Model Train Journal

The late Dick Keulbs, well-known outside O-scale circles as a prolific railroad photographer, was also a Wabash fan. This beautiful Wabash K-2 Mikado was part of his estate:




I saw this briefly a year or two ago and just assumed it was an imported brass model with a custom paint job (For the most part, I don't know what was or was not offered in brass so I had no reference points in this regard). It's current owner brought to the train show this weekend and asked me to try to help identify it. To me complete surprise, the chassis is a Lobaugh and the tender is a Hines USRA. I have not researched the boiler, but a first guess might be that it started life as either a Lobaugh or Hines USRA Light Pacific.





The current owner dug through some notes after the show and came up with the name Ed Spanknoble of Missouri. Does anybody know of Ed?



I have some video of this model running -- it was as smooth and quiet as any model I have seen. I will post as time allows.

Jim

Edited to correct spelling of Spanknoble

Ed Spanknoble was as good as they get. Gary Schrader, Jay C, and Greg Bergman are very skilled in adding the very small details that Ed just hinted at, but still Ed's work is excellent. I will never have patience for that kind of detail.

Jay may have Si's Spanknoble SP Mike - it too deserves a portfolio of shots as good as these.

I guess Ed thought Lobaugh was a good starting point. That looks like a Lobaugh Pacific boiler. The riveted cab, tender, rear beam, etc., all have to be Ed's work.

I had to fire up the big computer to see these photos. Worth it!

When you consider this was most likely built back in the 70's or 80's, it's quite a nice model. I never had a chance to meet Ed and maybe by the time I entered O scale in 1993 it was too late, but his name was often mentioned in KCMO O scale circles back in the 90's.

BH

I have a good friend who is an O scale modeler in Kansas City. He and others were very impressed with Ed and his modeling skills.
Steve

Beautiful locomotive, you did not exaggerate its virtues in the least. Wow.
I remember talking with him years ago about how cool it would be to model the short section of dual Wabash- IT trackage in and between Champaign and Urbana back when the interurbans share trackage with the Blue Bird's domes.

That's a really nice, clean looking engine, the WABASH name seems to fit it nicely.

MR. Maroon ,
As of recent some of your pics fail to show up on screen. There is a little black box with an x in it and the word image next to it.
Not all of your posts does this. Just the ones I really want to see.

Thanks for letting me know, Terry -- Bob T. and I have also experienced the same problem, both when we are viewing the forum from an Apple product (iPad for Bob, iMac for me). I have searched on-line for a solution and many have been offered. I will try one here that looks promising. Please tell me if these images load for you. Bob, if you would also let me know if you can see these with your iPad. My iMac is at home so I will have to wait til this evening to see for that.

Yes - these last photos show up on the iPad. I had to turn on the big Dell to see the first set.

Thank you for fixing the photo issue...I can see these now.

Robert

From what I remember, Si spoke very highly of Ed and, over the years, owned many of his models. The Lost Wax Mike was the one I remember best. Probably 6 months before he passed Si offered it to me and Don Miller. As badly as I wanted it I simply couldn't afford it and Don ended up buying it. The real shame is Don sold it through either Tino or Jerry and I lost track of where it ended up. It was a very nice model and ran really well.

After Si passed there was a Lobaugh SP 0-6-0 that Don was looking for. We found a box that said, Spanknoble 0-6-0 but the model inside the box was nothing of any real note. Probably not one of Ed's or, it is, and just fell on hard times.

One of the real masters today is Tom Mix. His models are all scratch built and rival, or exceed the best. The reason many haven't heard or seen his works of art is because they're P:48 and don't get the exposure. Obviously, there are others.

Jay

Jay Criswell wrote:One of the real masters today is Tom Mix. His models are all scratch built and rival, or exceed the best. The reason many haven't heard or seen his works of art is because they're P:48 and don't get the exposure. Obviously, there are others.
Jay

Tom Mix is indeed an amazing craftsman. I see that Jack McGarry of Allegheny Scale Models has the Tom Mix collection for sale.

Robert

Hello all

Very nice Wabash engine . Ed Spanknoble did a great job building the engine . Wabash engines are all a bit unique to themselves

If you like Wabash engines ...F. W. (Bill) Gresham of Fort Wayne ,Ind ... worked for the Wabash RR..but has a late teenager he worked with / for Bill Lenoir/ Ferris as a builder for Scale Model Railways engines of Huntington ,Ind ..... Bill built a few engines of his own ...and later in life Bill became a modeler of circus trains. Here is an article showing Bill with his Freedom train in 1948 ..later the club layout ( that was in his garage in 1948 ) moved to larger quarters in Fort Wayne till disbanding later .

So here we have a Scale Models from Bill's estate, a Wabash Northern as seen in the SMR 1937 catalog ...and a Wabash Pacific ... not shown in catalog ..but SMR did custom work ...engine has a Adams & Son frame .

Cheers Carey

why yes the Northern is upside down ......I've up loaded 3 times right side up and it reverses ..so I loaded it upside down and it remains upside down ... gremlins at work

Thanks for reposting the pics. I just knew I was missing something nice.

I bet that AFT PA was one of the early CLW cast models. I may yet paint one in those colors, without the Nazi eagle.

Thanks for the nice pictures!