Travels of Frank S and the Autism Express

[artfull dodger]

I am autistic and trains are my obsession and calming tool. I use them to get me out of the house and to try and make new friends(which is very difficult for me). This year my wife and I have taken my LGB/Aster Frank S live steamer and my custom Autism Awareness car to a couple events to run for my own enjoyment and for others to enjoy. First 2 pictures are from a steam up with the Michigan Small Scale Live Steamers at the Huckleberry Railroad in Flint, Michigan. The last picture is hard to see the Frank S, you can barely make it out right in front of me, I am in the green hoodie with the blue hat running Frankie via RC control. This was at the open house at RLD hobbies in Albion, Illinois just a week ago. Sorry for the blur in the first two pics, I was running the RC controler in one hand and trying to take pics with my smart phone in my other. Mike

 

[casey jones snr]

The pictures are not too bad Mike.

 

[trammayo]

I like the portable layout in the first two pics of your train in service. It's great that you are 'out and about' promoting your campaign.

 

[artfull dodger]

If I had gotten a better pic of the rear of the autism car, I have my old G Scale Mad pin on the rear of the car next to the rear marker lantern. Reminds me of the good ol days over on that site that many of us here were members of. Here are come close up shots of the autism car when I first made it. Thanks Mike

 

[artfull dodger]

No live steam today, by the time we went out for dinner and ran some errands it was going on 7pm and twlight was upon us. So I grabbed the 2073d on battery power and the cars for some twilight running. Nice shot of the tail of the autism car for the former G scale madders among us. Enjoy Mike

 

[trammayo]

I didn't discover G Scale Mad until quite late. It gave me a lot of inspiration when my health was at a low ebb. I said my own goodbye to it by running a commemorative train;-

 

[Zerogee]

Hi Mike, some great shots there, especially of the Frank S...... if I ever get talked into taking the plunge into the Dark Arts of live steam, one of those would most likely be my starting point - is yours still "as built" from the factory, or has it been modified at all? A lot of the ones I've seen have had various modifications, one of the most common seems to be relocating the gas supply from the tender to one of the side tanks of the loco....

Jon.

 

[artfull dodger]

Mine is still mostly stock, I did add RC and lighted the front lanterns with LED's, I also extended the exhaust pipe up the chimney to help with getting a nice plume. I plan to eliminate the gunk tank, but you need to retain the deflector plate as Frankies smoke box door is cast and the extra heat can do damage to it and the middle lantern above it by the chimney. I want to relocate the gas tank, but need to find a replacement or someone to make me one. As built, you have to keep a water bath around the tank to keep gas pressure up, otherwise Frankie wont make enough steam to move. There is one for a nice price on ebay, boxed and nearly mint, for $1150 US dollers. That is about the best place to find one. Frankie's wheels are double insulated, so no issues running on a layout that has track power. Mike

 

[Zerogee]

Thanks Mike!
Couldn't find the one on US eBay, you got a link please? Would be much more sensible for me to get one over this side of the Pond though, with the costs of shipping and Customs etc (not to mention the current low pound against the dollar!). Simon at Anything Narrow Gauge had a mint unsteamed one a year or so back, but that's gone to someone now. I'd be a little wary of buying a "new-old-stock" unused one, because it would be a 23-year-old model* (they were all built in one batch around 1993, as far as I'm aware) and I'd be concerned that it would need a good recondition before being run to replace seals, O-rings etc that might well have perished over time..... I think in many ways I'd rather have a used, well-steamed example that had been fettled into a good steady runner!

Good luck on finding a new gas tank for yours.

Jon.

* OK, we'd all like a 23-year-old Model, wouldn't we.....?

 

[artfull dodger]

I would trade mine, but finding what I want in a steamer on this side of the pond isnt easy as well. I would love another engine from the Roundhouse classic series, or one of the small 4 coupled Merlin Monarch engines. Both of the Frank S engines on ebay sold already. They do not last long when they come up for sale normaly. Mike