From Jack Fritz
If you’ve been keeping old copies of the Railroad Model Craftsman (RMC), you’ll find a better photo of this locomotive in the May 1978 issue. It’s a super-detailed Model Die Casting Company (MDC)[recently part of Athearn’s Ready To Roll® HO lineup -ed] “Old Time 2-8-0” simulating Ma & Pa’s No. 25. The piece in the RMC was written by Stanley A. Harris and in the article, he mentions living near Ma & Pa (Maryland and Pennsylvania Railroad) trackage in Baltimore, so he may still be with us.
I obtained this gem from the sale of Bob Thatcher’s collection after he passed away a couple of years ago. As it turns out I have several models, some partially built, and a couple completed models of this MDC product. It’s truly a great product for those who are interested in early 20th-century small railroad steam. The model is DC with an open frame motor and runs as expected, not that well. I’m thinking about how to re-motor and re-gear this to include sound and DCC. I hesitate to tinker with it because it’s such a good looker and therefore is sitting in a wall display case along with some early brass. Since my layout remains DC it’s become an intellectual exercise for now.
