Another mystery model to me

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up148
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Another mystery model to me

Postby up148 » Wed May 20, 2026 9:12 am

Saw this FEF 1 or 2 or ? on EB and wondered it this is a homebuilt model or some combination or MG/USH/Lobaugh models. Details are not totally correct for any UP FEF, but there are lots of them................. and I think I've seen that skinny gearbox in the past. Any ideas?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/206284705581?_ ... R9Sl09fIZw

Pacific Limited
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Re: Another mystery model to me

Postby Pacific Limited » Wed May 20, 2026 11:19 am

The passenger cars here are interesting as well. Unique stuff.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/318328186175?_ ... R9juv9_IZw
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bob turner
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Re: Another mystery model to me

Postby bob turner » Wed May 20, 2026 12:07 pm

FEF looks like a well-detailed Lobaugh. Predicting $600.

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Rufus T. Firefly
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Re: Another mystery model to me

Postby Rufus T. Firefly » Wed May 20, 2026 12:10 pm

Pacific Limited wrote:The passenger cars here are interesting as well. Unique stuff.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/318328186175?_ ... R9juv9_IZw


Saw those and figured Cary might be on to them. Heavy cast brass trucks, etc....
When we understand that each day isn’t one more day, but one less, we’ll start giving more value to the things that truly matter.

up148
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Re: Another mystery model to me

Postby up148 » Wed May 20, 2026 12:11 pm

Thanks Bob! It has a lot of details, back head is really nice, but many details are incorrect or incomplete. The boiler steps, washouts, and domes looked like KTM as did the tender, but the drive is foreign to me. I was interested, but not at $600. Might go for the damaged KEY.

bob turner
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Re: Another mystery model to me

Postby bob turner » Thu May 28, 2026 1:53 pm

Boy did I miss that. A nice Lobaugh piece for $300. The Lobaugh FEF is not widely sought after, but it is rare, and a nice model considering its age.

Here is one that looks like a lot of Lobaugh parts to me - except for the tender, it is probably worth at least something. The prewar Lobaugh SP locomotives are rare, well-built, and fairly accurate - way better than Scale Craft!

https://www.ogrforum.com/topic/can-anyb ... 9993491931

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Rufus T. Firefly
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Re: Another mystery model to me

Postby Rufus T. Firefly » Thu May 28, 2026 2:05 pm

bob turner wrote:..........except for the tender........


Interesting drive units in that tender. Look like the Walthers or Pittman units that used to be in trolleys.....
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Re: Another mystery model to me

Postby bob turner » Fri May 29, 2026 8:29 am

A really close look says Lobaugh - even the tender has some Lobaugh characteristics. I can't let the guy know, so maybe one of you who has paid dues and not offended Allan could let the owner know? I would give him a hundred bucks for it right now, not even knowing if it is 2-rail. And I have four good ones!

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Re: Another mystery model to me

Postby bob turner » Fri May 29, 2026 2:59 pm

IO think this one is as stock as they get, if you disregard the lag clamps and maybe the tender. You can see the details on the cylinder (valve spindle guides) and the Walschaerts hanger - good Lobaugh parts. Also note that the driver spacing is unequal - #1 is set off to accommodate the SP-style lateral movement device. All those earmarks say the dirtbag thing on OGR is indeed Lobaugh. Unfortunately they did not take a shot underneath, which would clinch the deal, but they just thought it was a piece of junk, and that's why it was free.

Image

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Re: Another mystery model to me

Postby bob turner » Fri May 29, 2026 3:02 pm

For educational purposes (thus avoiding a copyright infringement) here is the subject of the discussion. You have to agree it is ugly, but underneath . . .

Image

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Rufus T. Firefly
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Re: Another mystery model to me

Postby Rufus T. Firefly » Fri May 29, 2026 6:28 pm

bob turner wrote:You have to agree it is ugly, but underneath . . .


No disagreement on the ugly. Underneath seems a mystery given that there were 2 drive units in the tender.

If lucky there's a blank canvas there; dunk the entire thing in a vat of lacquer thinner for a few days......might reduce the ugly factor, :wink: :wink:
When we understand that each day isn’t one more day, but one less, we’ll start giving more value to the things that truly matter.

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Re: Another mystery model to me

Postby bob turner » Sat Jun 06, 2026 8:29 pm

Butch got a comment from me and a photo like the one above posted over there. This way hopefully the owner will not just drop it in a trash can.

There were not that many of these models produced. It would be a shame to lose one.

up148
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Re: Another mystery model to me

Postby up148 » Sun Jun 07, 2026 10:03 am

Well, hopefully, if he decides it's beyond his skills to make it right, he'll contact me before listing it somewhere. :D

up148
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Re: Another mystery model to me

Postby up148 » Sun Jun 07, 2026 11:38 am

The metal edges looks really thick, almost like it's thin cast metal and not brass. Very usual for sure.

bob turner
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Re: Another mystery model to me

Postby bob turner » Sun Jun 07, 2026 10:18 pm

Well, an update:
Butch posted a photo of my MT-4 on OGR, with my permission. He got thrown off the forum, and locked out. I guess Alan was nice enough to explain that all photos must be annotated carefully - not an unreasonable request. But why not just explain that, instead of locking Butch out and deleting his posts?

I will check, but I think this policy is only sporadically enforced.

A poster said I was really wrong; it could not be Lobaugh because the domes were different - the implication sort of seemed like I was too dumb to count domes. That post didn't survive, either, because the poster also included my photo.

I think Butch and I will leave it alone, and another restorable antique will find its way into the garbage can. Won't bother me too much; I have four of these fine models.

On another subject - somehow I wound up with a Rustoleum semi gloss black and a Krylon flat black rattle can. I do not know how they got here; I avoid them like the plague. But since they were here, I was using them. They were working fine as late as this morning - but this evening both decided it was time to make a mess, instead of spraying paint. The Krylon can is still 3/4 full, and was doing just fine at noon today.

Now I get to strip Jim's Suburban and start over with good old DupliColor. My DupliColor cans never let me down.


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