Model Railroading > HO Max Gray 1898 2-8-2

Hello,
   Does anyone know if there is a specific prototype for the Max Gray "1898 Mikado" 2-8-2?  

   These are fairly small locomotives, having a tiny/short coal tender.  16 of them were stolen in 1963 from Max Gray - as far as I know never to be found.  Have no idea what the run was (in terms of numbers).   

Thanks for any insight! 

The best answer I have is "sort of".

First off, attached is a photo of one of the subject models, the late C.G. Heimerdinger Jr. modified and painted it patterned after the McCloud River #15 but for his private road so it is not original configuration. 

The models are closest to the first Mikados ever built, by Baldwin for Japanese customers in 1897, which is from where the Mikado name the Whyte system tagged to 2-8-2 originated.  The second photo attached is from some Baldwin magazine issue featuring those first Japanese Mikados, I don't remember the exact year but it predated the second World War when 2-8-2s generally got called "MacArthur" types.  

The one domestic Baldwin Mikado that comes closest to the Max Gray model is the c/n 24134, built in 1904 as Woodward Iron Company #14 in Birmingham, Alabama.  It worked later for Mid-Contenent Petroleum Company in West Tulsa, Oklahoma, before being sold around 1920 to the Mississippi Southern Railroad/Edward Hines Yellow Pine Trustees.  In 1929 Hines shipped the locomotive west to their new Oregon venture, while en route it got a new boiler with superheat upgrades, a feedwater heater, and other improvements at the Union Pacific shops in Pocatello, Idaho.  Hines put it to work as the Oregon & Northwestern Railroad #27, and it served them well until scrapped in January 1946. 

To be continued.  

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In looking at the pictures of the model as compared to the ones on the BrassTrains.com website I'm pretty confident that Charles swapped the original tender from the model for something else, as the original tender appears to be pretty close to the short length as shown in the photo of the Japanese Mikado.  Also interesting to note the Brass Trains dot com Brass Guide does not include any information about how many of these Max Gray imported.  

Anyway, the next 90-ton Mikados Baldwin built for at least the domestic market after the Woodward Iron 14 were the pair completed in 1907 for the McCloud River Railroad, c/n 30850 and 30851.  These ones pretty much set the fairly standard size and proportions for the rest of the 90-ton Mikados that followed, though most built after the middle 1910s were factory equipped with superheat and piston valves.

Thanks for looking, and hope this helps!

Jeff Moore
Elko, NV

 

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Lastly, here are three random pics of some later Baldwin 90-ton Mikados for comparrison, starting off with McCloud River #18 (built 1914) as it appeared in August 1937; Apache Railway #300 (built 1919); and the Hammond Lumber Company #15 (built 1916).

Jeff Moore
Elko, NV

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The photo of M C R  R R 15 appears to have a smaller trailing truck after the 'normal' trailing truck.  I'm puzzled by this.  Does this become a 2-8-2-2?
jb

You’re seeing the trailing truck of a second steam locomotive on the track behind the 15. Probably one of McCloud’s smaller 2-6-2s.

I was going to add I’ve always thought the 90-ton logging Mikado is a large hole in the HO scale steam market. The Max Gray model is the about the closest available, but it’s really only representative of the very earliest ones built and seem to be really scarce and expensive. There have been several nicely done Mikados in the 70-ton range, all in brass. Would be nice to see someone make the 90-ton “Mike”.

Jeff Moore
Elko, NV

Posted from iPhone

Thanks for the explanation Jeff.  The hidden unit is really camouflaged well.
jb

Wow!  Thanks for the information and photos!   

I have one and was trying to nail it down - it has the original (very small!) tender.  It's in a Max Gray SP 4-10-2 box - and looks tiny in the foam !   

It was painted and lettered "SOUTHERN"  #10.  After some "research" (asking smoeone who knows more) I did find it wasan overscale model of the original Japanese service Mikado.  

But, it appeals to me as a logging Mike.  I've come across "a few" older brass locomotives (and cars, trolleys, etc.).  I'm attempting to piece together information on them.  

I never did hear what happened to the "missing" models that Max Gray reported being stolen.  I guess porch pirates aren't all that new of a phenomona.  

(I forgot to check the email box, so thought nothing had ocme of the inquiry, delaying my resposne)

You're welcome!

I'm intrigued by the models introduced in that era based on Japanese prototypes.  Ken Kidder had a couple, including the "Plantation" 0-4-0T and his small 2-6-2T. 

Jeff Moore
Elko, NV