I used to have a lot of HO and O scale brass engines. These are about the only thing I saved.
LTG : )
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The Perkins Collection
Jim Perkins was a pilot for Northwest Airlines. He died in a plane crash in 1960.
There were three sets of the five engines made under Hideo Nimoto's direction in Japan 1953-54. Two sets of the five were given to Jim Perkins. He brought them and this GN S2 to the USA.
Hideo Nimoto owned Tenshodo model company in Japan and exported HO scale brass engines to Pacific Fast Mail. Around this time. They wanted a ready to run painted model of the GN O8, to sell for less then an unpainted engine kit of that era.
One set stayed in Japan. From this set, two engines were later given to Bill Ryan or Don Drew, and ended up with Don Drew. Don Drew bought Pacific Fast Mail from Bill Ryan in 1966. Pacific Fast Mail was an importer of Brass models to the USA. The other three were lost in an office fire in Japan. The two in Don Drew's collection were sold with his collection after his death.
This set of five plus the S2 are the ones I have. Another collector has an altered R2, H4 painted, apparently it came not painted, and an O8. Of the original 11 engines, one is gone. A C1.
The two sets Jim Perkins brought here and the S2 were displayed at the National Model Railroad Association national convention held in St. Paul, Minnesota in 1955. Dick Bartholow, Ray Norton, and Bill Ryan sat behind the table they were on. After the convention they were displayed at Ray Norton's train shop until after Jim's death and were sold.
They are true works of art. Entirely hand built. The spokes on the driving wheels were cut out with a coping saw. They are so fine, on the S2, when you run it they seem to disappear. Just like on a real steam engine. They run like Swiss watches. On all but one, the GN herald is hand painted.
Pacific Fast Mail imported a lot of the GN O-8 models through the years. The Perkins O-8 is number 1. It is on the back of the cab. It is considered to be the grandad of the Pacific Fast Mail GN O-8's.
PC (resized).jpg
Hopkins, MN
