6-2T. Among others. Just couldn’t help myself.
So I can see a modeler buying the Brute for heavy coal hauling. With that feedwater heater there, it reminds me of a Pennsy I1. But those compressors would just HAVE to be relocated. The tender booster would stay!
The compressors are the only part that reaslly bothers me enough to be a problem.
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If I ever do buy one, they would be relocated for certain. I would love to make it into a 4-10-0 like GORRE & DAPHETID #34, but that would probably never happen.
“”“John Allen had a 4-10-0 of which only one prototype ever existed. Dick Truesdale, the owner of Westside Models was a believer that the hobby was about limitless imagination”"
Howard I finally grabbed one of these. You have got to be totally correct, there is absolutly NO closer match than Johns famous modified engine #34 W/tender booster to explain this engines origination. John Allen was an icon to this industries “Icons” and homages to him are all over the place. And rightfully so. I think I will change the tender coal shuts to resemble Johns but leave the rest as is. Or if I can find a better donner tender, I’ll just take off the booster truck and leave this one in the box… The rest is close enough. This engine really is a bit of a Brute.
I spole with Dick Truesdale back in the later 1990’s and asked him about his American Garratt run. I was confused by it and he was good enough to speak to me about it and other things for a time. (nice guy to take the time for me like that) He told me directly he had thought about a Garratt for years and (it is a fact) that WMC must have had about a million slide valve, K-27’s done. He flooded his own market he had so many. Great engines in every way ! And he also had a large run of the SP narrow gauge, whaleback tenders on hand so the freelance series made another famous work of art in narrow gauge. I had one of those Garratts when they were brand new. I later sold it, convincing myself I was a purist… Today I totally reget it. That thing was pure unapolgetic fun to have and run.
