PFM Catalog photos for the
Gorre and Daphetid Reminiscence Project
By Chuck Kinzer March 8-11, 2006
Comments by Jeff Witt March 11-19, 2006
This document describes PFM catalog scans provided for research by the Gorre and Daphetid Reminiscence Project. This is a chronological reference for PFM catalogs and ads that have references to John Allen.
I found 13 PFM catalog pages or covers with John Allen’s work. Page number counting includes covers. The front cover is "page 001" and the back cover is "page 999" for convenience. Early catalogs had no page numbers. Later ones numbered the front cover as page one.
PFM catalogs are not specifically dated except the 3rd edition has some supplements for the “1958” catalog. The dates shown are from the PFM publication Pacific Fast Mail – 25 Years of Fine Models at page 94.
The catalogs, the John Allen content, and the Filenames:
1st edition: (1954) Loose leaf. Small ring binder with brown leatherette cover. Has individual PFM sheets and sheets for companies that PFM distributed at the time such as Kemtron. A Kemtron data sheet features the Thomas Flyer (rumored to be inspired by John Allen’s inspection car) and there are photos of built models, but they are attributed to others than John Allen. There are no John Allen references in this catalog.
2nd edition: (1956) First printed PFM catalog. There are no John Allen references in this catalog.
3rd edition: (1957)
- Page 3 - GN SD9 with passenger train, freight train with GN 4-8-4 helper and GN caboose
- Page 17 - Shay and SF 2-8-0, both painted for the G&D
- Page 25 – Climax on trestle in front of tunnel. This is not credited, but you can compare the details to the credited photo on page 7 of the 12th edition and see it is the same trestle and tunnel.
Files:
- PFM_CAT-ED03-003-300_70.jpg (whole page)
- PFM_CAT-ED03-003-600_70.jpg (photo only)
- PFM_CAT-ED03-017-600_70.jpg (whole page)
- PFM_CAT-ED03-025-300_70.jpg (whole page)
- PFM_CAT-ED03-025-600_70.jpg (photo only)
4th edition: (1958)
- Page 16 - NYC F units and 4-8-2 Mohawk
- Page 25 - turntable area with SF 2-8-0 on turntable and SF 2-8-4 in foreground – painted SF. Various other engines on tracks radiating from turntable including the G&D Heisler.
Files:
- PFM_CAT-ED04-016-300_70.jpg (whole page)
- PFM_CAT-ED04-016-600_70.jpg (photo only)
- PFM_CAT-ED04-025-300_70.jpg (whole page)
- PFM_CAT-ED04-025-600_70.jpg (photo only)
5th edition: (1959)
Jeff Witt: I added the page showing the ATSF Berkshire 4100 class, one of which became #43 (this loco was incorrectly identified as a 2-10-2 in "The Book." Compare it to the pictures of Number 43 in the "Locomotives" Gallery.
Files: PFM_CAT-ED05-015-600_70.jpg (whole page)
6th Edition: (1960)
- Front Cover – Shay
- Page 20 – SP Pacific
- Rear Cover – Sierra 2-6-6-2
Files:
- PFM_CAT-ED06-001-600_70.jpg (whole front cover)
- PFM_CAT-ED06-020-300_70.jpg (whole page)
- PFM_CAT-ED06-020-600_70.jpg (photo only)
- PFM_CAT-ED06-999-600_70.jpg (whole back cover)
7th Edition: (1962)
Front cover – Shay
Rear cover – Sierra 2-6-6-2
Files:
- PFM_CAT-ED07-001-600_70.jpg (whole front cover)
- PFM_CAT-ED07-999-600_70.jpg (whole back cover)
8th Edition: (1963)
No John Allen references
9th Edition: (1964)
No John Allen references
10th Edition: (1965)
Page 14 – SP Pacific. Same photo as in 6th edition, but much larger. John Allen not credited.
File: PFM_CAT-ED10-014-600_70.jpg (whole page)
11th Edition: (1966)
No John Allen references
12th Edition: (1967)
- Page 7 – SF 2-8-0 painted for G&D
- Page 19 – Sierra 2-6-6-2
Files:
- PFM_CAT-ED12-007-300_70.jpg (whole page)
- PFM_CAT-ED12-007-600_70.jpg (photo only)
- PFM_CAT-ED12-019-300_70.jpg (whole page)
- PFM_CAT-ED12-019-600_70.jpg (photo only)
13th Edition: (1969)
No explicit John Allen references. However, there is a posed Golden Spike ceremony with many unusual figures that looks like John Allen’s work, as does the photo quality and lighting.
Thanks to Jeff Witt for identifying figures from Varney ads, and probably elsewhere. John Allen figures were clearly used which strongly suggests John Allen posed and took this photo.
Certain very recognizable figures are also seen in various articles and Varney ads on back covers of Model Railroader.
- The rotund Horace P. Vestibule III at the far right wearing the baseball cap is seen in the April 1950 MR, at the far right of the September 53 MR Varney ad, to the left of the diesel facing right in the Nov 53 ad, and in the rear cover photo of the PFM 6th edition catalog.
- The hunched-over old man with cane and huge pot belly is seen in Varney ads in Jan 53, October 53, and March 54
- The horse and wagon is seen in the March 54 ad.
- The man with the sombrero leaning on a walking stick in front of him with left arm crossed in front him is seen in the March 54 ad and in the June 54 ad from another angle.
- The man with no shirt and a shovel is seen on the rear cover of the PFM 6th edition catalog.
Files:
- PFM_CAT-ED13-003-300_70.jpg (whole page)
- PFM_CAT-ED13-003-600_70.jpg (photo only)
Several years pass with no catalogs. (John Allen passes away in 1973.)
1st Half 1976 Product Brochure: (1976)
14th Edition: (1978)
15th Edition: (date unknown)
No John Allen references in any of these editions.
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Copyright © 2006 Peter T. Prunka, Charles Kinzer and Jeffrey L. Witt