I recently purchased a collection, and with it came an old bachman Mikado, I’m guessing from the 60’s or 70’s (it was labeled with Bachman/Hong Kong). The colours and markings are indicative of UP, but the engine looks more like an anthracite road engine (Arched cab windows, Wooten firebox and huge boiler.) The are the numbers 2528 on the cab side, and I’m suspecting the Vandy Tender with UP lettering that came separately had originally come been it’s mate. The shell is worn and missing a cab roof and if the mechanism was at all salvagable I was going to use it for fodder for building another locomotive, but I also wanted to find out if there was anyone out there who might know more about it. I would have attached a photo but cannot find anyway this forum editor will allow images.
TX Alfred
Al - The Bachmann “Mikado” was actually their Reading I-10sa consolidation, just with a set of trailing wheels added. I expect that nothing quite like it ever rode the rails and certainly it didn’t operate on the UP! Unfortunately, this engine was the only modestly-price HO locomotive with a Wooten firebox and rearmounted cab that’s been offered in decades, so has been the basis for many conversions/kitbashes. Bowser offers/offered a conversion kit for the mechanism since most examples of this engine ran very poorly. The dies for the shell reportedly were broken around 15 years ago and the engine went out of production. Produced in great numbers, it surfaces on eBay regularly in various paint schemes and can occasionally still be found in hobby shops.
CNJ831