Virginian 2-8-2 "Mikado" Locomotives in the USA

Class MA (Locobase 12857)

Data from Baldwin Locomotive Works Specification for Engines as digitized by the DeGolyer Library of Southern Methodist University Vol 30, p. 248. Works numbers were 30966 in May 1907, 30991 in June, 31420 in July, and 31600 in August.

Although originally ordered by the Tidewater, that railroad and the Deepwater had been combined into the Virginian by the time the builder needed to letter the tender. So Virginian it was.

Class MB (Locobase 4213)

Data from "Mikado Locomotive for the Virginian Railway," Railroad Age Gazette, Volume XLV, No 5 (3 July 1908), pp. 420-426; and VGN 8 - 1948 Locomotive Diagrams supplied in August 2013 by Allen Stanley from his extensive Rail Data Exchange collection. See also Baldwin Locomotive Works Specification for Engines as digitized by the DeGolyer Library of Southern Methodist University, Volume 35, pp. 123-139. (Thanks to Chris Hohl for his 25 July 2023 email correcting or supplemented boiler pressure information, driver, engine, and tender weights in the later engines.) Works numbers were 33395-33399, 33414-33415, 33429-33433 in May 1909; 34162-34164, 34213-34214 in January 1910; 34277 in February; 34426 in March; 34923-34926, 34983-34986 in July; 35024-35027, 35066-35068, 35114-35015, 35150-35151 in August 1910; 35214-35216, 35285 in September

Described in RAG almost a year before deliveries began, this Mikado class was destined to be the maid-of-all-work on the VGN's Deepwater Railroad section. RAG's report detailed the four kinds of service the new division would require:.

"Main line from Princeton, Virginia's assembling and classification yards to the sea;

Pusher service on grades;

Gathering originating freight on the Deepwater section between Princeton and Deepwater. West Virginia

Operation of the branslines or spurs running from the Deepwater division out of the mines.

Clearly, the emphasis was on plentiful steam generation and distribution as the boiler dimensions and 13 1/2" (343 mm) piston valves show. On the other hand, the grate was relatively small compared to 2-8-2s that would follow very shortly; Locobase added the 25 sq ft (2.32 sq m) area of four arch tubes shown in the specs to the 164 sq ft (15.24 sq m) given as basic firebox heating surface area. The first twelve engines arrived on the road with boiler pressure set to 180 psi (12.4 bar); all later engines had a 190 psi setting.

A "Hereafter" note to be applied to the last seven locomotives in the batch stated: "Throttle stuffing box should be strengthened and end of shaft supported from boiler. Throttle lever bracket attached to the boiler head to be strengthened." This change affected several other components--see supplemental instructions.

Both Baldwin's specs and the RAG article gave 219,000 lb (99,337 kg) as the driver weight and 269,000 (122,016 kg) on all engine axles.

Weights given in the specs reflect the reduced weights in the second order dated 3 March 2010 for road numbers 439-461. Remarkably, despite all of the demands for strengthening components, Eddystone decreased those weights in the latter batch when total engine weight dropped by 7 1/2 short tons (6.8 metric tons).

The cylinders and valves were cast as one piece and heat stress was lessened by providing air spaces in the casting between the cylinder and the frame.

Equalization had a separate specification. Each of the trucks had three fulcrum holes to allow adjustment. And, said the spec, "Equalization to be planned to permit of ready change from two system three wheel equalization to three system two wheel equalization if engine is found to teeter unsteadily."

EW King, Jr., writing in Drury (1993) says, "...they literally did everything on the Virginian: switching, pusher duty, coal drags, work trains, fast freights, mixed runs, and passenger trains."

Like most locomotives built in this era, these Mikes were delivered saturated and hand-fired and later superheated and fitted with mechanical stokers (see Locobase 13148).

Class MB - superheated (Locobase 13148)

Data from VGN 8 - 1948 Locomotive Diagrams supplied in August 2013 by Allen Stanley from his extensive Rail Data Exchange.

When the Virginian superheated the all-purpose freight haulers that made up their largest class (Locobase 4213), the shops undertook the usual tradeoff of small tubes for flues. In this case 185 small tubes were removed in favor of the 34 flues. Little else in the engines changed dramatically, although piston valves now measured 13 5/8" (346 mm) in diameter and the engine's wheelbase lengthened by 15 inches (381 mm).

Almost all of the class was eventually supplied with Berkley or Duplex stokers.

Most MBs remained with the Virginian. A few were scrapped in the 1930s, but most operated into the 1950s. The railway sold four--427, 438, 456, and 461-- to the Montour in May 1937. These were 427, 438, 456, and 461, which were renumbered 42-45.

452 and 455 went in the same year to the Algoma Central & Hudson's Bay Railway as their 70-71.

Class MC/MD (Locobase 7486)

Data from VGN 8 - 1951 Locomotive Diagrams supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive Rail Data Exchange. See also DeGolyer, Vol 42, pp. 322+ and Vol 68, pp.365+. Works numbers were 37651-37660 in April; 38904-38909, 38984-38985 in December.

These big Mikes were considerably larger than the MBs that went into service just two years before (Locobase 4213) . Unlike most later 2-8-2s, these engines had small drivers for heavy mountain work, but sported the 14" (356 mm) piston valves that aided good steaming. All had Ragonnet power reverse gear.

From Princeton to Roanoake, one MC was rated at 80 loaded cars when assisted by an MB up the Merrimac Grade, according to EL King (writing in Drury (1993). King adds that one MC was rated at 100 loaded cars from Roanoake to Norfolk, clearly a good investment in freight-moving locomotives.

The lone MD was rebuilt in December 1921 from the tender unit of #700, the Virginian's famous Triplex to identical specifications except for the substitution of Baker valve gear for the original design's Walschaert gear.

Five were later reclassified as MC-As when they were substantially rebuilt in 1938-1941. 480 (renumbered from 472) was this class's leader and was joined by 481 (466), 482 (470), 483 (475), and 484 (463) in receiving disk drivers measuring 57" and lightweight rods. Their tractive effort measured slightly less.