Well, I like Mountain types, especially the USRA Heavy and its clones/rebuilds, and those built by the B&O.
Second might well be the Detroit Toledo & Ironton 800 series Mikado, which does look very much like a C&O or NKP 2-8-4, just a little smaller.
Both are locos I have chosen to model on my ATLANTIC CENTRAL.
Third I would pick the B&O P7 Pacific.
Sheldon
That 2-8-2 does look like a Berk just lower and maybe better
What model is that Mikado ?
That model was a Berkshire, the trailing truck has been replaced with a brass one with a booster from PSC.
The model is the Bachmann NKP/PM version.
After doing much research on the DT&I 800, all the Lima super power Berks, and a number of the heaviest Mikados, it turns out that the NKP/PM Berks could just have easily been Mikados on a road with heavy trackage that could stand a little higher axle load.
Roads like the C&O, PRR and others could have easily handled such a loco. The GN O-8 Mikados had as much power, larger fireboxes and much higher axle loadings than the NKP/PM or C&O 2-8-4’s. And, they had 69" drivers just like those 2-8-4’s.
The DT&I 800 series Mikes look like the Berks, because they where designed and built at the same time Lima was building those Berks, and DT&I did not want the larger drivers or heavier loco. The DT&I 800’s were in fact, super power Mikados, little baby brothers to the Berks with all the same features and refinements less the larger drivers and firebox, and the same looks, outside bearing lead truck, same boiler profile, same tender design, similar domes and placements, same feadwater heater, same valve gear, etc.
http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/dti/dti-s800.jpg
http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/dti/dti-s804lba.jpg
So, on my freelanced ATLANTIC CENTRAL, we did order such a Mikado from Lima. Just like a NKP Berk but with a single axle booster trailing truck, placing more weight on the drivers and increasing TE even more. I am in the process of building four of them. There will be two pairs with slight differences to repres
I’d say the individual who chose the Rio Grande M-64 4-8-4 has impeccable taste! For me, too, it is the ultimate, most beautiful 4-8-4.
I find the huge sand domes and some other appurtenances on the big Lima Berk and Texas Types to be a visual put off.
My choices:
DRGW M-64 4-8-4
UP 4-12-2
DRGW M-78 4-8-2
SP 4-10-2
UP rebuilt 4-10-2 5500 class
In my opinion, any of those 5 engines epitomizes what I consider to be the “classic look” of steam power–some exposed piping, but not too many external appurtenances as to look like a rolling plumber’s nightmare–and overall good, clean proportions. I love the big non-articulated steamers.
John
my definition of a plumber’s or pipefitter’s nightmare: WP 251-class and 257-class 2-8-8-2’s
The beautiful green Southern Railway Ps-4 Pacific 4-6-2, specifically road number 1401. From late 1920’s to early 1950’s, the epitome of steam passenger power without the shrouding of streamlining.
In no particular order
C&O Texas class /Pennsy J1
UP FEF-3
And the NYC Niagra’s
On that converted Berk
It seems lower because there isn’t much daylight between the boiler and the frame ?
UncBob, it must just be the lighting or the angle of the photo, because that part of the model is all stock.
All I did was add weight, cut off the drawbar post at the back of the frame, make a new drawbar that pivots from the orginal trailing truck mount, assembled and installed the brass trailing truck which is attached to the new drawbar, removed the DCC decoder from the tender and added weight to the tender.
A few more details will be done before I paint it. I will add some missing hand rails and a cab/tender deck plate.
Sheldon
Uncle John’s 5001/5011 2-10-4s hands down.
The best looking Northerns/Niagaras/Greenbriars/Poconos/whatevers were Rock Island’s R-67Bs followed by MoPac’s rebuilt Berkshires followed closely behind that by Northwestern’s post-WWII Class H-1 rebuilds. One cannot, of course, slight Northern Pacific’s A-4/A-5 Classes.
I just checked out a pic of that DT&I Mikado and except for the rear of the cab it could pass for a Nickle plate Berk
My two favorites are
Milwaukee Road S2 4-8-4
Chicago Burlington & Quincy O5B 4-8-4
John:
That was me, and thank you. As to the Rio Grande M-78, were you thinking of the Alco 4-8-2’s with the ‘booster’ trailing truck? Even though they had the main rod connected to the 3rd instead of the 2nd main driver, they were extremely well-balanced and even with only 63" drivers, they could really get up and move when they wanted to. And I like their clean lines, very much.
Here’s a shot of one of my three: She’s a Custom Brass model, and it took a little work to get her running well, but she does a very nice job on the layout.
Tom [:)]
Hi Tom–
I’m not personally real fond of boosters located anywhere.
However, many years ago RMC had a nicely weathered Custom Brass DRGW M-78 on the cover, and I have wanted one ever since!
Never got one; never even saw one that was painted (I live in PA), and now I have a family with small children, so MTH is about as rich as I can get (couldn’t afford to have a fine paint and lighting job done on a brass M-78 by one of the painters I find acceptable).
I once bought a mint PFM Crown DRGW M-75 4-8-2–and it had never been run, so with the open frame motor, it growled quite a bit. Once I found out they exaggerated the boiler by 10% to make the engine more “impressive” in HO, well, between that and the open frame motor I sold it. One of the very few engines I ever made an immediate turn-around profit on…
Should’ve kept it and just ran it in and used it. They were built to last. I also miss a Westside SP 4-10-2…
The M-75 is also a very well-proportioned 4-8-2.
Best Regards–
John
I like smaller, older steam. In particular, I like the CB&Q 2-6-2 Prairie type.
Here is a pic of the Lackawanna Pocono
Nice clean lines without a lot of extra piping etc
Southern’s 4-6-2 Ps-4
Southern’s 2-8-2 Ms-4
L&N 2-8-4 Big Emma.