Alton & Southern 2-8-2 "Mikado" Locomotives in the USA

Class 10 (Locobase 7335)

Data from Alt&Sou 1937 locomotive diagram book supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive Rail Data Exchange. Works numbers were 66461 in November 1925 and 66746 in June 1926.

These were a relatively small pair of Mikes for the mid-1920s, although when stacked against all 2-8-2s, they fell into the middle of the pack. 14" (356 mm) piston valves promoted free steaming and 27 sq ft of arch tubes (2.5 sq m) contributed to the direct heating surface.

The 10 would be sold to the Noreste de Mexico as their 102.

Class 13 (Locobase 7336)

Data from Alt&Sou 1937 locomotive diagram book supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive Rail Data Exchange. (Thanks to Chris Hohl for his 3 December 2019 email noting the inconsistency in the A&S diagram books. His query led to Locobase concluding that the 23" cylinder diameter in the diagram was an A&S error.) Works number was 67210 in January 1927.

Ordered a year after the earlier pair (Locobase 7335), this Mike had fewer small tubes and a slightly smaller heating surface as a result. Like the others, the firebox heating surface included 27 sq ft (2.5 sq m) of arch tubes.

Class 15 (Locobase 7337)

Data from Alt&Sou 1937 locomotive diagram book supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive Rail Data Exchange. Works number 61941 in 1936.

Although hundreds of the wheel arrangement had yet to be built at Eddystone, the A & S bought one of the last Mikes to be built for an American railroad. It was a big engine with lots of power. The firebox heating surface included 86 sq ft of thermic syphons.

Class 16 (Locobase 7338)

Data from Alt&Sou 1937 locomotive diagram book supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive Rail Data Exchange. Works number was 69027 in October 1937.

A year after the A&S bought a large, powerful Mike (Locobase 7337), it went to Alco for a near-sister to the 1920s 2-8-2s it had also procured from Alco. Its substantial firebox heating surface area included 76 sq ft (7.06 sq m) in Nicholson thermic syphons. Twelve-inch (305 mm) piston valves admitted superheated steam to the cylinders.

The 16 was the last new steam locomotive owned by the A&S. It was replaced by diesels in the 1950s.

Class 2 (Locobase 8318)

Data from Alt&Sou 1953a locomotive diagram book supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive Rail Data Exchange. (Thanks to Chris Hohl for his 3 December 2019 email noting the correct firebox heating surface area and boiler pressure. His 12 May 2021 email supplied the original Alco builder's card for order no. S-1613, from which the specs are taken.) Works number was 67431 in February 1928.

This small railroad's stud of Mikados included several variations on a theme. Locobase 7335 describes the first pair and 7336 takes up the third to come on the road as road number 13.

The current entry covers the one that came still later to run on the Alton's St Louis & Ohio River Railroad subsidiary. Although the grate area remained the same, the firebox area increased by 60 sq ft (5.57 sq m), aided by 70 sq ft (6.50 sq m) of Nicholson thermic syphons and 14 sq ft (1.3 sq m) in four arch tubes. Tube & flue length shrank by 9 inches (229 mm). Additional starting power came from a tender booster that was later removed.

As such, the engine ran until 1949.