Maine Central 2-8-2 "Mikado" Locomotives in the USA

Class S (Locobase 5446)

Data from table in May 1916 issue of Railway Mechanical Engineer (RME), confirmed by the MEC 2 - 1923 Locomotive Diagram book supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive Rail Data Exchange. Works numbers were 54571-54573 in March 1914, 55020-55026 in February 1915, 56502-56507 in December 1916, 57879-57882 in March 1918. S-2 works numbers wree 65548-65553 in July 1924.

These were built in batches over a few years. Drury (1993) notes that Mikes were rare in New England. This was the largest single class of 2-8-2s east of the New York Central. .. Arch tubes contributed 25.3 sq ft (2.35 sq m) to the firebox heating surface.

Six years separated the last deliveries in 1918 and the final six produced in 1924. (Six USRA light Mikes came on the line in 1919; see Locobase 7061). The 1924 engines repeated the earlier design, but were designated S-2s in recognition of the addition of 8,600 lb (38.25 kN; 3,901 kg) trailing truck boosters, Baker outside radial valve gear, and Worthington 3 (627, 629, 631) or 4-5A (628, 630, 632) feed water heaters.

Dolores E. Ham, in her Northeastern Vermont Railroads (2004), says the Mikes that worked near St Johnsbury, Vermont were known as "Big Mickeys".

Retirements began in 1936 and continued over the next 16 years.

Class S1 - USRA (Locobase 7061)

Data from MEC 2 - 1923 and MEC & PTC 7- 1947 Maine Central locomotive diagrams supplied by Allen Stanley in May 2005 from his extensive Rail Data Exchange. Works numbers were 60933-60938 in 1919.

Part of the sizable clutch of Light Mikados (Locobase 40) built to the USRA's design, this sextet was delivered in 1919. Arch tubes contributed 27 sq ft (2.51 sq m) to the firebox's 280 sq ft (26.1 sq m) of direct heating surface at the time of their first MEC service. Later the firebox was altered to eliminate two of the arch tubes (leaving 14 sq ft/1.3 m arch tubes) and add 74 sq ft (6.87 sq m) of Nicholson thermic syphons, which increased the direct heating surface to 341 sq ft and gave a similar boost to total evaporative heating surface. The firebox was fed using a Duplex mechanical stoker.

Later tenders added two short tons (1,814 kg) of coal, probably at the cost of 4,000 US gallons (15,140 litres) of water.

Withdrawals began in the early 1950s, with 626 being scrapped in January 1951, 624 in August 1952, and 623 & 625 in January 1956.