Switchers - Freight - Mixed service - Passenger - Maine Narrow Gauge
Switchers
History: The MEC had a series of 35 very similar 0-6-0 switchers including 2 USRA locos as their K class. The MEC had a solitary J class 0-8-0 switcher, it was a USRA copy built for the Boston & Maine by Alco in 1922. It arrived on MEC rails in 1946 and was numbered 199
Modelling options: I am using the excellent Proto 2000 USRA loco to represent the K class 0-6-0s, I used a first run undecorated model and installed a Soundtraxx Tsunami sound chip in the tender. It runs and sounds fantastic.
For the 0-8-0 I am using an aged Tenshodo brass loco with added detail and a scratch built tender (starting with parts from and old Model Power ACL tender body) to represent the J class #199. It is not an exact model as there are some details on the brass loco I am reluctant to change due to the way it is put together (front steps and pilot). I had little trouble in converting this loco to DCC operation despite the relatively high current draw of the original open frame motor, I have mounted a DH123D in the tender and there are directional head and reversing lights. I have now replaced the open frame motor with a modern can motor with a 3:1 in line reduction gearbox, this loco is now so slow - if anything a bit too slow!
Mixed service
Moguls (2-6-0)
History: Until recently I didn't even know that the MEC had any Moguls, like most medium sized railroads they either had Moguls or Ten-wheelers but not generally both. The MEC had a handful of Moguls as the result of take-overs and mergers all of which were retired by 1940.
Modelling options: As they were gone by 1940 I don't intend to model them at present, they would in any event be quite a challenge as no one offers anything close in either RTR or kit built form.
Ten wheelers (4-6-0)
History: In the 20th Century the MEC had 4 sub-classes of heavy ten-wheelers in its O class, which were used in local passenger and freight service, they were the Geeps of their day. They had two sub-classes of light 4-6-0s for branchline passenger service as their G class, all of which were gone by the mid 1930s. All the O class were on the larger side for ten-wheelers, the 0-3s were BIG locos for their type, equivalent in weight and pulling power to a light Pacific. The final 8 ten-wheelers (sub-class O-4) were delivered late for their type in 1923 and unusual for the MEC - who preferred Alco products - were built by Lima. By the 1950's most of the ten wheelers had been retired but a few lingered to serve the lighter laid branchlines such as the Beecher Falls and Harmony Branches, but these were eventually bumped into retirement by 1953 with the arrival of the Alco S4s and EMD SW7s.
Modelling options: No-one to my knowledge has produced a "production" model of any variety (not even brass imports) in HO scale for any of the MEC ten wheelers, the choice is therefore to scratch build an exact model, kit bash to form a reasonable likeness, or use a brass "stand in" (e.g a NYC, Rutland, New Haven or even Canadian National loco).
In the first instance I chose to kit bash starting with an MDC Harriman ten wheeler kit. MDC kits have had a lot of bad press over the years and with some reason they are not up to today's standards, but I've had a "soft spot" them and enjoyed the kit bash. I chose to model an O-1 #363 as although they had piston valves they had inside Stephenson valve gear like the Harriman engine, all the later engines had Walschearts or Baker outside gear.
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Another option for kit bashing would be to marry an MDC boiler to a Bachman chassis. However, since the Horizon take-over MDC spares are hard to come by; Horizon don't even bother to answer your emails.
I recently purchased a brass 4-6-0, this is a very early Japanese hand built item (late 1940s era probably) of I think a NYC F12 which will make a passable O-2 or O-3 class with some work. It needs new gears, motor and lots of work.
Freight
Consolidation (2-8-0)
History: The MEC W class were medium sized for their type, delivered from Alco in three batches between 1910 and 1914. After delivery of the Mikados in 1914 they rarely ventured west of Bartlett NH.
Modelling options: I am using a stock Bachmann Spectrum 2-8-0 to represent this loco. The Bachmann model is based on an Illinois Central prototype (one of the largest 2-8-0s ever built) and is therefore rather large for the MEC locos, but a passable stand in. I find the printing of the MEC later style "speed" lettering rather garish on this model, so it will get a heavy weathering job, but appart from a couple of detail changes will remain unaltered. On DC these models operate superbly right out of the box; slow, quiet and reliable. Stick a plug'n'play DCC decoder in it and it becomes a different animal; noisy and unpredictable - I suggest (as others have also) that the cure is to remove the circuit board in the tender, then hard wire the decoder to the front tender plug. Removing the circuit board and replacing the budget decoder with a top flight decoder cured all the running problems with the B&M one I have.
Other options for this loco would include the IHC (Mehano) consolidation which is a bit closer in size, but in terms of detail and reliability much inferior. IHC offer it decorated as an MEC loco, but the speed lettering on the tender is in white not red/yellow so it would require re-lettering.
Mikado (2-8-2)
History: Unusually for a New England road the big road power on the MEC was the Mikado; the BAR, B&M, CV and New Haven largely skipped on the Mike and went from Consolidations to larger road power such as the Berkshire or Mountain. The MEC had 34 Mikes, including 6 of the USRA light design, all classified as the S class. The non-USRA were all quite similar although they had different sand domes, Delta trailing trucks with boosters, and their own unusual design of tender. They were assigned principally to the Mountain Division in both road and helper service and so are almost essential for my layout in steam and transition era.
Modeling options: I was overjoyed when Athearn announced their great looking USRA light Mike from their Genesis range, however, once I took delivery of the engine (road #626) it quickly turned to disappointment. The model struggles to run reliably; the light weight wires in the cumbersome umbilical chord arrangement frequently sever, and it tracks poorly with both the front pony and tender derailing much too frequently. The biggest drawback though is that although they are great looking models they are way too light at only 12oz in total and unbalanced to the rear, as a result a very unprototypical 10 40' freight cars is all it can manage. I have tried to add weight but there is little room and you have to be careful not to short the frame halves as it uses split frame pick up. Despite being built by Samhogansa in Korea (now defunct master brass builder) they are really are poorly designed models. I have thought about replacing the injection molded boiler with a Bowser cast white metal one, but it would require a lot of work and careful planning so as not to short out the frame halves.
After my disappointment with the Athearn loco I looked about for an alternative. I bought a second hand DJH kit off eBay which had been made fairly well but the cab subsequently damaged. The damaged brass cab was easy enough to repair but it will require a repaint. This loco has the pulling power, the boiler casting alone weighs in at 17oz and this is coupled with a powerful Canon can motor, but it can't handle tight radius track it struggles with anything below about 30" which includes Peco small radius and #5 turnouts, which even the Athearn Mike can handle. I had a real fight with this model to install DCC and directional head and back-up lights, I ended having to mount the decoder inside the loco's boiler. This loco is now essentially complete but requires a trip to the paint shop.
All in all the Mikados are a sorry lot and I was still looking for a reliable model for my tight radius curves when both Trix (Märklin) and Broadway Limited Imports both announced models. I thought I might try the Trix model which looked promising, but had second thoughts at $550 - ouch!
My quandary appears to have been answered by Broadway Limited. Their USRA light mike is a smooth operating, strong puller which can cope with tight curves, with good QSI sound to boot! A NYC version has recently been obtained (a true bargain on eBay - it does happen some times!) and having been thoroughly tested will take a trip to the paint shop.
Santa Fe (2-10-2)
History: The MEC acquired a job lot of second hand 2-10-2's from the B&M in the late 1930's when that road uprated to "modern" Super Power Mountains. They were used as drag freight engines between Portland and Bangor, ME. They were just about too heavy for anywhere else on the MEC system and stayed on the Back and Lower Road until retired in 1953.
Modelling options: The only real option here is a brass import of the B&M Sante Fe's; I think I'm correct in saying there has only ever been one run of these imported by Sunset so they are quite rare, expect to be paying in the region of $450 for a less than perfect model, and add a couple of hundred for one in mint condition - unpainted of course. I did briefly consider trying to convert a Rivarossi 2-10-2 (from back in the late 1970's) but its just too much work, the B&M engines were quite different from the USRA loco Rivarossi modelled. Bachmann have now done a much nicer version of the USRA 2-10-2 in their Spectrum range, but the same comment applies as to how close (not at all) they are to the B&M/MEC machines.
The only alterntive to brass is the recently released IHC / Mehano 2-10-2, it appears to be based (fairly loosely) on the B&M machines and is being offered in correct B&M and incorrect MEC paint schemes. Considering the price differnce (IHC list price is only $140), this is definitely worth pursuing. This certainly looks to be one of the best IHC / Mehano models to date.
History: The MEC had 4 2-6-6-2s in their X class. They were used in helper and drag freight service on the Mountain Division. They were acquired as cast offs from the B&M in the 1910's following the electrifcation of the Hoosac Tunnel. They were the reason the Bartlett NH turntable was removed and replaced by a wye, as they were too big for it. They were not a huge success and were retired by the mid 1930's.
Modelling options: I would like to model these locos despite being really too early for my time period, however they will be a challenge to model as no production 2-6-6-2 looks anything like them. Probably the most sensible starting pont would be a Mantua "Sierra" loco (a bit too small), or the Bachmann USRA 2-6-6-2 (a bit too big) but it would be a lot of work to get only an approximate model.
Passenger
Pacific (4-6-2)
History: The MEC had 26 Pacifics in the C class for express and passenger services, bought in two's and three's they gradually got bigger and more complicated over the 1907 -1924 delivery period. They were all light Pacifics and only one # 470 - the last one delivered - is preserved. Like many passenger engines the MEC looked after these locos, all period photos even right at the end of steam show them to be spotless, a little dust on the running gear and soot on the graphite smoke box, but the rest of the paint was a glossy black and the speed lettering shone.
Modelling options: To my knowledge only Athearn have done a model of these locos, producing their USRA Genesis model in MEC lettering. This is not strictly correct, none of the MEC locos were USRA designs, but they were of similar bulk and used the same or very similar boiler.
I have opted for an Athearn Genesis light USRA loco to start with, paying what I considered top dollar on eBay for a pristine "new in box" L&N loco, despite the poor reviews they have got. However once I got the loco and tested it I realised that these are in a different league to their poorly designed stable mate the 2-8-2. It runs, tracks and pulls well, what a relief. Unfortunately this model suffers from another flaw which only appeared after some running: the main nylon worm gear has split and will need to be rebuilt with a NWSL brass worm gear. Apparently this was also a common fault with this model - what a shame as it otherwise is a good running model. I have replaced the Athearn USRA tender with a brass one very close to what the MEC used for their last 4 Pacifics and two light Hudsons. I installed a Soundtraxx LC series sound decoder in this, but will probably change it for a Tsunami in due course. This will eventually turn out to be a model of MEC #468.
Other USRA light Pacifics would also be a starting point - to name a few options: DJH (British made kit sold poorly in the US as they need some skill to make run well), Oriental Powerhouse (marketed as a budget RTR "brass" model - in fact partially cast white metal with a plastic tender), GEM, Sunset, and various other importers have all offered brass models.
History: The MEC also had 2 Hudsons for express and passenger service. These were some of the lightest Hudsons ever built, essentially a B&M P4 Pacific with a long thin firebox and 4 wheel trailing truck, even so they were restricted to the Back and Lower Roads and the Boston-Portland route on the B&M. When retired from express service one was transfered to Portland Terminal for use as a stationary boiler.
Modelling options: Again these would be a real challenge to model, I guess the best starting point would be a Pacific rather than a Hudson, maybe the old Athearn P4 model? I note IHC (Mehano) have just introduced a model purporting to be of these locos; in fact its not even close being clompletely the wrong design and miles too big.