What is a “Frankenstein locomotive”?
On this page, “Frankenstein locomotive” means a scale model locomotive that looks believable and railroad-ish, but does not closely match any one real locomotive design. These engines may be built from a mix of parts, a factory model that was modified heavily, or a creative “what-if” concept that borrows shapes and proportions from multiple prototypes. it may even be a ficticious mix of components from different scale, such as On30, etc.
The goal here is not to “fool” prototype experts—it's to celebrate the kind of modeling that happens on real workbenches: kitbashes, repairs, upgrades, salvaged shells, swapped trucks, changed cabs, chopped hoods, and imaginative rebuilds that still look like they could earn their keep on a short line, a contractor’s railroad, or an industrial branch.
Affiliate Disclosure:
This website includes affiliate links from Amazon, Google, and Awin (Share-a-Sale). Purchases made through these links may generate small commissions, at no extra cost to you, for qualifying clicks or purchase.
The first two HO-scale locomotives that I have realized are clearly Frankensteins in my collections were obtained in December 2025, from an auctioneer's inventory in Marlborough, Massachusetts and were part of a late, local model railroad enthusiast. The first is a kitbashed locomotive low/high hood for the ficticious railroad, Blacktail & Mystic Railroad, road number 910, with a Burlington Northern-style logo. The second is a lengthened Boston & Maine Railroad Switcher.