Has anyone actually seen one of these or is it just a figment of incredible hype? I see them offered for sale in the mags but haven't seen one in a hobby shop. Also have not yet seen a critique of one in MR or any other mag; which is ussually a sign that they don't exist!
Throttleman, They are out and do exist! A friend of mine (6206_S1a) Mike has bought one and i've seen it run and had it in my hands! A very nicely detailed loco! And a decent runner as far as I seen! And in the near future, I will be buying one! In the Western Maryland "Fireball" scheme! These are well done steamers for body wise, not a "cookie cutter" design where one body fits all.... Each individual loco is scaled out to the road name on it in specifics! Being though they are in fact a 10 couple, "10 drivers" do not exspect them to be a large rigid frame locomotive! These were for Russia! Where they're freight wasn't a big thing like on American railroads. We had large very large steamers for our frieght! Being we hauled alot of tonage. Where Russia didn't. They didn't require the heavy freight loco's... So its a smaller steamer with small drivers and so on... Its about the size of a 2-8-0 or 2-8-2, small wheel base and a light loco. And not made for speed. The Russian R.R's were also known for tight degree curves, so the wheel base had to be limited in its length to negoiate their tight curves!
Yes they do exisit. I think they were just shipped a week or so ago, they were in my local shope last weekend. They do look nice, about the size of the Bachman 2-8-0. Very well detailed and great runners....MIKE
Regarding the relatively small size of the 2-10-0, I seem to remember reading (perhaps in "Erie Power") that the units, made for export to Russia, were a smaller track gauge, and when the deal to export them fell through(due to revolution?) they were regauged for use here. This may be one reason for their smaller size. Gary
Actually, the opposite- the Russial railways were (and still are) a broader gauge. When the Bolshevik revolution happened in Russia, the Decapods were regauged (narrower) to fit American railroads. Frisco's Russians were used in secondary line service, and five were later sold to Eagle-Picher Mining Co. in noertheastern Oklahoma. These five were the only Frisco Russians saved- one (1630) is in service at the Illinois Railway Museum. I had the opportunity to crawl in, over and under SLSF 1625 at the Age of Steam Museum in Dallas- it's parked next to a UP Big Boy.
If my memory and history on these loco's is correct I believe the gauge was 5'. Broader then the American gauge 4' 8". I also know that the Russian Railroads were also not really big on frieght and all so they didn't require large heavy big barreled loco's to haul frieght and this is why the loco is small barreled and light compared to our American railroads 2-10-0's. In comparision of the Western Maryland "Russian" Decopods "I-1 class" to their American Decopods "I-2 class". It has been said that the I-1's being of Russian design was as powerfull as our American 2-8-0 Consolidations. Where the Western Marylands I-2 American Decopods were a very powerfull locomotive being in the range of almost the same as their HUGH "M-2 class" 4-6-6-4 Challengers! With the I-2 American Decopods and the M-2 Challengers, they were in the class of 90 plus thousands of Tractive Effort. Side by side the 2 different "Decopods" were alot different in size and shape!
If I remember correctly, they wern't really reguaged. Frisco, Erie, ect just put on wider driver tires to compansate. I seem to remember some problems with moving the Russian to Scranton. (I think its Scranton, I know its one of those two museums in that area).There was some problem with switch frogs or something of that nature...Mike
Mike, Your correct! They didn't regauge them! They just put on a wider driver tire, and they did replace the 5' pilot wheel with a US standard 4'8" pilot wheel.... But sadly with the wide driver tread this gave way to another problem.... They were really known for "walking off the railhead" The wide tire gave the loco and extra reach to climb up and over the rail.... Which as you all know it ened up on the ground causing trouble on tight curves or bad rail that the railhead was worn it would catch and raise the drivers and it only took one to do this being the rest of the drivers would follow! This is why most railroads that had them most of the time kept them on spur use and still on the rosters.... So when they walked the rail it wouldn't tie up the main lines and delay major trains....
The Western Maryland used thier Russians on locals,light helper service, and was also seen used on the Lugan Subdivision, but they were mostly seen being used on the old Cumberland & Pennsylvania lines in the Cumberland, Md area replacing the fine Mt Savage made 2-8-0's in service when the WM took over. The opinons of the crews ranged from "easy steaming locos" to one engineer for the C&P commenting "they would want to throw you out at your seat at speeds around 25mph..." I think he was one of the C&P fellows who wanted thier Home-Made 2-8-0's back. I have mine hooked up to 5 boxcars on a local run now with my Big Six pulling coal on the opposite track. I love this loco D D It is the first Western Maryland steamer that is made like the real thing, not a "cookie-cutter" loco with WM decals on it.
