Last Update: 2009-03-29
Locos Table of Contents
Rolling Stock Table of Contents
Athearn and Model Die Casting/Roundhouse are now under one management and you might see "Athearn" as the brandname when they mean "MDC", or vice versa, so also check Athearn. And the steam locos now being produced are a generational step above what they did before.
Saddletank 0-6-0
- Saddletank 0-6-0 - Unknown prototype, but
not untypical.
- [Model photo, courtesy Wm.K. Walthers.]
- [Similar prototype, 1919 Cyc.]
Switcher 0-6-0
- Switcher 0-6-0 - According to
the review in the March '73 Model Railroader,
the kit was based on the Southern
Pacific's S-9 swithers, some 15 engines built by
Baldwin in 1912, nos. 1195-1209. (And very similar
to the SP's S-8 class, but these had rectangular or
Vanderbilt tenders instead of the slopeback tender
of the MDC kit.)
It has fairly typical lines for such a switcher although
the cab has the short window style of SP.
- [SP 1109. MDC photo courtesy Wm.K. Walthers.]
- [Model photo, broadside view. From a 1939 ad.]
- [Model photo, another view. 1939 ad.]
- [Model photo, rear view. 1939 ad.]
- [Model photo of the tender. 1939 ad.]
- [Model photo, courtesy Wm.K. Walthers.]
- [Model versus prototype.]
- [Model cyberkitbashed (the cab), trying to show how to typify it. (Also extended the footboard pilot down.) Stock model below. (And replacing the cab with a wood cab or even any other would make a big impact in appearance.)]
If this engine ran better, it would be an ideal candidate for a lot of other road's switchers. Stephen Goldspiel (August '82 Railroad Model Craftsman) said the model is close to a number of other Harriman switchers.
Superstructures & Wheel Arrangements
- Originally, MDC produced a boiler and cab superstructure
based on Santa Fe practices, and put either a 4-4-2 or 2-6-2
mechanism under it. (Both are among the rarer arrangements.)
Years later, they expanded their line with a Harriman type
superstructure and a Pennsy one, along with a 2-8-0
and 4-6-0 mechanism. This made 12 possible permanutations.
(Don't think they used all 12. The ATSF boiler had
too deep a firebox to fit over a regular sized driver.)
They also came out with an "Old Time" superstructure which
is only used with another 2-8-0 mechanism (with smaller
drivers) and a 2-6-0 mechanism.
- Harriman Locos - C. 1900, the Harriman lines
(including the SP, UP, Alton, and IC) shared common motive power and
rolling stock standard designs. The locos were typical of the
times so these models are fairly useful even if you don't model
any Harriman line. There is one problem in that the Harriman
cab had a distinctive scalloped cutout in the overhang, duplicated
on the MDC models, making them a little less generic in look
than one might hope. (Wish MDC did a more typical cab that
one could file back the overhang to get a Harriman style.)
- Pennsy Locos - Starting around 1875, the
PRR made almost a fetish of standardization of designs
and related parts. One hallmark was the Belpaire firebox,
which gave a squared look to the rear of the boiler, which
is otherwise round. The Pennsy E6 Atlantic, G5 Ten-wheeler,
and H9 Consolidation actually shared the same boiler.
Mogul 2-6-0
- 292 ATSF Old Time Mogul 2-6-0 - A c. 1880's loco, with
Baldwin characteristics. This model has the same 51 inch
diameter drivers as their "Old Time" 2-8-0, but they
also offered a version with the larger 62 or 63
inch drivers. This model is ready-to-run.
- [Model photo, the ATSF version (no. 292) with 51 inch drivers. Photo courtesy Wm.K. Walthers.]
- 2-6-0 Mogul - It appears MDC took their
new 4-4-0 and added another driver instead of the second
lead truck. This model has much taller drivers, maybe
63 inches and I don't think it is the same as the above
Mogul.
We got one of these to operate our Addison branch. The r-t-r model comes with large oil headlights which I wish were easy to switch out. We are expecting if this works out to modify the superstructure to more closely model the Rutland's no. 144. But the good news is that right of the box, this is a sweet running loco.
Prairie 2-6-2
- 440 ATSF Prairie 2-6-2 - Undecorated.
- 441 ATSF Prairie 2-6-2 - Lettered for ATSF.
- 441 ATSF Prairie 2-6-2 - Apparently also
lettered for ATSF and numbered 1010.
This utilized their Atlantic superstructure with new mechanism. While the model has 63 inch diameter drivers, all but two of the Santa Fe prototypes (nos. 564 and 565) had 69 inch ones. The model is said to have a 33 inch wheel trailing truck, while the prototype had a 40 inch one.- [Model photo, courtesy Wm.K. Walthers. Kit no. 440.]
- [Model photo, courtesy Wm.K. Walthers. Kit no. 447. (Notice how undersized the trailing truck wheel looks.)]
- 444 Harriman Prairie 2-6-2 - The MDC Harriman
2-8-0/4-6-0 superstructure on the Santa Fe Prairie mechanism.
The basic problem is that the whole idea of a trailing truck
is that the firebox is too large to simply rest between or
above the drivers. (Adding a trailing truck does afford
a better ride in reverse, but you lose traction because it
isn't a driver.) The superstructure has what is supposed to
be a narrow firebox to fit between the drivers, but for
model railroad curves, has been cut away, although this
would be hidden by the last driver. On this model,
the cut away is glaringly apparent, but also a narrow
firebox over a trailing truck is odd, to say the least.
Another problem with the model is that it uses the MDC's Santa Fe Atlantic mechanism, with a72 or 73 inch drivers. As far as I can see, all of the Harriman engines came with 81 inch drivers, a distinctive difference. (At least one loco was sold to the T&P and rebuilt with 77 inches, but that is still quite large.
The UP and Alton got coal burning versions from Baldwin in 1904, while the SP got similar oil-burners from Alco the same year. There were many variations on the same basic design, including some early ones built as compound locos (and later rebuilt to simple ones). The cabs also differed, including the early ones having another window up front, giving the effect of almost all glass.- [The MDC cab as modified for the early style of Harriman cab. Not exactly right, but just trying to give you an idea of what I mean. Stock cab below.]
- 451 Pennsy Prairie 2-6-2 - Said to be
a class J28. This class was a total of two experimental 2-6-2 built by Alco in
1906, nos. 2761 and 7453 and scrapped in the '20's. (Curious it was
J28 and not J1.) Not aware of any other Prairies the Pennsy had, although
probably they acquired a couple of odd ones from lines they acquired. However,
these would most likely NOT have the Pennsy look.
- [Model photo, courtesy Wm.K. Walthers.]
Consolidation 2-8-0
- Harriman Consolidation 2-8-0 - I believe the
Varney "Old Lady" is more or less based
on the same "prototype", i.e., a Harriman type Ten-wheeler
placed on a Consolidation mechanism. (The Bachmann
2-8-0 is basically the standard Harriman Consolidation.)
There was a real Harriman prototype, which was built for the UP and SP, and related subsidiaries, starting around 1902 or '05, and running as late as 1918 on the SP. These had a fatter, pretty much straight boiler and I believe all had 57 inch drivers, not the 63 inch ones of the MDC model. And the UP version had an window in the cab, pretty much making it continuous windows, not the blanked in SP version. It also looks like the firebox was above, not between as on the Harriman 4-6-0 and the model. (The IC had 63 inch drivered locos but these were a couple of feet longer.)
I haven't figured out exactly why, but it seems like the Consolidations in this period tended to ALL have a straight or straighter boiler, and also a fatter one, than the similar Ten-Wheelers.- [Model as decorated for SP. Photo courtesy Wm.K. Walthers.]
- Pennsy Consolidation 2-8-0 - Along with the nearly
identical H8 and H10, the H9 Consolidations were the largest
class on the PRR. The first H9 was built by Baldwin in 1913 (don't
known the date on the H8). If I understand the Bowser website, some
1,206 Consolidations were built between 1907 and '16. The H9's rode
on 62 inch diameter drivers, basically the standard size for 20th
century 2-8-0's. However, this model has inside valve gear while
the prototype H8/9/10's had outside Walschaerts. I think any
earlier classes that had inside valve gear also had smaller
drivers.
Bruce Smith of the Pennsy historical society said that he is not aware that the MDC models are considered accurate for any PRR steamer. He said the G5 and H8/9/10 shared the same boiler. The G5 had the short, one window cab, while the H8 had the longer two window cab. The G4 did not have a Belpaire firebox, as far as he knows.
Smith said the H6 did have 56 inch drivers, and there was no H7 class. He doesn't have the boiler measurements for the MDC 2-8-0, but the H6 boiler is considerably smaller than the H8/9/10. But he did note that some H8 class locos did have inside valve gear. - 270/280 Baldwin "Old-Time" 2-8-0 - Painted black, but unlettered.
- [Model photo, courtesy Wm.K. Walthers.]
- 271/281 SP 2-8-0
- [Model photo, courtesy Wm.K. Walthers.]
- 272/282 ATSF 2-8-0
- 273/283 PRR 2-8-0
- 274/284 UP 2-8-0
- 275/285 D&RGW 2-8-0
- 276/286 M&Pa 2-8-0
- [Model photo, courtesy Wm.K. Walthers.]
According to the review in the Aug '77 Model Railroader, this low drivered (51 or 52 inch diameter) loco represents a common Baldwin design of the 1880's and '90's. The kit could be repowered with a USRA 0-8-0 mechanism if desired (at least in terms of matching driver size).
This model would be close to the PRR loco class I and similar to other Baldwin products of the 1875-1886 period.
The 2-8-0 wheel arrangement was invented in 1866. On the PRR, the first Consolidations were the I class, built in 1875, some 15 locos. (The "I" was the use of an earlier classification system.) In 1886, the R class (later H3 class) locos were built, pretty similar but the first Pennsy locos with a Belpaire firebox.- [PRR 2-8-0 of 1875, no. 173, class H1, straight boiler.]
- [PRR 2-8-0 of 1880, no. 400, with Belpaire firebox.]
- [PRR 2-8-0 of 1885, with Belpaire firebox.]
- [PRR 2-8-0 of 1888, no. 437, again with Belpaire firebox.]
- [Baldwin standard 2-8-0 of 1884 with a tapered boiler.]
Basically the Model Power "Old Time" 2-8-0 is based on the same or similar prototype(s).- [Model Power loco. Photo courtesy Wm.K. Walthers.]
American 4-4-0
- American 4-4-0 - MDC has
a new state-of-the-art rtr 4-4-0, with DCC and sound already
installed. (Hip, hip, HOORAY!!) It appears to be a c. 1890's
loco with arc or oil headlight, wood cab, ringed Baldwin-type domes
(although there may be other varieties, square steam chest and
inboard valve gear). If this is truly as good as it
could be, this could revolutionize the hobby, allowing for
more modelers to model earlier periods, and the one
review I've read gave it a stellar rating.
It appears MDC started with their "Old Time" boiler/cab superstructure.
Atlantic 4-4-2
- 431 ATSF Atlantic 4-4-2 - Based on a Santa Fe prototype, but
on the model, the boiler was made to sit very high, totally
altering the look. (Or maybe the too high boilder is on
the Prairie version.) Model is numbered 1491.
- [Model photo, courtesy Wm.K. Walthers.]
- [ATSF 1497, c. 1940.]
- 429 SP Harriman Atlantic 4-4-2 - Numbered
3041. The boiler for this has a firebox intended to
fit between the drivers of an x-x-0 arrangement
and the firebox looks really awkward perched over a trailing
truck.
- [Model photo, courtesy Wm.K. Walthers.]
- 436 Pennsy Atlantic 4-4-2 - The first of this
class was built in 1910. Drivers were 80 inches. In
1914, this Atlantic design was stretched to make
the famous K4 4-6-2 Pacific, so I suspect production
of the E6 ceased. The MDC model has 70 or 72 inch
diameter drivers and I've read the entire loco was
scaled down to match the smaller drivers.
- [PRR 5075, company photo.]
- [Model photo, courtesy Wm.K. Walthers.]
- [Model photo showing the mis-alignment of the cylinder in relation to the drivers.]
Ten-Wheeler 4-6-0
- 454 - 459 Harriman 4-6-0 -
I think the Ten-wheeler is modeled after the SP's T-28 class,
which were built by Baldwin and Brocks c. 1907-1911, and the
consolidation is just the same superstructure on a 2-8-0
mechanism. Some of the T-28's burned coal and had a regular
tender and some burned oil, with a vanderbilt tender. Both
prototypes, I believe, had 63 inch drivers.
- [SP 2353, class T-31. I think this class differed from the T-28 by having outside valve gear. Unknown photographer, photo in our collection.]
- [Model photo, courtesy Wm.K. Walthers.]
- [Rutland 48. Photo from our collection.]
- 452 PRR 4-6-0 - The Pennsy standardized on
everything possible, including the basic boiler, which was used
on their Atlantic and Consolidation as well as their
G5 Ten-wheeler. However, the G5 version was built a decade or two
later and the cab was noticeable shorter and more modern-looking. Also,
the prototype had outside valve gear and probably
69 inch, not 63 inch drivers. (MDC
never claimed it was a G5, just a "Pennsy-style"
Ten-wheeler. However, don't know of any other
PRR class of 4-6-0's which might match any closer. I
believe the G4 was built c. 1900.) First
thing I'd do is substitute a PRR K4 cab. Second thing,
toss the kit and get the Bowser one instead.)
- [PRR G5, no. 1844, builder's photo.]
- [Model photo, courtesy Wm.K. Walthers.]
NEB&W Guide to MDC/Roundhouse Steam Locomotive Models