Well, this kind of puts things in perspective: It is amazing just how massive these things really were. That is my sister in the photo and she is no shrimp. She is 5'7". I took this...

tainkc Loc: Kansas City

It is amazing just how massive these things really were. That is my sister in the photo and she is no shrimp. She is 5'7".

I took this photo at the Southern California Railway Museum a few weeks ago. Rob, can you be so kind as to fill us in as to which railroad this belonged to, Its' stats and where it ran? All I remember is that it is an oil burning 2-8-2.

Tom

You will see what I mean in download.

(Download)

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

LARGE!

fredpnm Loc: Corrales, NM

Along with large they are also very loud...but great fun to watch them at work.

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

tainkc wrote:

It is amazing just how massive these things really were. That is my sister in the photo and she is no shrimp. She is 5'7".

I took this photo at the Southern California Railway Museum a few weeks ago. Rob, can you be so kind as to fill us in as to which railroad this belonged to, Its' stats and where it ran? All I remember is that it is an oil burning 2-8-2.

Tom

Union Pacific 2-8-2 Mikado No. 2564

Built by Alco in 1921, worked most of her life on UP's subsidiary the Oregon Short Line after first being on the Los Angeles and Salt Lake line. One of four of this particular design preserved in the US. The drivers are I believe 63".

On display in a park in Oro Grande where it got the usual abuse from the general public. In 1996 or so when the park was redone the Orange Empire Railway Museum (now Southern California Railway Museum) acquired her and did the minimum to stop deterioration/preserve and protect and parked it on a section of track on the museum. This loco is on our steam crew's wish list to completely restore and run - but that takes a lot of $$$$$ and with volunteers doing most of the work years of time. Our little Prairie class the VC-2 took 5 years and one job done on the boiler by a contractor was over $10,000 if I remember right. Even the special all weather preservative paint for these things is expensive and replacement bulbs are often custom (read expensive) orders that several museums and tourist RRs will get together to order enough for the companies that make them to run off a batch.

The heavy freight 2-8-2 Mikado was first built for Nippon RR (where the class name came from) in the 19th century and the first design not only burned coal, but low grade lignite coal at that. This required a bigger fire box and the 2 trailing wheels to support the weight. Then different models were designed and built up until after WW II. They were the most common class of locomotive for many decades.
This one at the museum was a design the US commissioned for WW I's increased demand for heavy freight engines.

And remember, this is a more or less standard size engine for the main line railroads. There were a ton of much larger designs built in fewer numbers that dwarfed this locomotive in size. Especially from the 1930 and WW II era and just after when diesels were replacing steam but the absolute most powerful engines were still very large steam models such as the "Big Boy"-which contrary to popular belief were not the largest locomotives built.

I have been a museum member since the 90s and in the Operations Department since the early 2000s. The last couple of years before Covid-19 I did announcing for major events and lunch/break reliefs for Conductors and Streetcar Motorman (I had quals for four classes of streetcars.). Since Covid-19 due to now being 75 and with a couple of the conditions that make you more vulnerable to Covid-19 I have not been out since I am a POW (Prisoner of Wife-her term-retired Surgical RN). She is now saying maybe I can go out to announce or on week days when the place is almost deserted to roam with my cameras. Opps, hold for the Delta variant.

tainkc Loc: Kansas City

Longshadow wrote:

LARGE!

Yep!

tainkc Loc: Kansas City

fredpnm wrote:

Along with large they are also very loud...but great fun to watch them at work.

Yes, they are loud! Every time the U.P. rolls into town with one of theirs, I play hooky from work and photograph them.

tainkc Loc: Kansas City

robertjerl wrote:

Union Pacific 2-8-2 Mikado No. 2564

Built by Alco in 1921, worked most of her life on UP's subsidiary the Oregon Short Line after first being on the Los Angeles and Salt Lake line. One of four of this particular design preserved in the US. The drivers are I believe 63".

On display in a park in Oro Grande where it got the usual abuse from the general public. In 1996 or so when the park was redone the Orange Empire Railway Museum (now Southern California Railway Museum) acquired her and did the minimum to stop deterioration/preserve and protect and parked it on a section of track on the museum. This loco is on our steam crew's wish list to completely restore and run - but that takes a lot of $$$$$ and with volunteers doing most of the work years of time. Our little Prairie class the VC-2 took 5 years and one job done on the boiler by a contractor was over $10,000 if I remember right. Even the special all weather preservative paint for these things is expensive and replacement bulbs are often custom (read expensive) orders that several museums and tourist RRs will get together to order enough for the companies that make them to run off a batch.

The heavy freight 2-8-2 Mikado was first built for Nippon RR (where the class name came from) in the 19th century and the first design not only burned coal, but low grade lignite coal at that. This required a bigger fire box and the 2 trailing wheels to support the weight. Then different models were designed and built up until after WW II. They were the most common class of locomotive for many decades.
This one at the museum was a design the US commissioned for WW I's increased demand for heavy freight engines.

And remember, this is a more or less standard size engine for the main line railroads. There were a ton of much larger designs built in fewer numbers that dwarfed this locomotive in size. Especially from the 1930 and WW II era and just after when diesels were replacing steam but the absolute most powerful engines were still very large steam models such as the "Big Boy"-which contrary to popular belief were not the largest locomotives built.

I have been a museum member since the 90s and in the Operations Department since the early 2000s. The last couple of years before Covid-19 I did announcing for major events and lunch/break reliefs for Conductors and Streetcar Motorman (I had quals for four classes of streetcars.). Since Covid-19 due to now being 75 and with a couple of the conditions that make you more vulnerable to Covid-19 I have not been out since I am a POW (Prisoner of Wife-her term-retired Surgical RN). She is now saying maybe I can go out to announce or on week days when the place is almost deserted to roam with my cameras. Opps, hold for the Delta variant.

Union Pacific 2-8-2 Mikado No. 2564 br br Built b... (show quote)

Thank you very much, Rob! I greatly appreciate your contribution to my post.

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

tainkc wrote:

Thank you very much, Rob! I greatly appreciate your contribution to my post.

You are welcome.

Jay Pat Loc: Round Rock, Texas, USA

tainkc wrote:

It is amazing just how massive these things really were. That is my sister in the photo and she is no shrimp. She is 5'7".

I took this photo at the Southern California Railway Museum a few weeks ago. Rob, can you be so kind as to fill us in as to which railroad this belonged to, Its' stats and where it ran? All I remember is that it is an oil burning 2-8-2.

Tom

Surely, you have more images of this locomotive.......... Can you post more?
Pat

tainkc Loc: Kansas City

Jay Pat wrote:

Surely, you have more images of this locomotive.......... Can you post more?
Pat

They are not very good, but here goes:

(Download)

J-SPEIGHT Loc: Akron, Ohio

tainkc wrote:

It is amazing just how massive these things really were. That is my sister in the photo and she is no shrimp. She is 5'7".

I took this photo at the Southern California Railway Museum a few weeks ago. Rob, can you be so kind as to fill us in as to which railroad this belonged to, Its' stats and where it ran? All I remember is that it is an oil burning 2-8-2.

Tom

Excellent shot Tom

tommyII Loc: Northern Illinois

Wow!

flathead27ford Loc: Colorado, North of Greeley

Such Behemoths!

Pepsiman Loc: New York City

Thanks for the info...

Jay Pat Loc: Round Rock, Texas, USA

Thanks, Tom!
I enjoy these type of images.
Pat