Who made This In HO "FIRE TRAIN"

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

I have seen these several times in brass but can’t remember who made them. I was looking for one to buy. I know it consisted of an engine (STEAM) and several other cars. maybe someone even has a pic.

Thanks

Mike

2

I’ve seen it advertised in the past 6 months or so in either MR or MRC - can’t remember which - check your back issues [:)]

P.S. a smallish ad near the bottom of the page if I remember[D)]

3

Mikey: Just found some old info, the train was made by Westside Model Company _samhongsa

I found info on 2 of them, 1. SP T-1 #2252 4-6-0 looks like a whaleback tender and includes 2 identical water tank cars.

2. HO WMC SP 4-6-0 #2248 this looks slightly different than the one above.comes with 2 water tank cars.

I also remember seeing a photo of a fire train set that had 2 water tank cars but also included one or two other fire related cars with the set. - - - - - #1 is seen on Brass Trains.com and #2 was from an old print from Dan’s trains years ago. be prepared for sticker shock, by the way this is my favourite train.

4

Lou,

The one I was talking about was an older brass model. In fact tatans got it. If I remember they did go for big $$$. Never saw one painted though. It was always bare brass.

Thanks Anyhow

Mike

5

What SP the only road who used them?

6

Central Pacific had 4 fire trains at Truckee, and remember, a lot of logging companies had their versions of fire trains also, there is one for sale now on ebay, and one of the brass dealers that is selling one is painted. and big bucks.

7

Fun Facts: In modern times, Germany sill has one. Not that Germany is of importance to ya, but still cool. Rail Grinders are all equipped with Firefighting hoses, in case a hot cinder shot from underneath the grinders light a brush fire. Also, a lot of early steamers, ususlly the wood burners, were equpped with water pumps to put out fires set off by an escapee from the stack. Last thing a railroad wanted to do ws burn down one of their customers. I haven’t found much on Firetrains though aside from the SP and loggers, though it would seem to me that te other West companies at least would have the same reaosns for one or several as SP.

There was a Brass painted on EBAY. I sved the picture, but to another computer. The water cars were the same basic red as the BTS logging cars. It’s basically a tank car with a floor on top, and two hoses. here’s also a handrail. The steamer was painted like any other steamer.

EDIT: You can see the water car here:

8

This photo of 1.1 water cars is at Dunsmuir, CA last year. They’re still lettered for the S.P. The light-colored car has pumps on top and what looks like track sprinklers near the tank bottom. While I’m unaware of dedicated fire trains in present times, (I suspect those ended when steam locomotion disappeared), presumably these cars are placed in regular trains to wet the roadbed when there is extreme fire danger. And if a fire arose near the tracks, the cars could also be put into play.

Mark

9

Mark–

SP was running a fire train between Norden and Truckee as late as 1960, though not in steam. The 4-6-0 that was assigned to the Norden fire train for years is on display at the Roseville yards (minus its headlight, for some strange reason). It was formerly on display at the Roseville Fair Grounds. If I remember correctly, the diesel fire train was pulled by a dedicated GP-7 after steam was pulled from Donner Pass.

Reason I remember the SP fire train was that when I worked for the Forest Service in Truckee during the late 'fifties, it was called in by the SP to help us put out a fire on Stanford Curve. You had to get out of the way, because when THOSE hoses went off, it was like the Johnstown Flood, LOL! SP kept it on standby for some years after the snowsheds came down, just in case.

If I remember correctly, both PFM and Westside produced models of that train in HO brass. I know Bruce’s Trains here in Sacramento had one on consignment some years back–I should have gotten it, because the price was pretty reasonable back then.

Tom

10

Thanks for the info. Tom.

Perhaps it was a GP9 or some other you saw since the SP never possessed a GP7, although its subsidiary SSW had one painted in daylight colors.

Mark

11

Almost as often as not, there is one listed for sale on eba or the brick brass dealers like Caboose Hobbies. It seems to go for upwards of $800. Not too bad for a locomotive and two cars.

12

The question has already been answered and is Westside, but the SP 2252 is in Roseville on Display even to this day. The locomotive does not have the fire pump mounted on it as it did in the days it was used on the Hill east of Roseville, but it still is a nice locomotive. The cars are updated and probably newer versions but are still parked on the siding in Roseville and were used for some fires the last two seasons. The CP and the SP used them for tunnel fires many times, a problem that does not happen after the wood sheds were replaced with concrete snow sheds.

When the 3985 came to Roseville in September of 2005, they stopped in Nevada and allowed the two extra water tenders to be used by the local fire department along with the UP crews on a large brush fire east of that location.

CZ

13

I know BTS makes a fire train minus the loco. It’s more prototypical.

14

And the basis for your opinion is …and the specific prototype you are referring to is …and the reason the models of SP fire trains aren’t as prototypical is …

15

BTS has HO cars (3) for fire train, these were inspired by pacific Lumber and Rayonier, they actually look pretty good and are quite different than than the brass contingent. These cars would be prototypical to a logging operation, SP is typical to within itself. Ay any rate, these are all nifty looking things.

16

The New Orleans Public Belt has (had?) a fire tank car at the base of the grade to the Huey P Long Bridge on the East Bank side at Central Ave. Old tank car, painted red, with an ancient gas engine on one end for the pump.

Phil

17

Precision Scale Co also imported factory painted models of both SP 2248 and 2252 fire trains. They are very rare though. I have only ever seen one of each road number over the years. They sold for around $1800 or so on the secondary market.