Same as Fluff's top 5 4-8-4 thread.
Southern's Ms Class
Canadian National S-1-b Class
NKP (former LE&W) H6o Class
D&RGW K-28 Class
UP's MK-10 Class
- Luke
Modeling the Southern Pacific in the 1960's-1980's
These are my favorite Mikes:
EBT 16-18 (Piston valve engines)
Virginian MCA
B&O Q-4b
Magma Arizona (Texas State RR) 7
WP&Y 70-73
Roger Huber
PRR L1s they built 574 of them. Must have liked them to build so many.
Pete
I pray every day I break even, Cause I can really use the money!
I started with nothing and still have most of it left!
great northern had the largest, only one with 69 in. drivers
frisco 4200s next to the gn's loco's
missouri pacific
all i can think of
GN's may have been the largest 2-8-2s, but their 69" drivers were eclipsed by B&O's classes Q-4c and Q-4d, which had 70" drivers. They were built for speed, but maintained a respectable tractive effort exceeding 65000 lbs.
I've seen one reference to the 70" drivered Q4c and Q4d (B&O Power, Staufer), but not one photo in any B&O book I have or any other source I recall. Can anyone help out here? I'd like to see what they looked like!
In no particular order
The piston valve EBT mikes
CNJ's Mikes. One of the best looking rear cab Wooten firebox locomotives IMHO
Lehigh Valley's first Camelback Mikados
Reading's M1s Ugly as a mud fence, but had a very respectable record.
PRR's L1
I do like all the above, but would add the K-28 narrow gauge D&RGW and certainly the New York Central's last 2-8-2's before they bought the Berkshires. Very good looking locomotives, and about as modern as a 2-8-2 can be, built by Lima. Oh, of course, the Q's O-1! Favorite is of course the L-1 with a boiler and firebox similar to a K-4.
The 2-8-2 was so ubiquitous That a list of the top five is really hard to decide on. I feel that any list should include the USRA light and heavy types. These engines were handsome and versatile, had an excellent balance of qualities, wide route availability due to favorable axle loadings, and were duplicated and distributed for at least a decade after the initial batch was constructed in 1918. Oddly enough, you could say they were an iron horse designed by a committee that bore no resemblance to an "iron camel". I noticed that some commentators have included the Pennsy's L1 in their list. In the book "Set Up Running" the author's father, a PRR engineman of the old school, roundly critcized the L1 for it's inadequate cab, lack of a mechanical stoker and general dearth of modern appliances. It wasn't until later shoppings added these items to the original design that the L1 began to live up to expectations but it was never really popular on the Pennsy. When traffic turned down, L1s were the first engines to go into storage and the last to come out again when business improved. After the WWII traffic surge died down they were mostly relegated to flat secondary mainlines in the eastern regions and Midwest.
A couple of personal favorites that haven't been mentioned so far (though I realize that favorite and best are not the same...but how is best interpreted anyways?):
CB&Q O1a
D&RGW K-27 Mudhens.
-ChrisWest Chicago, ILChristopher May Fine Art Photography"In wisdom gathered over time I have found that every experience is a form of exploration." ~Ansel Adams
Well, I've got to "throw a curve ball" on this one, and submit the Illinois Central's 2100-2140 class. These were the heaviest of the 605 Mikes on the IC, and were "Paducah rebuilds", having been made from 2-10-2 chassis. Some lament those huge square sand domes on IC locomotives, but they project a real workmanlike image along with the front-deck mounted pumps. My Dad was a conductor on the IC (42 years of service when he retired). While he had the highest regard for the 2400 series 4-8-2's, it was the Mikes that saw a large percentage of the hard service every day. With the high demand of WWII, the IC Mikes carried a tremendous load that reflected well on their in-house beginnings.
Otherwise, I'd certainly add another vote for those EBT narrow gauge locomotives.
Bill
SOO and NP had some nice 2-8-2's - I kinda like the early NP ones with Stephenson valve gear. Interesting how both railroads used 2-8-2's as the mainstay of their mainline ore trains in Minnesota, while most railroads were using much larger engines.
Good looking Mike:
How about these;
CNR S4b : a somewhat different looking mike built in 1936 complete with Vandy tender.
or probably one of the last mikes built, CPR P2k's that were built as late as 1948.
CN Charlie
Here’s a couple shots of GN 2-8-2s:
http://www.yesteryeardepot.com/GN3378.JPG
http://www.yesteryeardepot.com/GN3142.JPG
In my opinion the 2-8-2 is the most beautiful steam locomotive...I'm somewhat partial to CN's S class but they all look great.
feltonhillI've seen one reference to the 70" drivered Q4c and Q4d (B&O Power, Staufer), but not one photo in any B&O book I have or any other source I recall. Can anyone help out here? I'd like to see what they looked like!
The book "Q - The Definitive History of The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad's Q Class Mikado Locomotives" by Barr and Barringer shows them to look like a slightly beefier version of the Q-3 design.
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