Ever since seeing a NYC Mikado in an old lionel catalog when I was younger I’ve been interesting in having a NYC 4-8-2. The lionel one looked so cool then with the “elephant ears,” etc.
I know most people believe that NYC is one of the most prominent and “overmanufactured” roadnames out there, but there just doesn’t seem to ever have been a Mountain class locomotive made for this roadname (except brass). Odd too, considering that there are two of them still around in the U.S., while every single Hudson or Niagara is gone.
Is the Bachmann Spectrum Mountain even close to the NYC prototype?
The B&A and P&LE both did use Berkshires, but they looked nothing like the AMC designed engines that are currently made in plastic.
And actually, the NYC really ISN’T an overrepresented road. Frankly, if you’re modeling the steam era, the availability of models sucks (the same can be said of the ATSF and UP as well). If you REALLY stretch things and include ANY steam that the NYC had, there are a few offerings available as non-brass models, but there are HUGE, major holes in the roster. Mohawks are a prime example. The NYC moved the bulk of their freight behind either 2-8-2s or 4-8-2s, both of which made up almost half of their overall steam roster in the 1940s and 1950s. But we’re only able to find one type of NYC Mike on the market (the USRA light, or H-6 in NYC terms).
I model a chunk of the Peoria & Eastern, a NYC affiliate road that ran from Indianapolis to Peoria. Their steam fleet consisted of B-11 0-6-0s, H-5 2-8-2s, K-3 and K-11 4-6-2s, and L-1a 4-8-2s. The ONLY engines I’m able to get as non-brass are the K-11 4-6-2s, which are available as a crude and expensive Bowser kit (more expensive once you remotor, regear, superdetail, and add a whole new tender! It approaches brass prices at that point). I’ve got a B-11 and H-5 as brass models, but the L-1a’s have NEVER been made in model form. SO I’ll have to kitbash.
The Bachmann Spectrum USRA heavy 4-8-2 makes a good, if imperfect, starting point for an L-1 or L-2, and possibly for an L-3. I’ll have to do something about the incorrect valve gear (it’s Baker on the model, but the prototype used Walschaerts), but the rest of the project will “just” be a fairly straightforward redetailing project. I’ll need to scratchbuild a new cab and add a different tender, but I’ll get something pretty close to an L-1 in the end, and for much less money that brass.
If you want to make an L-2 or L-3, you might want to look at the Bachmann engine as well. Those engines were much newe
Hello “NYCentral 1,” If you’re in HO scale, my advice is to be patient. There’s nothing even close to a Mohawk available now, but I don’t believe you’ll have to wait too long. As others have pointed out, some of the NYC’s subsidiaries had 2-8-4 Berkshires, but they weren’t used much on the Central itself. The P&LE Berkshires did end up working for the Central out of Bellefontaine, Ohio, after the P&LE was able to dump these unwanted engines back on its parent, but they weren’t a great success there either and diesels were already taking over. (For more on Berkshires, see “The unwanted Berkshires,” about the P&LE engines, in “Classic Trains” magazine, Spring 2004, page 32, and “The Berkshire story,” about the development of the 2-8-4 type in general, in “Steam Glory 2,” a “Classic Trains” special issue, page 8. I don’t know of a good publication focusing on the NYC’s 4-8-2s, but they are covered in Al Staufer’s book, “New York Central Power,” and there’s a good thumbnail history of the 4-8-2 type in general in “Guide to North American Steam Locomotives,” page 186, compiled by George Drury for Kalmbach Books.) Merry Christmas, Andy
Yea, that’s my biggest disappointment about modeling the NYC. The NYCSHS is woefully lacking at making NYC related photos available to the public - or even it’s members.
While other RR Historical groups (e.g. B&O, Erie, Pennsy, etc.) are continually present at major trainshows and events, and make resources readily available online to RR and MRRer’s alike, it’s like pulling teeth to get information about the New York Central. Perhaps its because the NYC was so vast and enormous. It could be that - and I believe that this is more the case - the NYCSHS has a wonderful but aging membership that is somewhat shortsighted and not actively seeking to promote it’s vast amount of information and resources.
I was at last year’s NYCSHS Annual meeting and excursion here in the Cleveland area. There was a fine older gentleman there (Frank?) who worked for the NYC then PC for a number of years. We visited a NKP museum in Conneaut, OH, that had a beautiful NKP Berkshire parked off to the side. “Frank” was standing beside one of
If you want to make an L-2 or L-3, you might want to look at the Bachmann engine as well. Those engines were much newer than the L-1’s, and looked markedly different. You might want to look at kitbashing the Revell Hudson boiler for the L-3, as they looked a lot alike. Someone on the forum (I forget who right now) has posted photos of a kitbashed, freelanced Bachmann engine that looks a lot like an L-3; hopefully they’ll post on this topic too! For the ears, you might want to look for a basket-case Bachmann 4-8-4.
Ray, here’s a link to a thread wherein said kitbashed loco resides. It’s about 1/3 of the way down the page. Actually kinda reminds me of a cross between an NYC loco and a Missouri Pacific one (what with the train indicators and all). http://www.trains.com/TRC/CS/forums/818421/ShowPost.aspx
Come to think of it, it also kinda reminds me of Bill Darnaby’s kitbashed brass IC 4-8-2’s as well.
Edit:
Here’s a picture of a Big Four L-2b. http://www.pioneer.net/~fitzrr/6205.jpg . Note it uses Baker valve gear like the Spectrum lights and heavies do and, as Ray noted, the boiler contours resemble those of the J-3.
BTW, I believe you can still buy mechanism kits as a separate item for all the locos that Bowser manufactures (except maybe the Casey Jones and Old Lady). You might have to scratch build a boiler.
Hmmmm. Seems Andy has the “professional” inside scoop on some yet-to-be-officially-announced information, and is being discreet enough not to divulge too much - yet baiting the hook at the same time. (Okay. Reel me in. [:)])
I do hope that one of the Big Three (BLI/PCM, Proto 2000, or Trix) will be coming out with a Mohawk in the near future. Even though it will probably be an L3 or L4, I’m hoping for the earlier L1 or L2s.
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Given a choice, I’d give a slight preference to Proto 2000 or Trix. However, I’d be content with offerings from ANY of them.
Remember though that the NYC had a very sizable fleet of Mikados as well. Personally I’ve got the Trix NYC Mike and love it. BLI has a model of the Hudson and I believe they’re coming out with the streamlined models as well and they. They also have come out with a Niagra as well. P2K makes great steam switchers to the USRA 0-6-0 and 0-8-0 designs.
With that, and some first generation diesles, someone could make a decient NYC layout.
Now if we want to talk about over-represented steam, there’s only one road that comes to mind: The Pennsylvania.
Now if we want to talk about over-represented steam, there’s only one road that comes to mind: The Pennsylvania
Overall, that’s true. However, the crown for the most overrepresented single class of steam locomotive in HO goes to…
Wait for it…
The Union Pacific Big Boy, manufactured or scheduled to be manufactured (at the current time) by no fewer than 5 manufacturers (that’s 1 manufacturer for every 5 Big Boys ever built):
Athearn
PCM
Hornby/Rivarossi
Bowser
Trix
The runner up (with 4 manufacturers - Bowser, Spectrum, BLI, MTH) is the Pennsy K-4.
Yet we can’t seem to get 1 Harriman Pacific (either light or heavy) or Mikado.
I’m with you on the Harriman Mike issue. I would gobble six up today if I could get my hands on a decent, modern, sound-equipped version! My IC fleet NEEDS Mikes!
Hopefully, some day in the near future, the manufacturers will realize that all of the USRA designs have been made in recent memory, and will switch to the other “standard” engine design team. HArriman engines will give us uniform 4-6-0s, 4-4-2s, 4-6-2s, 2-8-2s and 2-8-0s to play with, and will get rid of a lot of the uniformity that’s being seen in “freelanced” roads these days. Unfortunately, we still have to get through one more USRA release first (BLI’s USRA light Pacific, which I’m sure they’ll get wrong by adding the light Mike boiler to a 4-6-2 chassis)
Stage:
The only problem with using the USRA light Mike to represent all 1300+ of those NYC Mikes is that they only had 135 of them, and only 99 in NYC lettering (the rest went to subsidiary roads). The other 1100+ were anything but USRA designs, especially their 500+ H-5 Mikes (and the H-5 is about the only model engine I want more than an IC/Harriman Mike!)
I’m with you on the Harriman Mike issue. I would gobble six up today if I could get my hands on a decent, modern, sound-equipped version! My IC fleet NEEDS Mikes![/i]
Hopefully, some day in the near future, the manufacturers will realize that all of the USRA designs have been made in recent memory, and will switch to the other “standard” engine design team. HArriman engines will give us uniform 4-6-0s, 4-4-2s, 4-6-2s, 2-8-2s and 2-8-0s to play with, and will get rid of a lot of the uniformity that’s being seen in “freelanced” roads these days. Unfortunately, we still have to get through one more USRA release first (BLI’s USRA light Pacific, which I’m sure they’ll get wrong by adding the light Mike boiler to a 4-6-2 chassis)
I hope BLI gets the Pacific right. If I want anything that approximates a Southern Pacific P-6 (Harriman heavy), it’s going to have to do. Although UP Harriman heavies have been done in brass, no one has done an SP version (either Coast Lines or T&NO).
Maybe Bachmann Spectrum can be persuaded to do the Harriman Mike. As you pointed out in another forum, the Harriman Mike boiler is the same diameter as the Harriman 2-8-0 and the Spectrum 2-8-0 was based on the IC 900’s. In any case, Bachmann Spectrum appears to be the only one interested in concentrating on small to medium sized locos.
With respect to the 4-6-0’s, I’d love to see those, especially since the SP had 3 different versions: T-28 with Stephenson valve gear and 63" drivers, T-31 with Walschaert v
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