Tom,
My advice would be to decorate it with the flying Grande logo - that was introduced in 1941, and seems to have been standard for the power they bought secondhand during the war - I haven’t found any foreign power (Water Buffaloes, 2-6-6-2s, 2-8-8-2s) pictures with the older logos, much as I like them.
Wow! When I received the direct email from Micro Mark, I ordered one right away. It will be a perfect loco for my military train. {Note to self…Try to figure out how to get teeny tiny numbers onto the number boards on this puppy…} I got mine on Friday, 5/4.
However, I took apart the tender to see how the “DCC ready” really looked and I can not believe how SMALL the plug area is for the decoder. Is it supposed to be THAT small of an area? I know that decoders have gotten pretty tiny, but the “plug” that is in the decoder socket right now is smaller than my thumb nail!!
Then I went out to Lenz and Digitrax sites and realized that decoders HAVE gotten pretty darn tiny. I will be testing this guy on Thursday at the clubhouse. Hope it runs like several of the forum members have noted in earlier parts of this thread.
Is the painted/undecorated Spectrum HO 2-6-6-2 currently listed on Micro-Mark’s website ($129 no sound) based on a specific railroad’s version or is it a generic USRA 2-6-6-2, also what era - 1920’s, 30’s or '40’s?
Midland–
I know, and believe me, I really appreciate the correct historical advice, but–sigh–I’m really more of a fan of the tri-color herald. Just got to think this thing out, LOL! Actually, if I were really correct, I’d peel off the front-hung pumps, put them on the fireman’s side, get a new boiler front and slap a rectangular Rio Grande number plate on, and find some big, hunking compound slide-valve cylinders for the front engine, then do a filing number on the rear cylinders–oh boy, I don’t want to go there, LOL! I just turned one of the Spectrum USRA Heavy 4-8-2’s into a ‘reasonable’ facsimile of an SP/EP&SW MT-2–pre “Skyline Casing”, and though that’s only boiler work so far, it’s dawned on me that I’d have to replace the valve gear to make it “Authentic”. I’m not going there, either.
That 2-6-6-2 It’s such a cute little guy the way it is–and I really don’t want to attack it with a rebuild. I’ll just think about the Rio Grande lettering. Maybe I’ll just leave it with the Salt Lake Shops having stripped the C&O lettering, but having forgotten to repaint it before sending it out onto mine runs. Hey, it happened!
Tom [}:)]
Isambard: To my knowlege, the Bachmann 2-6-6-2 is based on the USRA WW1 C&O/NKP/W&LE 2-6-6-2 design, which was common among those three railroads. It pretty much depends on whether the model has the twin pumps on the boiler front (C&O) or the single pump on the right hand side (facing the front). It’s definitely NOT a Rio Grande, GN, NP or Western Pacific prototype, since the cylinders are simple, not Compound, and the 2-6-6-2’s for those railroads mostly pre-dated the USRA design. But it’s a little charmer of a loco, and very much worth running if you have mine or coal traffic on your MR.
It would work on any layout from the 1920’s to the early 1950’s. These locos were fairly long-lived because of their versatility.
Tom
Tom: The photos on the Micro-Mark site show the loco with pumps on both sides of the smoke box front. The front set of cylinders look considerably larger than the rear, so it looks like a compound to me. Both sets have cylinder valves.
One of my favorite pictures in Morris Cafky’s book on the Midland is of a Class 115 2-8-0 at Wild Horse, taken just after it had been renumbered to avoid confusion with the CS&CCD locomotives that the Midland was usin
The “Flying Pumps” mounted on the front is a sure sign of a C&O. The low mounted headlight is another common sign of a C&O train. They became a signature trademark of their steam train’s design.
However to be a true C&O the tender has to be a Vanderbuilt with a round horizontal tank like structure behind the coal.
So what we have here is a hybrid. LUCKILY, Bachman still sells the C&O Vandy tender seprately both lettered and unlettered if you so desire. HOWEVER, the decoder fit is “tight” in these type tenders. The circuit board is mounted UNDER the coal load and the rounded corners of the water tender, leave little room for a decoder.
I think the smallest decoder out there with BEMF, and silent running is the Lenz Silver series (hence why I like to recommend them). But I’m sure there’s one or two from digitrax that will fit just fine. I have managed to shove a Tsunami in mine, but it required me to remove the circuit board from the top of the bunker. (There’s a single screw that holds it in place)
With their small drivers, 2-6-6-2’s were good for freight and ore/coal service. The 2-6-6-2’s were phased out after WWII in favor of Berks 2-8-4, USRA Heavy 4-8-2, Texas T-1 2-10-4, and H7 (2-8-8-2 simple articulated…a miserable disaster) and the strongest bad boy of them all, the H8 2-6-6-6 producing 7000HP at speed.
For more information please see www.cohs.org. They have a year ordered roster of the train class and numbers.
I think I’ve found the answer, by comparing the photos on the Micro-Mark site with those in MR’s Cyclopedia- Vol 1 Steam Locomotives, edited by Linn Wescott. The Spectrum 2-6-6-2 appears to be based on the ten Class H6 1949 models produced for C&O by Baldwin - compound, with rectangular tenders.
One of these will be entering Grizzly Northern service soon - overtaking the road’s USRA 2-10-2 Santa Fe type in tractive effort, length and weight - looks as if there’ll be a need to beef up the rail weight an
[quote user=“Isambard”]
I think I’ve found the answer, by comparing the photos on the Micro-Mark site with those in MR’s Cyclopedia- Vol 1 Steam Locomotives, edited by Linn Wescott. The Spectrum 2-6-6-2 appears to be based on the ten Class H6 1949 models produced for C&O by Baldwin - compound, with rectangular tenders.
One of these will be entering Grizzly Northern service soon - overtaking the road’s USRA 2-10-2 Santa Fe type in tractive effort, length and weight - looks as if there’ll be a need to bee
Any links or PIC of the 2-6-6-2?
Cuda Ken
I did a 15 second video of mine Double click on the picture titled Tsunami Sound
http://s132.photobucket.com/albums/q4/TerryinTexas/?sc=1&addtype=local
I’ll post a better picture in this weeks Photo fun
The Tsunami Sound Decoder fits nice with room for a 1.1 inch speaker in the coal bunker
[quote user=“Isambard”]
I think I’ve found the answer, by comparing the photos on the Micro-Mark site with those in MR’s Cyclopedia- Vol 1 Steam Locomotives, edited by Linn Wescott. The Spectrum 2-6-6-2 appears to be based on the ten Class H6 1949 models produced for C&O by Baldwin - compound, with rectangular tenders.
One of these will be entering Grizzly Northern service soon - overtaking the road’s USRA 2-10-2 Santa Fe type in tractive effort, length and weight - looks as if there’ll be a need to bee
Mine arrived from Micro-Mark in great shape and time.
Runs Great.
But the tender will not stay on the track.
Am using the last hole in the drawbar. 22r. track, plenty of slack with the wires.
I think the front truck needs to be removed and the hole needs to be reamed.
As soon as my arthritic hands loosen up I will work on it.
That’s why I prefer On30, easier too see and work on.
[quote user=“twhite”]
[quote user=“Isambard”]
I think I’ve found the answer, by comparing the photos on the Micro-Mark site with those in MR’s Cyclopedia- Vol 1 Steam Locomotives, edited by Linn Wescott. The Spectrum 2-6-6-2 appears to be based on the ten Class H6 1949 models produced for C&O by Baldwin - compound, with rectangular tenders.
One of these will be entering Grizzly Northern service soon - overtaking the road’s USRA 2-10-2 Santa Fe type in tractive effort, length and weight - looks as if there
If you are going to get one from Micro-Mark, you had better hurry. I called this morning to get another to add to my roster and they had 2 left in stock. Well when I hung up there was only one in stock…[;)][:D]
The one I already have is indeed a sweet running and beautifully detailed loco. It is also a great puller pulling 20 40’ boxcars up a 2.5% grade with no modifications. I really didn’t want to spend money on more locos right now but this deal was too good to pass up!
Actually i just tell every one mine is an H-5 because they used the box style tender
and it’s very hard to tell the difference between the H-5 and H-6 other than
In fact, Canadian Forest Products, Ltd., at Wass on Vancouver Island used a 2-6-6-2, #111 originally built for Weyerhauser of Longview, WA. It was a simple articulated made by Baldwin, and was in use until well into the 50’s, perhaps beyond…my source doc does not say.
-Crandell