These are on sale at Walthers, in the September flyer. I’ve been thinking of picking one up to augment my steam fleet. Does anyone have any experience with these?
How well do they run?
How is the detail on the engine?
Will they handle 18-inch radius HO curves?
Finally, what is the proper pronunciation of “Mikado?” I’ve always used the Gilbert and Sullivan version, Mi-KA-do. But I’ve been told the American railroad engines are called MIK-a-do. Any takers?
They are solid, generic engines that should give good service. Their valve gear is simplistic and doesn’t compare favourably with Spectrum, Athearn, BLI and P2K Heritage drivelines.
You can always add details and kitbash them. But I had an IHC Mikado that ran very well, including on 18" curves, until I let it drop from my spline roadbed while testing it. I thought I had safe track, but…[:I]
Edit (added) - Sorry, to address your last question, it is Mi(ck) KAAHH dough.
-Crandell
They run very smoothly while making almost no noise at all, and they have a realistic speed range. They’re the best you can get without going to one of the really high-end brands (like BLI, P2K, or Spectrum).
The Mikado/Pacific body has been around for over 30 years now, so the detail’s very average. The plastic is soft and easy to work with, so it’s possible to add some good quality details without much trouble.
They can go around 18" curves as easily as an 0-4-0.[:D]
I’ve always said it like Mi-kah-doe. But then, I’ve always been pretty good about saying some words exactly wrong (how do you pronounce Mantua? Man-to-uh?).
I’ve always shied away from the IHC products. I have one (a gift), a GE U25B, which runs OK, but it’s loud and not very smooth.
Now, you want a pronunciation drill? The Norwegian company Thule, which makes luggage carriers and racks, has three different pronunciations on their own website! Thool, two-lee, and thoo-leh.
For Mikado – MIK-ah-do is the one I’ve generally heard… but I’m helping to restore one for the Valley Railroad Company… and we generally just call it a “Mike”.
IHC steamers are in a different league to the diesels, so I would not let a bad experience with one of them put you off the steam line. Others have summarized the steamers just fine. The run very smoothly, with modest detail. IMO the current list prices for these fine little locos is over the top. In years past, they could be picked up at great discounts, even right off the IHC web site. If you can get a good deal on one, go for it.
I’ve been there. Thule, that is. It’s an airforce base and radar installation way up north of the Arctic Circle. Those who go there call it too-lee. From the radar instalation, you can look across a narrow body of water, the head of a long bay, and see 3 separate glaciers calving off icebergs. According to ocean current studies, it’s likely that the iceberg which sunk the Titanic came from there.
Thanks for the info on these. I can end up with a serviceable steamer for a good price by adding a decoder.
Something else I forgot to ask:
Is there power pickup from the tender? It would be a lot easier to add sound in that case. Any reason I couldn’t put a speaker in there?
As I recall, they do. There is not much in there other than a lamp for the back of the tender, but it does get its power from the tender pickups.
I just checked my old tender and it does have the pickups on each truck.
-Crandell
Not to sound like a train snob but I did have quite a few IHC engines and they can best be described as train set quality. Their detailing leaves a lot to be desired and they all had very poor low speed performance. The only reason I still have their 2-10-2 Santa Fe steam locomotives is for test purposes. It without question is the most finicky locomotive I have so if it runs across a turnout etc. without problems everything else will.
I purchased my first Proto H2K that was on sale at Arney Trains in Calif. someone posted pics of the one he bought here and it was a fantastic looking locomotive and it was on their sale table for $65. I should look him up and thank him, I called them from work the next day and purchased the remaining 3 he had left. I had gawked at the at my LHS for quite a while but there was no way I could have afforded the retail price so I jumped at the chance to buy 3 for the price of 1. That spoiled me from there on out. I started selling off my engine roster of less expensive ( i hate the word cheap) loco’s and opted to have fewer in numbers in exchange for better quality.
If you have nothing better to do I guess you could purchase an IHC locomotive and add all the details etc. to have a pretty decent looking model ( by looking at your pics that should be a cake walk for you)
But you’ll still have a lesser quality running engine in the end.
I have one that I need to get rid of. This unit was purchased at a train show and has never ran right. It binds and is real jerky at best. It has a cracked smokestack and the lights are really dim.
Mikado is pronounced MA-KAAD-O after the rulers of early Japan[:)]
My wife got me one for Christmas a few years ago and I’m happy with it. It just begs to be detailed out though. They don’t compare to any of the PK2 steam loco’s I have but with a little work it could.
They look much better now that they are available with blackened RP25 wheels. The tooling started life 30 years ago as the AHM Light Pacific, which had molded-on handrails.
I have 3 IHC locomotives: A Mikado, a 2-10-2 Santa Fe, and a 0-8-0 switcher. They all run really well, 18" curves aren’t a problem (I even tried them on a 15" curve a few times and they went through without a hitch) and the detailing is decent for the price. I wouldn’t mind snagging a 4-6-4 one of these day if one of the local shops ever stocks them again.
Not bad, as the street price will be a quarter of a PK2,
I have a couple of IHC engines and while the earlier models may be light on detail that certainly is not the case of their latest the 2-10-2. The detail on that engine is as good as the competition.
The IHC engines are certainly decent runners. Can be upgraded with DCC and sound easily.
The question is that the IHC’s main manufacturer, Mehano is in bankruptcy and it is uncertain if these engines will be manufactured again.
Does anyone have a scan/copy of the parts diagram/instructions that came with the IHC Mikado? I’ve either lost or misplaced the one that I had.
While I don’t have an IHC Mikado, I do have the 2-10-2, 4-6-2 & a 2-6-0, all from IHC. I have had no problems with any of them & would recommend getting one.
Yes they arn’t the most detailed of locomotives but you’re also not paying through the nose for it either.
Gordon
I snagged a 2-8-2 Mikado Nov 18 2008 at Chinook hobby , not sure if they would have a 4-6-4 or any 2-8-2 's remaining?
Walthers is basically out of these, and they don’t list a date for re-stocking. Thanks for all the inputs, but I guess I waited a bit too long.