2-6-6-2?

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K

kylewoody

Member
Hey guys,

I'm working on my Southern N scale layout - and was wanting to maybe use a bigger articulated steam for coal hauling. Ahywho, got to looking at Bachmann's Spectrum 2-6-6-2.

What the heck is this thing? I have tried to find info on it, but almost no avail. Was like only one ever made and never used? I was thinking about freelancing a bit and saying Southern used it.

I guess I'm just asking if anyone knows anything about it, and where to find more info and history on it. I *think* I read somewhere that it was made by Baldwin... and that's about all I know. :o I've also found pictures of these older looking 2-6-6-2's, which certainly aren't the same thing as what I'm looking for.

ba-2662-undec.jpg


Just wondering if someone can shed some light on these things - like how many were made, tractive effort, general stats, etc.

Thanks!
Kyle
 
They were USRA designs and used by C&O, Wheeling and Lake Erie, and leased by the NKP from the W&LE. They were used almost exclusively for mine runs on the C&O because of their high tractive effort and being easy on branchline track. Most of these locomotives never exceeded 25 mph in their operational life. You can find complete specs at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USRA_2-6-6-2. If you want to model the Southern, this is not the engine for you.
 


Jim's right Kyle. Southern never used them. They did, however, have some 2-6-8-0's, 2-8-8-2's and even considered the couple of shays they had in the same class, (L), BTW. They even experimented with a couple of "tractor" arrangements, using 2-8-2/2-8-0, 2-8-2/2-6-0 and 2-10-2/2-6-2
 
Thanks guys,

Yeah, I know Southern only had 2-8-8-2 articulated's, but I was going to freelance. Very similar engines with the same goal (haul coal surley but slowly) plus I can't find a 2-8-8-2 - I've seen Life-Like's Proto, but it's not for sale. I can only reserve it and it said it was supposed to come out last year? :rolleyes:

Thanks!
Kyle
 
The Wikipedia entry says that the USRA 2-6-6-2 had independently pivoted driving units--"which is also used on modern diesel locomotives" (and most recently-made articulated models, even if it wasn't prototypical). Is that really true? I thought a Mallet always had the rear unit rigidly attached to the boiler.
 
John,
This Mallet was an oddball. The C&O requested ALCO to design a two engine Mallet with both engines able to move independently. The ALCO design was pefect for the C&O coal runs in West Virginia. It was able to operate as a switcher at the mines since it could take sharper curves then the 2-8-0's they replaced and could pull mainline trains of more than twice the tonnage that double headed 2-8-0's. Of course, it could only do the mainline work at about 20 mph but coal runs didn't have to worry about moving the product qucikly, just getting the coal to where it was supposed to go as cheaply as possible.

Kyle, you might want to look up some reviews of that Bachmann engine if you're thinking of buying one. It wasn't one of the Spectrum line's best performing steam engines and people who've had them say the sound like a tractor running at full speed with pieces falling off as soon as it gets rolling. Even though it should, in theory, be a pretty good puller, it seems like abut 10 loaded hoppers on level track is about it before the drivers start spinning. On grades, it was more like three or four cars. Kind of defeats the purpose of buying a Mallet. It's also not easy to convert to DCC.
 
Thanks guys,

Yeah - I guess I meant the only symetrical articulated they had (symetrical being, 2-6-6-2, 2-8-8-2, 4-6-6-4, etc, :) )

I read about how they were loud and didn't pull very well - didn't know they fell apart though! :eek: I plan to have only a 2% grade on my layout, and would pull anywhere from 6-9 cars.

I really like the Life-Like 2-8-8-2, but no one sells them. What's up with that? It said they were supposed to be released late last year, but all you can do is reserve them. I want to run something now, not next year! LOL.

Kyle
 
Kyle, they don't actually fall apart. I said the sound has been described as a tractor running at full speed with pieces falling off, not the locomotive. There are several Proto 2-8-8-2's listed on e-bay right now. They won't be cheap but they are much better running locomotive than a Bachamann 2-6-6-2
 


Can't comment on the N-scale 2-6-6-2, but the Spectrum HO scale is a smooth runner and a surprisingly heavy puller. I've had mine for some years now, and I run it frequently on coal trains, and it's never disappointed me yet. In fact, it's so much better a hauler than my Proto 2-8-8-2, that I couple it to the front of the Proto just to get the other loco over my grades.

As a historical note, Rio Grande also fielded 2-6-6-2's early in the 20th century over Soldier Summit in Utah. They were much earlier locos than the USRA types, and only had about 67,000 lbs TE, and were later relegated to mine runs on Utah branches, but they had a pretty long life.

Among non-Eastern railroads that also used the 2-6-6-2 with varying degrees of success were the Southern Pacific (2nd hand from the Verde Smelter Company), Great Northern, Northern Pacific and Milwaukee. Actually, the 2-6-6-2 was a design used very early by a number of railroads long before the USRA standardized the wheel arrangement. And as a logging locomotive in the Pacific Northwest, the wheel arrangement was extremely popular for a rod locomotive, in fact it was almost as versatile in the logging industry as was the more fabled Shay.

Tom :)
 
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