Building the Frisco 1522

Where users can chronicle their builds. Start one thread and continue to add on to it.

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LocoJerome
Posts: 85
Joined: Mon Oct 15, 2012 5:30 pm
Location: St. Louis, MO

Building the Frisco 1522

Post by LocoJerome »

Happy New Year everyone!

With the start of the new year underway I figured it was time to start my build thread. As the title says, I'm just about ready to start construction on a 1.6" scale Frisco 1522 mountain class locomotive. I have not officially started making any chips yet since the shop has been temporarily cleared out in order to paint the floor and add a couple walls but I hope to have the machinery back on place by the end of January. On the other hand I have been busy gathering information and parts to build it. I began searching for suitable castings and components about a year and a half ago and settled on using a majority of the heavy Mikado castings from Railroad Warehouse combined with a Little Engines Pacific pilot truck. Throw in some drivers and cross-heads from Real Trains, a variety of smaller components from a multitude of vendors and some custom water-jet cut frames and 'bingo' I think we have a winner. Now time to start building.

Here is a quick background summary. After 20 wonderful years of being involved with my daughters lives playing parent, tutor, chauffeur and cheerleader they are quickly becoming more scarce in my daily life. With one in college and the other driving herself and just a year and a half from college, that elusive commodity I faintly remember called spare time is slowly returning and with it a little time for a hobby. I loved trains and had model trains growing up and I have a real interest in machining so a live steam engine seemed quite reasonable. I live in the St. Louis area which is home to the Museum of Transportation where the Frisco 1522 is on display. I really like the size and proportions of the 1522 and with it being local it is nice to be able to visit whenever I need a detail photo or measurement. Searching for drawings for the locomotive has been challenging but our local club, St. Louis Live Steamers, has several former members of the St. Louis Steam Train Association that was responsible for the 1522's renovation and return to the rails for excursions. They and members of the www.frisco.org forums pointed me in the right direction and I was able to locate some drawings and a copy of the erecting card which had all the information I needed.

So I decided before I start construction, I would first start this thread. I'll have a lot a questions since I'm a newbie. My local club members will definitely share a lot of lessons but the members of the forum really seem to have genuine desire to help so I would be a fool not to start this thread. I also started a blog at http://www.castlesimon.com/locomotive to chronicle my progress. I will update both the blog and this thread as progress is made. However, this forum will be utilized more for discussion and asking questions whereas the blog will be more narrative and have more details about what is happening with the project. So until I can get the equipment running, here is a photo of the collected parts along with a drawing of what I hope they will look like some year. Thanks in advance for all your help!

Jerome Simon
Building the Frisco 1522
St. Louis Live Steamers

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Miserlou57
Posts: 151
Joined: Fri Jun 11, 2010 9:06 pm

Re: Building the Frisco 1522

Post by Miserlou57 »

Great project and nice blog. I'll be doing something very similar in the near future, so I can't wait to see more!
Rob Gardner
Posts: 463
Joined: Sun Oct 23, 2005 9:27 am
Location: Newbury, OH

Re: Building the Frisco 1522

Post by Rob Gardner »

Jerome, congrats on kiciking off the new year with this build. What a really neat engine you have chosen. I have thought many times about a 1.6" scale model of 1522 and glad to see you have picked her. I have read through your post and most of your blog regarding the castings you have purchased. The 1522 has Box Pok main drivers, correct? Have you located Box Pok castings for the main drivers? Does Real Trains have those as well? Looking forward to seeing your shop come together this winter and some chips hit the floor!

Thanks in advance,

Rob Gardner
kvom
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Joined: Thu May 08, 2008 11:38 am
Location: Cumming, GA

Re: Building the Frisco 1522

Post by kvom »

LocoJerome wrote:With one in college and the other driving herself and just a year and a half from college,
Could have written that myself.

Looking forward to following along.
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Fender
Posts: 3084
Joined: Wed May 02, 2007 8:33 pm
Location: Chattanooga TN

Re: Building the Frisco 1522

Post by Fender »

Great choice for a project! These engines have been a favorite of mine since I first the engine in the park at Amory, MS.
Dan Watson
Chattanooga, TN
LocoJerome
Posts: 85
Joined: Mon Oct 15, 2012 5:30 pm
Location: St. Louis, MO

Re: Building the Frisco 1522

Post by LocoJerome »

Thanks guys. I'm glad others are as excited about this project as I am.

Rob, In regards to the main driver being different, you are correct. However, it is not a Box-Poc but a Scullin Disc. It looks like the original spoked driver was replaced in 1943 based upon the 6-43 I found hand welded on it. But that is speculation. I attached a photo of it along with a photo of 1501's main spoked driver that includes extra ribbing on the spokes. I am planning on trying to get the Scullin Disc drivers cast. I don't have any real experience in getting parts cast but the pattern should be fairly simple to make. I won't worry about trying to make the non-counterweight portion of the wheel hollow. I'm hoping I can just create a loose pattern and send it to CatTail Foundry and get 4 made for a reasonable price. We'll see.
Attachments
Frisco 1522 - Main Driver - Scullin Disc
Frisco 1522 - Main Driver - Scullin Disc
Frisco 1501 - Main Driver
Frisco 1501 - Main Driver
Oktrainboys
Posts: 119
Joined: Sun Jul 29, 2012 12:14 pm
Location: OKC, OK

Re: Building the Frisco 1522

Post by Oktrainboys »

Jerome, Can I buy it!?(kidding) and Don Wirth surely loves you. (Not kidding!).....you can bring SLSF1522 down to NE OKC and doublehead with my 1.6" SLSF4500 Meteor anytime! Wow, thank you for undertaking this.....she will be beautiful....
LocoJerome
Posts: 85
Joined: Mon Oct 15, 2012 5:30 pm
Location: St. Louis, MO

Re: Building the Frisco 1522

Post by LocoJerome »

Thanks for the encouragement. Now to see a 4500 and 1522 together would would be an awesome sight!! :shock: I didn't know someone had a 4500 in the works. That will sure look nice. I had to Google around to see if I could find any photos of it. I spotted some on trainorders but not being a registered user couldn't I could only see a few thumbnails of the tender. Looking at some of the dates on the posts you are definitely cruising right along. I'm afraid it will be a several years before this 1522 hits the rails. But I most surely look forward to the day we are able to couple them up. I need to trip to OK to visit the full size 4500. Plus there are a couple 1500's out there that would be nice to see one day.

Best,

Jerome
Oktrainboys
Posts: 119
Joined: Sun Jul 29, 2012 12:14 pm
Location: OKC, OK

Re: Building the Frisco 1522

Post by Oktrainboys »

Don gave me the 1.6" plans.....quite a guy he is. We have a facebook page: Mill Creek Railway
The track quality is top notch and we have an excellent transfer table that would accomidate 1522 just fine. I too would very much want to see the 1522/4500 together. The locomotive should be finished at Wayne Godshall's shop in mid 2016. You are welcome anytime! Saw 1522 in steam only once, sad to say, and it was that last weekend for the Ozark Flyer....
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steamin10
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Joined: Sun Jun 08, 2003 11:52 pm
Location: NW Indiana. Close to Lake Michigan S. tip

Re: Building the Frisco 1522

Post by steamin10 »

That line of engines had a driver cracking problem, as some engines actually pounded the wheels as they lifted the main drivers off the rails at speed. They corrected this flaw with the heavier and rebalanced disc drivers. These problems came to the fore as mainline speeds increased with the need for speed.

Lifting the wheels was a loading problem from the geometry of the side rods pushing the rest of the coupling rods under load. at speed the dynamic balance and added forces of HP on the wheels caused them to lift and pound the rails, with spoke cracking the result. The heavier wheels did not crack, nor respond to the dynamic forces the same way, so they ducked a balance problem with overbuilding. Many heavy engines had this peculiar problem crop up, and the same solution was applied..
Big Dave, former Millwright, Electrician, Environmental conditioning, and back yard Fixxit guy. Now retired, persuing boats, trains, and broken relics.
We have enough youth, how about a fountain of Smart. My computer beat me at chess, but not kickboxing
It is not getting caught in the rain, its learning to dance in it. People saying good morning, should have to prove it.
LocoJerome
Posts: 85
Joined: Mon Oct 15, 2012 5:30 pm
Location: St. Louis, MO

Re: Building the Frisco 1522

Post by LocoJerome »

OKtrainboys,

Couldn't agree more with your sentiments about Don! His help literally made this project possible for me.
DJSteamer3017
Posts: 264
Joined: Tue Jul 12, 2011 2:07 am
Location: Downey, CA

Re: Building the Frisco 1522

Post by DJSteamer3017 »

Jerome,
I'm looking forward to seeing this build. In fact the 1522 is one of my dream locomotives to build in 1.6" Scale. I enjoy the website you put together and the list of materials that you've made to help you therefore construct this once Mid Western Favorite. I too am a fan of this locomotive's proportions, and a fan of the Heavy Mike. So I wish you the best!! Thanks and Keep on Steamin' My Friend!!

David
The 1" Scale Junkie ... But steam of all sizes is cool with me!!
"If you can dream it, you can do it" - Walt Disney
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