Why no FAs

[brokemoto]

I believe I have an FA2/FB2 undec set someplace in my stash if anybody is interested. I bought them to paint B&O before I checked to see that the B&O only had FA/B, not the FA2's.

B&O did have FA-2s.   They had a bunch of them, A and B units.  They had something like ten A-B pairs of FPA-2s, as well.  Unlike many passenger B units, the
 B&O FPB-2s had the steam generator stacks on the 'A' end of the unit (end opposite from the huge fan).  I seem to recall that the S/G s remained in these things well into the 1960s.  The railroad often used them to pull mail/express trains, such as 29/30/31. B&O also used them to protect the schedules of locomotive hauled passenger trains from Washington to Chicago or St. Louis.  Locomotive hauled trains from Washington to north of Baltimore (before 1959) and to west of Brunswick, Maryland (particullarly the West Virginia trains) often had FPAs. 

B&O did not have FA-1s.  B&O preferred EMDs early on, as EMD had found a buyer there for its early diesels.  B&O and All Tramps Sent Free were the only roads with EAs.  Other than the yard goats, B&O did not buy much from ALCo.  I suspect that they bought the FAs because EMD could not deliver to them all of the F-7s or GP-7s that they wanted when they wanted them.  I further suspect that the same motivation was present for the purchase of the Sharks and Baldwin road switchers, in addition to B&O's being a longtime buyer of Baldwin steam, almost to the exclusion of the other two builders.  B&O never did buy too much ALCo steam.

[eja]

I wish I had some on the Bay right now.  This thread ought to drive up the price for a while.

[bbussey]

Unfortunately, what the OP desires is the angled number board version. 
I bought a couple of pairs of the angled number boards from the KATO parts department meant for the PA that I plan/planned to get to some day.

I'd order a set of PA angled boards from Kato and try modifying the Life-Like shell.

[SkipGear]

B&O did have FA-2s.   They had a bunch of them, A and B units.  They had something like ten A-B pairs of FPA-2s, as well.  Unlike many passenger B units, the
 B&O FPB-2s had the steam generator stacks on the 'A' end of the unit (end opposite from the huge fan).  I seem to recall that the S/G s remained in these things well into the 1960s.  The railroad often used them to pull mail/express trains, such as 29/30/31. B&O also used them to protect the schedules of locomotive hauled passenger trains from Washington to Chicago or St. Louis.  Locomotive hauled trains from Washington to north of Baltimore (before 1959) and to west of Brunswick, Maryland (particullarly the West Virginia trains) often had FPAs. 

B&O did not have FA-1s.  B&O preferred EMDs early on, as EMD had found a buyer there for its early diesels.  B&O and All Tramps Sent Free were the only roads with EAs.  Other than the yard goats, B&O did not buy much from ALCo.  I suspect that they bought the FAs because EMD could not deliver to them all of the F-7s or GP-7s that they wanted when they wanted them.  I further suspect that the same motivation was present for the purchase of the Sharks and Baldwin road switchers, in addition to B&O's being a longtime buyer of Baldwin steam, almost to the exclusion of the other two builders.  B&O never did buy too much ALCo steam.

You're right, I started thinking about that after I posted. I have an Undec FA1 A/B set in undec that I couldn't use. I got my 1's and 2's crossed up.

[pnolan48]

The split-frame FA-2s seem somewhat rarer than the omnipresent FA-1s As I've remarked before, I think the FA-1s pull better than the FA-2s, and also other power built with the same architecture (Erie-Builts & C-Liners in my stable). Perhaps just an ideal weight, or the first tooling was more accurate than the later modified tooling?

The FA-1s just flooded the market back when. I've still got pairs that I snagged off eBay for $25 or so. I didn't need them, but they were so good, and so cheap, that I just kept buying them.

[mcjaco]

I bought a trio A/B/A of of Charlie Vlk at the Milwaukee National show a few years ago.  A quick bath in 90% Iso, and the SP&S paint fell right off. 

So if you're looking for undecs, don't.  Just give 'em a bath and be done with searching.

[GimpLizard]

"...and the SP&S paint fell right off."

Oh the humanity!!!  (Then again... I 'spose it coulda been worse. They could have been painted Great Northern Empire Builder.)

[Pennsy]

At least he didn't strip PRR !

[reinhardtjh]

At least he didn't strip PRR !

I've got a friend that doesn't strip them, he just white lines the "PENNSYLVANIA" and re-letters them!