This review is on IHC’s HO scale 2-8-2 Mikado.[:D]
Before I start, I’ll let you know that my 2-8-2 has had some detail added and some detailed paint. Here’s a picture of a stock 2-8-2 from IHC’s website:
The 2-8-2 has most of the basic details you’ll find on a real one, but they only use one shell for all the railroads. The extra paint I did brings out some of the molded on pipe detail around the firebox, which wasn’t too noticable before. The rails are unpainted, unblackened nickle-silver, and stand out quite a bit, kind of like the rails on the old AHM/Rivarossi steam engines. The small rail on the front of the smokebox is molded on, so I added a seperate one using Bowser brass stanchions and magnet wire, and it turned out pretty nice too![:D] The bell is solid brass, but it’s also over-sized and in the wrong location. I filled the old mounting hole and glued a Bowser brass bell to the front where it should be. The original gray paint was pretty fuzzy around the edges, and only went down the smokebox half-way. All the paint is nice and smooth, and the lettering is done very nicely. The front coupler is a dummy and is also over-sized, so I replaced it with a left-over dummy coupler from an Accurail kit. The rear coupler is an IHC Magic-Mate universal coupler, which couples to any horn-hook or knuckle coupler, but doesn’t un-couple very well. The cab is filled with weight and the back of the motor, so there’s no room for cab details.
Usually, I take a picture of an engines drive system when I get this far, but it’s such a pain removing this engine’s shell and getting it back on that I just did the tender instead.[:D] The 2-8-2 ran very smoothly through its entire speed range, and was nearly silent. I
Nice review, thatnk you for the excellent description. I know of another forum member who is really ticked off at his Bachmann and was going to order an IHC, so he will love to hear this.
I was looking at some IHC locomotives until I noticed the big flanges on their steamers. I read a post in another forum where a guy had trouble running his IHC steamer on code 83 track.
The newer Premier IHCs have smaller flanges(RP25?) and improved can motor. They will run on code 83 with no problems. My IHCs may lack detail and tend to be more generic, but run much better than any of my Bachmans.
Chip, great review on the2-8-2.
Bob K.
I agree these are fine locomotives and a great value. DCC conversion is reasonably easy as the motor sits in a plastic mount and is fully isolated. I used a TCS MC2 small decoder and it fits on top of the motor inside the shell with no mods needed. A second unit has a Soundtraxx installation in the tender. The tendershell even has a cut out at the base to run the wires to the locomotive, so you don’t even have to modify the shell. You do need to drill holes in the floor of the tender for the sound to escape. The hardest part of the DCC installation in this model is getting the headlight in the correct position. I swapped the bulb out for an LED and had a bit of trouble getting it positioned well at the same time as getting the large weight back inside the smoke box correctly to insert the shell screw. Its one of those deals where you need 4 hands and fingers the width of chop sticks! This review is applicable to any of the IHC Hudsons, Mikados, Consolidations, Pacifics and Mountains as they are all constructed the same, share the same level of detail and have the same drive mechanism and in many cases the same tender.
[quote]
QUOTE: Originally posted by Darth Santa Fe
This review is on IHC’s HO scale 2-8-2 Mikado.[:D]
Before I start, I’ll let you know that my 2-8-2 has had some detail added and some detailed paint. Here’s a picture of a stock 2-8-2 from IHC’s website:
The 2-8-2 has most of the basic details you’ll find on a real one, but they only use one shell for all the railroads. The extra paint I did brings out some of the molded on pipe detail around the firebox, which wasn’t too noticable before. The rails are unpainted, unblackened nickle-silver, and stand out quite a bit, kind of like the rails on the old AHM/Rivarossi steam engines. The small rail on the front of the smokebox is molded on, so I added a seperate one using Bowser brass stanchions and magnet wire, and it turned out pretty nice too![:D] The bell is solid brass, but it’s also over-sized and in the wrong location. I filled the old mounting hole and glued a Bowser brass bell to the front where it should be. The original gray paint was pretty fuzzy around the edges, and only went down the smokebox half-way. All the paint is nice and smooth, and the lettering is done very nicely. The front coupler is a dummy and is also over-sized, so I replaced it with a left-over dummy coupler from an Accurail kit. The rear coupler is an IHC Magic-Mate universal coupler, which couples to any horn-hook or knuckle coupler, but doesn’t un-couple very well. The cab is filled with weight and the back of the motor, so there’s no room for cab details.
Usually, I take a picture of an engines drive system when I get this far, but it’s such a pain removing this engine’s shell and getting it back on that I just did the tender instead.[:D] The 2-8-2 ran v
The size of the flanges on new IHC steamers has been reduced a little for code 83, so this one shouldn’t have a problem.[:D]
Very smoothly.[:D]
The 2-10-2 and a few diesels have RP-25 flanges, but most of the others have 0.035" flanges. The can motor has a 3-pole skewed armature, but runs as well as any 5-pole motor.
Thought I should mention, Spacemouse is Chip. I’d rather not put my name out in the open with all the people going around the internet trying to give someone a bad day, so I’ve never mentioned it.
I know what you mean![:)] Then there’s also the part where you have to keep the brass part that holds the front of the boiler in the right place where it’s supposed to be, and you have to keep the wires away from the flywheel, and you have to make sure the light do
