[HO] USRA Light Mikados

Broadway Limited's Blueline makes both heavy and light USRA Mikes.

Yeah... I'm not a steam modeler (- yet! -) but based on past comments their light Mikado sure seems likes a standout. Their sound system is described as "DC-sound equipped" -- how does that work with DCC?

Other manufacturers I have seen mention are Bowser (kit) and Athearn (out of production???).

I'd assume a steam engine as common as this one was had more model manufacturers in the past, or maybe some new ones in the planning stages right now.

Oriental Limited PowerHouse series had a USRA Light 2-8-2 A mixed die cast and brass locomotive.

Check e-bay or I have one that might be sold

Howard Garner

Athearn briefly did a USRA light mike in the Genesis line a few years ago. Cary used to make both USRA light and heavy boiler/cab castings designed to fit on a Mantua/Tyco mikado chassis, together with a set of appropriate brass detail parts. And I believe the very much missed Harold Mellor made a conversion kit for using a slightly modified Mantua/Tyco pacific boiler on their mikado chassis to make a pretty good representation of the USRA light mike. Geezer

Actually, it's a DCC sound chip with a bit extra. It works with DC. The sound can be controlled with a separate sound-controller unit, otherwise you just get the default sounds.

HTH

as "DC-sound equipped" -- how does that work with DCC?< It's actually a DC and DCC sound decoder. As purchased the engine will have sound with DC use. To convert to DCC the engine needs an added motor decoder which plugs right in. The supplied sound decoder works with DCC so all you need to do is set some CVs!

So far as I know, both the Cary boilers and detail part sets are still available through Bowser.

Trix makes one, probably the nicest detailed one available now but pricey, see the MR review to see how it pulls.

Broadway makes a nice one, I like mine (a pre blueline one in the maroon box, although a few things are not well detailed, like the tender trucks. Great pullers with the traction tires (out pulls my Sunset GN and Bachman USRA 2-10-2s)

Oriental made one with a cast boiler on a Samhongsa mechanism, funky non standard tender truck mounting system with a cotter pin (sort of)if you want different trucks you have to fabricate a bolster. I sold both mine. Not a great puller, slightly better than Athearn

Athearn is also a Samhongsa drive but a better detailed boiler. Stock engines are lousy pullers (Bachman 2-8-0s are better)partly due to the balance point being on the third driver so the one and two drivers do little work. There are a large number of articles on the net on how to add weight and more importantly where to put it so the engine is properly balanced between the second and third driver, a fellow in our club did this and they pull a lot better.

PFM made many in Brass over the years, manufactured by United. Show up fairly often on e-Bay, not sure about how well they pull, maybe some one can jump in here.

Mantua/Tyco - Bowser. A Bowser boiler on a Mantua/Tyco chassis should pull well even if it's an open frame motor. The later mechanism looks to me like the can motor they chose is too small, Mellor made a repowering kit. Not a USRA tender.

Tonight was an operating session at our club, and one of our members spoke very highly of the Trix Mikado... he didn't have one, but a friend did and they thought it was a very smooth-moving mechanism...

Does anyone have comments on their experience wit Trix Mikado and its sound, or any other Light Mikados?

Never ran one - looks nice but it seems expensive; the Trix site's "Shopatron" actually has lower prices at $279 than a lot of independent on-line sellers.

It is a nice model, but I don't think the sound is anything like as good as that on my Heritage USRA 0-8-0.

A.

Does anyone have comments on their experience wit Trix Mikado and its sound, or any other Light Mikados?

What are the shorcomings with the Trix sound?

A friend has one (I think, it may be a 2-8-0 instead). He runs it on DCC.

His complaint is with the whistle. When you push the whistle button, it goes through its pre-recorded toot sequence. You can't control the length of the whistle blasts, so no whistling for crossings, no short toots, no long toots. Always the same whistle sounds. The sound is good but there is no control.

I think the chuff sounds are among the best, if not the best, of his sound equipped engines.

That seems like a real shortcoming for Trix... why on earth would a company go through all of the trouble of offering DCC sound, and then do something like THAT? ____ Mark

Division Point, a brass importer says that they'll have a USRA Light Mikado in 2008, made by Boo Rim Precision of South Korea. I've never heard of Division Point, but a brief search of the web indicates that Boo Rim has been making brass models for a while. does nayone have comments on the reputation and quality of Division Point or Boo Rim?

See:

reputation and quality of Division Point or Boo Rim?<

Excellent quality and very expensive.

Broadway / Blue Line are listing a USRA Lt. Mike for May 08. Check out Factory Direct Trains .com as I've seen it listed there.

Thanks... I'm starting to gather that same impression from other sources too...