The Anime Railfan

This is the Hallmark Imports model of a Southern Pacific (Texas & New Orleans) C-24 consolidation, painted as T&NO #890. I believe it was imported in the mid 1970s, and reimported in the 1990s. Mine is the 1970's import. I acquired this model some years ago as my first brass acquisition.

I learned very quickly this brass import, and even its later 90's import, have operational faults. They're not bad as displays, but this is worth nothing if you ever want to run one.

Brass model trains are usually unique from normal die-cast or plastic engines in that they can be built/designed with a lot of detail in mind, and they can be imported as unique engines that no manufacturer would normally make in HO Scale (or other scales).

My model was...problematic from the beginning. When I got it, it didn't run and the drawbar (the connection between the engine and tender) was broken. I sent it to a friend to be fixed because it was out of the scope of being repaired by myself, where it lingered for a year due to a problem with the wheels being weird when the motor ran. I did get it back, and it ran a total of 3 or 4 times before some of the internals decided to fail and this engine is once more outta commission.

Both engines generally are in the same size bracket, though its clear there are a lot of differences in both engines.

The Max Gray wins in the category of overall detail and "size" to a degree. The model, as far as I have researched, is very faithful to the original J1 Hudson No. 5200 as it was delivered from the ALCo shops on Valentine's Day, 1927. The Walschearts valve gear and shorty 4-wheel tender are correct for early NYC Hudson steam. 5200 later in its life was upgraded to a larger 6-wheel tender and converted to Baker valve gear, and was likely scrapped around the time this kit may have been produced (this I am still trying to research, I have no paperwork or way to verify the "heritage" of this model).

Where it falters however is the fact that this engine is unfortunately nothing more than a display. Its a 2-Rail O-Scale model that has no identifiable markings or modifications that show this was ever intended to be a motorized kit. There are no gears in the wheels nor does it look like there is space in the boiler or cab for there to be a motor. The wheels CAN turn and everything is timed nicely, but it is stiff. If I somehow manage to have this get towed by sometihng, it would undoubtedly be dragged in the consist, and it wouldn't even sit correctly on 3-Rail track due to the pilot truck's assembly. The engine itself is also very light.

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The 783 wins in the play value category and general "history" aspect. The Lionel semi-scale Hudson family had its roots planted with the 700e Scale Hudson. This is the MPC era issue, which is the "4th" family member in line (700e Scale Hudson, 763 Prewar Semi-Scale, 773 Postwar, 783 MPC era, and so fourth) from the 1980s. Mine features a worm driven motor (I think) and the rather horrendously loud "mighty sound of steam" feature. I haven't ran it to its full capacity given my sub-par transformer but it does run all right. The 783 is also the most "budget friendly" of the semi-scale Hudsons, though regardless it ain't gonna be an inexpensive model.

Where it falters is the fact that detail is generally out the window. Its a faithful model of a Hudson and the valve gear operation is superb at speed, but a lot is altered. Details are molded on, simplicity is at its finest and the mighty sound of steam is not only incredibly loud when turned on (and thats assuming you have the sound board repaired; the board rests on insulated foam that over time has deteriorated, even on NIB models) but there is no volume control and you lose out on the equally-loud whistle if you turn it off. I've never had a train make my ears ring before. To the uninitiated, this engine being all die-cast metal means its gonna weigh a lot too. In some cases you'd even have to resort to two-handing it.

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The boxcar as acquired. This is the Accurail #13501 specific edition, likely a late 1990s or early 2000s run. It features the old push peg style mounts for the trucks & couplers, plastic wheels and accumate couplers. I've ordered a brand new frame for the project and have better wheelsets and couplers on hand.

The other side of the boxcar has the "Road of the Streamliners" slogan.

After emerging from the "paint shop" outside. I used Tamiya masking tape with Tamiya Red-Brown from a rattle can for the patch out marks. This bit of masking was a bit rougher bleed wise but the other side came out far sharper.

Very rough concept art of the final project. The idea is not a total repaint (the other boxcar I have though will be a total repaint) but rather just rough patch marks over the Union Pacific lettering.

Daisy Lolanthe

"I was the bee's knees, and I still am the bee's knees."

What is there to be known about a lady who's been dead for 70-something years? Anything you hear that's online probably isn't true. After all, if you wanna know the truth you gotta go to the source. According to Frisco himself, Daisy was a hell of a drifter. At least, that's what she's told him so far.

The Great War had ended, times were roaring. She decided to follow the trends, and have fun in the process. If there was "giggle water" as she put it, she was there. If there was "barney mugging" as she put it, oh boy was she there. If it was illegal, you can COUNT on it that she was there. She wanted it all. She made you feel like a million bucks, but when you woke up the next morning she made off with your million bucks. How else would she pay for the 1st class tickets, much less the other amenities at the time? Rinse and repeat, the good times never stopped flowing for her.

Daisy traveled the entire world. The crack express trains got her to the next city to follow the parties. She danced, she drank, she smoked, anything that was the rage those days. Men, women, human, faunus, she didn't care. She could purr her way into any situation and leave without a trace. She was having fun. There's probably more she hasn't told him, but she'll know when the time is right. Then one day, it all came crashing down. She was on the Cross Continental Express, saw a man in a gray suit leave the paper on a seat next to her, and picked up the paper to see what was in the print. She never even saw the other men in brown suits approach before they put 12 bullet holes in her. Why? They were looking for the one in gray, who was supposedly a rival mobster. Needless to say, a lot of hush money was paid out to railroad officials, her family, other passengers and cleaning crews.

Daisy Lolanthe had ceased to exist. Her lifeless body was thrown in a makeshift grave somewhere along a now disused rail line somewhere in Vale and completely forgotten about.

Physically she ceased to exist, but spiritually she still lived on. Her spirit lingered on the train, never at rest and never able to move on. She became a legend so to speak, the woman in a violet dress with a cigarette, gold coin and a look in her eye. Then you round the corner into the rooms or the hallways and no one is there. Sometimes you feel the sudden chills, other times you don't.

Frisco himself never believed in ghosts, at least until he met Daisy. She annoys him, she teases him, but there's nothing he can do to get rid of her outside of having the train destroyed. A ghost or no more train? He would dare not destroy railroad history just to solve a small paranormal problem. That being said, she still helps out in what ways she can. When it came to painting, woodworking stains and carpet colors, her "voice" helped bring the train back to life during restoration, and Frisco has banked on ghost tours being an extra source of revenue to keep his train running (playing the skeptic also helps boost tours).

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The New Vacuo Central Railroad set the standard for luxury at the time of the train's inauguration, and to this day the name "Cross Continental Express'' is used as a side-term for something incredibly luxurious. In time, it would also be the origin of the name for the Cross Continental Transmit System. The train was inaugurated by the New Vacuo Central as a means of providing an effective means of high-speed transportation between the two kingdoms of Vale and Vacuo.  What set the Cross Continental Express apart from other trains of its time was its luxurious interior and quality extra-fare service. The idea was to give every common Jane and Joe of Vacuo a taste of the high life, since many travelers could not afford such amenities for the nomadic life that they lived. There are rumors floating as to why the train was so immensely luxurious, with the most frequent answer being that the luxuries serve as a well thought out distraction against Vacuo's bland landscape.

Perhaps it was intentional that the train departed Vacuo when the sun would soon set.  Once the desert was in view, everyone except the engineers would be asleep.  By the morning light, Sanas was in view with the “boring” part of the trip, scenery wise, now behind them.  From then on, passengers were greeted with the blooming and wild greenery for the rest of the trip to Vale.  Although the direct route was between Vale and Vacuo with limited station and service stops, there was through-service to Mistral, Menagerie and Atlas via other railroads and sea ferry service.

On board, the as-built cars were glamorous in more ways than one.  The car’s interior was only the finest Art Deco.  Beds and blankets, both in the open section and enclosed rooms, were made of the finest wool.  Enclosed rooms had the added benefit of fresh flowers, mainly fauna native to Vale.  The dining service was only the finest of Vale and Vacuo, with many stating how the Toast rose above all other meals offered on the train.  If a speck of sand made its way onto someone’s meal, the chef in charge of the diner that night would be given a fine and one hell of a yelling about.  Other amenities were found aboard the train as well.  Up towards the Baggage-Club, one could receive a haircut en-route as well as a shower.  The lounge also served mini drinks, and one could expect the cigar smoke to be quite heavy in this car.  This was the men’s territory for most of the train’s run.  The lounge in the observation car also had similar amenities, and was a proving ground for gossip, fashion and the latest for all the women aboard.  What the Baggage-Club was to the men, the Observation was to the women.  The observation car also featured enlarged windows at the tail end so one could get a marvelous view of the passing scenery.  The open platform was also a frequent spot for scenery gazing, though the whipping wind and dust sucked by the train at speed was sure to leave some people with dirty clothes.

The luxury didn’t stop with the interior furnishing though, the porters and attendants to the train were always ready to serve the passengers for whatever needs they needed.  It was the porter’s task to make the beds, freshen the blankets, ask for a drink and of course punch and obtain tickets.  With 174 sleeping beds available in 4 different forms, there was plenty of work to be done to make sure the passenger had a comfortable trip from start to finish!  Crew would usually be exchanged at the last station or at a brief stop in the middle of the night.  Many of these men were well trained; they often could run the entire trip without having to be changed, though by railroad law they had to change porters.

Over the years the CCE has seen frequent changes in motive power.  The original engine, a 4-6-4 Class J1e “Hudson”, is often regarded as the icon of the Cross Continental Express as well as the New Vacuo Central.  Steam gave way to diesel, and diesel gave way to gravity and dust-based engines.  Many of the CCE Engines are found in museums today.

The Express train continued to be a smash, proving to be a source of valued income for the railroad.  As Vacuo continued to be stripped of its natural resources over time, as well as the advent of safer transports like airships coming into the picture, the train started losing ridership as well as revenue for the railroad.  Attempts like revamping the train’s exterior, interior and publicity stunts were successful but everyone still preferred the other transports.

No matter the change, upgrade or downgrade, service on the train remained to a high standard from start to finish.

The last runs of the CCE were performed to a grand farewell run before a more economical train was introduced.  However…the above set is what many people today consider to be the true embodiment of the Cross Continental Express. The 13-car set was sold through varying owners and decayed over those prolonged periods of time. One owner sought to revamp the train to its original as-built look but never got farther than “de-streamlining” the train. Atlas, Menagerie, Vale, Vacuo, it's literally seen the world. It wound up in a Mistral railroad museum looking like walls of scrap on wheels, a former shell of itself.  Despite being on museum property, it was privately owned by a relatively shady family so there was nothing the museum could legally do in regards to restoring it. Not until news came about that the set, and one engine, were donated to a local museum member; Frisco Luther Cohen. 

Over a period of several years, Frisco and the members of the Gilded Era Roundhouse, the museum he volunteers at, painstakingly restored every piece of the train back to its as-built glory and revealed it to a grand spectacle. Celebrated historians praised Frisco’s efforts at making sure the interior furnishings were original as well as the return of the engine to full operation.

Everything was registered in Frisco’s name, and many considered him to be the owner of Remnant’s greatest privately owned train. Sure, the three others still existed but in terms of historical value and originality, “Section 1” is the greatest of them all.  It was his train from coupler to coupler and he intended to keep it that way for a very long time.

As part of many modern railroad laws, Frisco had to also toss in two extra cars before legally traveling on rails outside of museum property. Two former New Vacuo Central head-end cars, a 70’ Baggage car and a 70’ Postal-Baggage, became the new Water Auxiliary and Tool Cars respectively. Both are painted in the original New Vacuo Central markings but not the Cross Continental Express gold trim.

Frisco himself takes great pride and care in his train.  He frequently runs excursions and private charters to great success, but his work ethic while running or conducting the train leaves him shrouded in controversy.  When his train isn’t running he makes sure that no one except crew is allowed on board, storing the whole set and engine in a private facility at the railroad museum.  No one gets a free ride or glimpse of the train unless they have a ticket.  He plans to pursue a huntsman career, and theories float that he is doing this to enforce his “no ticket, no ride” rule, although the real reason is that he'd prefer the battle experience when he ventures out onto more grimm-heavy rail lines.

One of the more unique stories about the Cross Continental Express is the ghost of Daisy Lolanthe. Unconfirmed rumors state that she was killed in a mafia mix up aboard the Cross Continental Express during the Post-Great War years, and her spirit has lingered ever since.  No public records of her exist and any mafia ties that could explain the story have likely been lost to history.  Even eagle-eyed patrons riding the observation car would fail to notice a series of 6 strange dents in the wall behind one of the lounge chairs. Ghost hunter shows have reported nothing, yet there's always one passenger who reports the strange sighting of a woman in a vintage dress roaming the train.  Frisco himself does not believe in ghosts, but says he'd be lying if the ghost hunts didn't help bring in extra necessary revenue to keep the train running.

"If she is on the train, her ticket is still technically good. She paid for it in more ways than one."

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Frisco Luther Cohen

“If you’re going to do something, do it right the first time. I run the show, I make the rules. I make people remember me. You got a problem with that, then hit the road.”

Owner and operator the famed Cross Continental Express passenger train set and its lead engine (both of which I will showcase in a future post). A no-nonsense kinda guy who lives and breathes railroading, he'll get stuff done even if it means breaking a rule or two. He enrolled in Haven Academy mainly to improve his skills against possible bandits and grimm while en-route and kinda went in blind not knowing he'd be assigned a team (he primarily thought training was 1 person only). Armed with several railroad-themed weapons and some oddball ones (mainly a revolver, a club and in some cases an actual shovel) Frisco is ready for whatever situation may be thrown at him. He'll get the job done, come hell or high water.

He's a bit hush-hush on his semblance though, but likes to brag that its strength related.

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Robin Holt

“When I look up at the sky at night, I see the stars. I want people to look at me as if I was the night sky. I will be the Knight of this Kingdom. I want to be as famous as those stars.” Robin Holt hails from a small village somewhere outside of Vale. Growing up with her mother's tales of knights of old led her to want to seek that same level of fame and stardom. It got to her head a little bit. She'll come off as egotistical but deep down she really does mean well. That being said if she has a chance to look like a star she'll take it. In a sense she already accomplished that. Very few enrolling huntsman or huntresses stick to "the classics" and Robin wants to uphold the fairy tale look. She is armed with a modern forged longsword, a reproduction style bow and arrow and a legit pre-great war era dagger. She dares not involve herself with modern technology because it ruins the aesthetic.

Her semblance allows her to see the world in bullet time. Perfect to properly aim an arrow or strike a good sword blow.

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Sabrina Bishop

“My family has been shamed for centuries. No matter how minuscule the good deed is, it’s overshadowed by the ocean of infamy. I want to be the first, to truly change all that.”

The Bishop family has its roots with Remnant as a whole, or at least in Vale. It isn't good history though. In ancient times, the Bishop name has been deeply tied with magical misdeeds, town scares and all sorts of unholy actions. Even today, the "family business" is still going strong. However, Sabrina Bishop, the middle child of the existing family, wants to be the first to change all that. She wants to use her inherited magical powers for the benefit of all human and faunus kind. In order to truly get a fresh start she enrolled at Haven instead of Beacon.

Despite being reputation, she is a little bit of an airhead. She'll be easily distracted or drift off into a personal daydream of hers. If you get to know her she's actually a good person. Just don't do anything to piss her off; she likes to brag that not knowing how to do curses properly is better because the effects can be worse.

Her inherited semblance is her main source of fighting alongside the knowledge of ancient scrolls. Her powers and skills only grow with continued use or time.

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Charlotte Ringlo

“I believe in using my skills for the greater good of mankind. There is evil in this world, and it is my duty to eliminate this evil. I want to turn those frowns into beautiful smiles.”

Charlotte Ringlo is the real celebrity of the team. Her life really was focused around being in the spotlight.

Charlotte was born somewhere between Mistral and Atlas into the Ringlo family; the top billing performers of the Barasota Circus. The circus travels through all of remnant to perform amazing feats and generally keep the population happy (and more importantly, grimm-free). She never had the chance to settle down, make new friends or do anything on her own as the circus was constantly in motion. She loved being able to put smiles on faces but circus work was tiring. She decided to quit the circus. With a very tear-inducing farewell from everyone she left the circus to join Haven Academy, armed with an older tranquilizer rifle and an older lion tamer's whip.

She is, without a doubt, the heart of team FRSC. She's sweet, caring and very motherly, and often the voice of reason for the team whenever theres commotion between themselves or anyone else.

Her semblance is akin to Blake's semblance, only instead of self-clones its circus themed contraptions like tightropes, trampolines or even "distraction clowns."