Does anyone know what type of valve gear was equiped on original USRA Mikados when delivered? Did it vary from railroad to railroad or was it all 1 type.
From what I have read, both the 'Light' and ''Heavy' version of the USRA Mikado was built with Walscharts valve gear. Of course, what was supplied on 'copies' built after WWi may have been different.
Here is some good information:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USRA_Heavy_Mikado
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USRA_Light_Mikado
Jim
Modeling BNSF and Milwaukee Road in SW Wisconsin
Thank you. Further question. The new Bachmann 2-8-2, does that look like Walschaerts or Baker Valve gear?
http://www.bachmannindustriesinc.com/pdf/NMRA_2014.pdf
It appears to be Walschaerts, although with the tiny picture it is hard to tell.
Mr. Bernier is correct. Walschaerts' was supplied on every USRA light or heavy 2-8-2, AFAIK. Postwar copies were known to carry Baker (NKP RR, for example, as well as my "namesake" road, AC&Y). Copies on the Seaboard, Gulf Mobile & Ohio, Florida East Coast, and perhaps others, also had Baker. I don't know whether any roads refitted their Walschaerts'-equipped 2-8-2's with other kinds of valve gear. The story gets a bit more complicated if you start to look at other USRA loco designs.
Yeah i saw somewhere that the USRA 2-10-2s (not sure which light, heavy or both) were equiped with Southern Valve gear. Trying to figure out if the Loco matches the MEC prototype 2-8-2s (6 of which were USRA originals; interstingly enough, they didnt pick any of those to be the one that was released). The one they chose (617) doesnt appear here, but sister locomotive 616 appears ot have Walschaerts Valve gear, unless I am misidentifying it: https://sites.google.com/site/mainecentralrailroad/home/2-6-0-type/2-8-0-type/2-8-2-type
Above site is an excellent resource for all things new england steam.
Very strange that Bachmann would choose to letter their model for number 617, when MEC's six USRA light 2-8-2's were actually numbered 621 through 626. MEC's home-designed 2-8-2's appear to be very siimilar to the USRA light Mike's general dimensions and proportions, but with some obvious differences.
The sandbox appears to be larger on the MEC-originated engines. It was placed farther to the rear on MEC 601-603, and farther forward on 604-620 and 627-632. The Walschaerts' valve gear used a smaller hanger on MEC's design, and MEC used a Cole trailing truck instead of the USRA's Hodges. Delta trailing trucks werre used on some of the very last of the non-USRA engines. USRA numbers 621-626 don't appear to have used feedwater heaters, but some of the MEC-originated ones did use Worthington BL or Coffin feedwater heaters. In addition, the cabs and tenders were very different.
Since the the basic running gear and boiler proportions are about the same, it looks like the USRA light could be used as the basis of a conversion, but it would likely involve a lot of work. It would seem that renumbering the basic USRA engine to the 621-626 series would be the best approach.
Yes, my Wabash diagram for the K-2 Class (also in my "Railroading on the Wabash Fourth District" book with other diagrams) shows Walscharet.
Victor A. Baird
http://www.erstwhilepublications.com/
I dont think I will pre-order this thing. Unless someone can say that the concept art actually shows Walschaert Valve gear. I really dont want to do a Valve gear conversion. Interestingly does the picture(from the link I provided earlier) of MEC 631 show Baker Valve gear?
BMMECNYC I dont think I will pre-order this thing. Unless someone can say that the concept art actually shows Walschaert Valve gear. I really dont want to do a Valve gear conversion. Interestingly does the picture(from the link I provided earlier) of MEC 631 show Baker Valve gear?
Yes.
Ed
So I'm covered either way, sort of. At least I wont have to make my own valve gear for this locomotive if I buy one. Thanks for the info.
Baker and Walschaerts' gear could be fitted into two different types of frame. The long frame usually looked like a long horizontal bar on Walschaerts' gear, or a unique, very elomgated "S" shape for Baker. The former is exemplified by the arrangement on stock USRA Mikados, and the latter is exemplified on stock USRA Pacifics. The BLI/Paragon models of these engines carry these types. Baker and Walschaerts' gear could also be fitted into a small triangular or pie-shaped hanger. The Walschaerts' version is displayed on BLI's PRR I1sa Decapod. The Baker version is displayed on Bachmann's NKP/C&O/P.M. Berkshire, or the P2K 0-8-0.
MEC's pre-USRA 2-8-2's (601-620) all appear to have had the short frame Walschaerts' gear. The road's USRA light Mikes (621-626) had the long frame Walschaerts' gear. The post-USRA engines (627-632) appear to have had Baker in the short frame, although I haven't been able to get access to photos that show this conclusively.
I would conclude that the forthcoming Bachmann engine will have the USRA long-frame Walschaerts' arrangement, and the model should be correct for no's 621-626 only, unless some mods are made to the valve gear and several other details. If I were doing it, I'd be partial to USRA no. 623 because of that fascinating prow pilot, although it might wreak havoc with an uncoupling pin.
Tom