USRA Light Mikado
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The USRA Light Mikado was a USRA standard class of steam locomotive designed under the control of the United States Railroad Administration, the nationalized railroad system in the United States during World War I. This was the standard light freight locomotive of the USRA types, and was of 2-8-2 wheel arrangement in the Whyte notation, or 1′D1′ in UIC classification.
A total of 625 locomotives were built under the auspices of the USRA,[1] with a further 641 copies built after the end of the USRA's control. The first, for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, was completed in July 1918 and given #4500. The locomotives were considered well designed and modern, and were popular and successful. Large numbers remained in service until replaced by diesel locomotives. It was also called the McAdoo Mikado after William Gibbs McAdoo, head of the USRA.
With later copies, over 50 railroads used the type, including the following:
| Railroad | Quantity | Class | Road numbers | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baltimore and Ohio Railroad | | | | [3] |
| Chicago and Alton Railroad | | | | to Alton Railroad 4385–4394, class Q-8[4] |
| Chicago and Eastern Illinois Railroad | | | | [5] |
| Chicago Great Western Railway | | | | [6] |
| Chicago, Indianapolis and Louisville Railroad (“Monon”) | | | | [7] |
| Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad | | | | [8] |
| Grand Trunk Railway | | | | to Canadian National Railway 3700–3714, class S-3-a[9] |
| Grand Trunk Western Railroad | | | | to Canadian National Railway 3715–3739, class S-3-a[9] |
| Lehigh and Hudson River Railway | | | | [10] |
| Louisville and Nashville Railroad | | | | [11] |
| Maine Central Railroad | | | | [12] |
| Missouri Pacific Railroad | | | | [13] |
| Monongahela Railway | | | | |
| Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis Railway | | | | [14] |
| New York Central Railroad | | | | Renumberd 1800–1894, less 11 to PM[15] |
| New York Central subsidiary Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railway | | | | Renumbered 1700–1724[15] |
| New York Central subsidiary Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad | | | | [15] 10 to SLSF, others to PM |
| New York Central subsidiary Lake Erie and Western Railroad | | | | to Nickel Plate Road 586–600[15][16] |
| New York Central subsidiary Michigan Central Railroad | | | | Renumbered 1770–1789[15] |
| New York Central subsidiary Toledo and Ohio Central Railroad | | | | Renumbered 1732–1736[15] |
| New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railway (“Nickel Plate Road”) | | | | [16] |
| Pennsylvania Railroad | | | | Refused;[17] 10 to MP,[13] 23 to SLSF |
| Pennsylvania Railroad subsidiary Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad | | | | [17] |
| Pere Marquette Railway | | | | Acquired secondhand from IHB (14), NYC (11) and WAB (5).[18] To C&O 2350–2379 |
| Pittsburgh and West Virginia Railway | | | | |
| Rutland Railway | | | | [19] |
| Seaboard Air Line Railroad | | | | [20] |
| St. Louis – San Francisco Railway | | | | [21] |
| Southern Railway | | | | [22] 4765–4775 to subsidiary Cincinnati, New Orleans and Texas Pacific Railway 6285–6294 in 1920 |
| Texas and Pacific Railway | | | | Refused; to Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific[23] |
| Union Pacific Railroad | | | | [24] Renumbered 2480–2499 in 1920 |
| Union Pacific subsidiary Oregon Short Line Railroad | | | | |
| Wabash Railroad | | | | 5 to PM, replaced by 5 from WP[25] |
| Western Pacific Railroad | | | to Wabash in 1920[26] | |
| Totals | 625 |
Copies:
6 examples of the USRA light 2-8-2 built under the auspices of the USRA are preserved. These are Frisco 4003 at the Fort Smith Trolley Museum in Fort Smith, Arkansas, Frisco 4018 at the Sloss Furness in Birmingham, Alabama, Nickel Plate Road 587 at the Indiana Transportation Museum in Noblesville, Indiana, Baltimore and Ohio 4500 at the B&O Railroad Museum in Baltimore, Maryland, Grand Trunk Western 4070 at Midwest Railway Preservation Society in Cleveland, Ohio, and Union Pacific 2537 at Jefferson Park in Walla Walla, Washington.
Model Trains
LGB produced a Light Mikado from 2001-2004 in G scale in multiple fallen flag railroad names.
In HO scale, Broadway Limited Imports has made the USRA Light Mikado (and USRA Heavy Mikado), and it has been featured with a variety of roadnames since its release in 2004. Athearn produced the USRA Light Mikado in 2001, but it was discontinued around 2003. Bachmann has recently announced that they will be making the USRA Light Mikado in HO scale starting in early 2016. Mike's Train House (better known as MTH) produced a USRA light Mikado a few years ago when it was starting its HO scale line of trains.
Lionel Trains LLC has produced a Mikado as part of its O-27 scale line in recent years, as well as a light Mikado for its S-gauge "American Flyer" line. Both appear to be based on the USRA Light Mikado.
References
- 1 2 3 Drury p.409
- ↑ "USRA Locomotives". Steamlocomotive.com. Retrieved 2009-02-25.
- ↑ Drury pp.39–40, 47
- 1 2 Drury pp.436, 438
- ↑ Drury pp.440–442
- ↑ Drury pp.107, 110
- ↑ Drury pp.112–113
- ↑ Drury pp.125, 129
- 1 2 Edson & Corley p.168
- ↑ Drury pp.213–214
- 1 2 Drury pp.227, 230
- ↑ Drury pp.233, 235
- 1 2 3 Drury pp.248, 254
- 1 2 Drury pp.258, 260
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Drury pp.268, 278
- 1 2 3 Drury pp.281, 286–287
- 1 2 Drury pp.322, 328
- 1 2 Drury pp.80, 88
- ↑ Drury pp.338–339
- 1 2 Drury pp.349, 353
- ↑ Drury pp.342, 345
- 1 2 Drury pp.369, 372–373
- 1 2 Drury pp.387, 390
- ↑ Drury pp.397, 402
- ↑ Drury pp.420, 422
- ↑ Drury pp.430–431
- ↑ Clegg, Anthony & Corley, Ray (1969). Canadian National Steam Power. Trains & Trolleys: Montreal. pp. 91–95.
- ↑ Drury p.185
- ↑ Drury p.256
- 1 2 3 Drury pp.30–31
- Drury, George H. (1983), Guide to North American Steam Locomotives, Waukesha, Wisconsin: Kalmbach Publishing Company, ISBN 0-89024-206-2, LCCN 93041472
- Edson, William D.; Corley, Raymond F. "Locomotives of the Grand Trunk Railway". Railroad History. Boston, MA: The Railway and Locomotive Historical Society, Inc. (147). ISSN 0090-7847.