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Gallery
Texas State Railroad Mikado (2-8-2) Engine #400.
From the TSRR Website:
This locomotive began its career on the Tremont & Gulf Railway, a Louisiana
short line. Wearing number 30, it was built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in
1917. The engine is a 2-8-2 type, which means it has two small wheels at the
front of the engine, eight drivers (the large wheels), and two small wheels at
the rear of the engine. This type of locomotive is commonly referred to as a
“Mikado” because the first engines of this wheel arrangement were ordered by the
government of Japan.
The Tremont & Gulf operated this locomotive until 1954, when it was sold to the
Magma Copper Mine in Magma, Arizona. During its tenure at the mine the
locomotive was utilized in the 1962 epic MGM movie How the West Was Won. Viewers
of this movie recall this spectacular train crash scene the engine was featured
in. The mine replaced its steam engines with diesel power in the late sixties,
seemingly ending the long career of the lanky Mikado. However, in 1974, it came
out of its brief retirement.
Texas State Railroad staff, scouring the country in search of viable steam
locomotives, located and purchased this engine. It was shipped by rail to Texas
and underwent extensive repair and refurbishing. After several years of hard
work the Mikado was once again ready to go to work in 1978, rolling down the
iron rails with style and grace to thrill a new generation of rail enthusiasts.
This is the fourth of five steam engines of the Texas State Railroad I have
constructed. Because of the complex Vanderbilt tender there is no room for a
motor, but given a motorized passenger car behind her she should perform well.
--Tony
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Message has 2 Replies:
 | | Re: Texas State Railroad Engine #400
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| In lugnet.announce.moc, Anthony Sava wrote: <snip> (...) Hey, Tony- This is a fantastic build, and I must say that I totally love your project of building all of the steam engines of a museum. They all look great together; what an exhibition they (...) (13 years ago, 31-Mar-11, to lugnet.trains, lugnet.general, FTX)
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