PROTOTYPE-
The 2-6-0 was intended to replace the 4-4-0, as it had more pulling power and more speed. It wasn’t as successful as it could’ve been, mainly because the 2-8-0 came out shortly after. 2-6-0s, commonly called Moguls, were general purpose engines suitable for both freight and passenger service, but were more common on freight trains. Some survived on branch lines until the 1950s.
THE MODEL-
Detail- Mine is lettered for AT&SF, I do not know if the number is correct, but I will eventually re-letter it as CGW #16. I believe the prototype for all IHC moguls is a SP engine.
This engine is more detailed than other IHC steamers. Specifically, there are more pipes and hoses on the boiler, and it is a very nice looking little engine. There is some detail inside the cab, it’s nothing special, but it does add a nice touch. The Tender is about average for IHC, which isn’t too bad.
Performance- This engine runs surprisingly good for having no flywheel. The drive is simple- motor with a worm gear which runs the gear on the middle driving axle. The others are driven thru the side rods.
The front has a dummy coupler, and it would be a task to replace it with an operating one. There is a horn hook coupler on the tender.
It has electrical pickup from the drivers, and from the tender- there are wires running from the tender to the engine (similar to a Spectrum). It has good electrical pickup, as compared to my IHC 4-6-2, which doesn't have pickup form the tender (it does, but it's for the rear light only). The tender is connected to the engine with a drawbar, which has a screw that holds it to the engine and one that holds it to the tender. I really like this design because the tender is semi-permanently attacted, as opposed to the IHC 4-6-2, were the tender drawbar has a hole in it that slips under a pin on the engine.
The headlight has a nice yellowish glow, and it plenty bright.
It runs and looks nice on 18" curves, and IHC says it'll run on 15" curves.
The engine does have some running noise, but it’s as quiet as my Atlas (Master Series) GP40. The engine will run steady at 10 Scale MPH. Top speed at 20V DC is 147 SMPH. It will pull 3-4 (non-free rolling) Tyco freight cars up a 0.4% grade, if you slow down you can avoid wheel slip. I could pull 4 cars upgrade about about 15 SMPH. I remember from Darth Santa Fe's review of this engine, that it pulled about 11 free rolling cars, which seems about right.
Overall length is roughly 10" and the engine could be turned on a 8 7/8" turntable.
Overall, I would say this is a good little engine. It runs well, is very affordable, and has better detailing than some of the other IHC steamers. (my 4-6-2 comes to mind).
It would be a great engine to work the branchline, yard, or local freight on your steam-era layout.
Nice review!
Something you do in your reviews that I haven't done in mine is give a little prototype information, which is a nice addition.
They are pretty well detailed for being IHC, mainly because the shell was formerly made by Pemco, who tried to combine good detail with a poor quality mechanism, and ended up going out of business.
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I always like adding some prototype info, just like the reviews in MR.
They are well-detailed for IHC, and I do remember something about the shell being Pemco.
Now, I didn't buy mine from IHC, but here's a link to them
http://www.ihc-hobby.com/cgi-bin/bsc.cgi?sn=894856838R58950I1V6R1SS0890580
DSF, would you like to post a link for your review of this engine?
dingoix wrote: DSF, would you like to post a link for your review of this engine?
http://www.trains.com/trccs/forums/549465/ShowPost.aspx
I didn't have the speed calculator when I wrote this, so I guessed the speed was about 100 scale MPH. It's actually about 75.
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Building the CPR Kootenay division in N scale, blog here: http://kootenaymodelrailway.wordpress.com/
dingoix wrote:That's interesting cause with my MRC Tech 4 260, which puts out 20V to the track, the engine hits a very fast 147 SMPH.
I test all my engines at 12 volts, so that's probably why mine was so much slower. I believe 12 volts is the recommended maximum voltage for HO and N scale trains, so that's why I test everything at that voltage.
I'm glad that y'all enjoyed the review
I'd also like to note that I was switching the yard with the 2-6-0 tonight and it can move about 5 Tyco cars while switching (on relatively flat track), but it just slips getting them rolling.
upcoming reviews-
Stewart F3
Atlas Master Series GP40
Atlas U33C
and, when it comes out in September, the new Atlas S1
Cheers
Roger T.
Home of the late Great Eastern Railway see: - http://www.greateasternrailway.com
For more photos of the late GER see: - http://s94.photobucket.com/albums/l99/rogertra/Great_Eastern/
I think the motor is isolated from the frame, so it shouldn't be too bad and I know theres room in the tender for speakers and a decoder.
The days of pizza cutter wheels on IHC are gone. But, I don't know if this will run on code 70.
West Coast S wrote:The Pemco Mogul was indeed based upon a SP prototype, which specific class is open to debate among the modeling community. To my eye, the overall demensions are good enough that I keep one around to guide me in scratchbuilding S scale versions!!! Though visually unique to the SP (SP rebuilt and reboilered the whole fleet around 1913, giving them that destinctive Harriman look). The IHC would would make a great stand in regardless of road... Dave
The IHC 2-6-0 is a pretty decent locomotive, and even though it's based on an SP prototype, as noted, it's versatile enough to be used on almost any road. I altered mine a bit to more closely ressemble another Mogul that I already had in service, an ex-Boston & Maine loco from PFM. The most noticeable change was to the tender. A few "company" details and a new paint job for my free-lanced Grand Valley completed the makeover.
Here's the PFM loco: nothing much in the way of changes, a new headlight and numberboards, modified handrails, and window awnings (to hide the model's arched window tops), plus a new paint job. She's also been remotored.
Wayne
ereimer wrote:any comments on how easy/hard it would be to convert this 2-6-0 to DCC , preferably with sound ?
James, Brisbane Australia
Modelling AT&SF in the 90s