USRA Mikes

[Cully Kowal]

Model Railroader Cyclopedia Vol. 1, Steam Locomotives on Page 69 lists Monon as one of the owners of USRA Light Mikes as well as copies.  And on P. 73, Monon is listed as having original Heavy USRA mikes.  Can someone identify exactly which Engine numbers were original USRA engines?  Cully Kowal

[Ron Marquardt]

Cully, the information I was able to get from Bob Wheeler's Annual Report summary says that the USRA took over control of the Monon on December 28, 1917, and on 12/31/1919 alloted five light Mikes to be delivered in 1920.  The steam locomotive roster I have, a portion of which is attached, shows light Mikes 500-504 being built on 12/31/1918, the only USRA engines listed, and while the dates are not an exact match, I feel these are the engines you inquired about.  / Ron

PS, I don't know much about the USRA regulations, but it is possible that the locomotive builders completed the locomotives before they were alloted, then later delivered.  Perhaps someone else could address this question.

[Steve Dolzall]

After WWI many railroads continued to buy locomotives based on the USRA designs. The Kalmbach book lists those owners which also had copies built to the USRA design specifications. According to what I can find, the Monon was actually only allocated 5 light 2-8-2's by the USRA.

[Eric Reinert]

Here's my 2 cents on the USRA engine question: Ron is correct, though he has a typo in his text... (500-504 vs. 550-554)
The Class J-2 Mikes, numbered 550-554, were the only true, original USRA Light Mikados the Monon owned, even though they were not the only Mikes the road had delivered during the "great war". The class J-1 Mikes 525-529 were not USRA design, even though they may have been delivered under USRA control of the Monon. Also, the cylinder diameter (28" Diam. vs. 26 " for USRA locomotives) and driver wheelbase differences preclude them from being of strict USRA design. (In my opinion the "Monon-style" cabs alone disqualify all J-1's and J-4's from being true USRA copies anyway.)

The J-3 Mikes numbered 560-565 are what I think are commonly referred to as the USRA Heavy Mikado copies, (they were built in 1926, so they couldn't be original USRA engines) and their cylinder diameter X stroke, driver diameter, driver wheelbase, cab design, dome placement, etc. match USRA Heavy Mike specifications. Although steamlocomotive.com claims the Monon reverted to their own design for the J-3's. However, this website also muddies the water with a chart claiming 16 of the Monon's Mikes were heavy copies, which means someone out there considers both the J-3 and the J-4's to have been USRA Heavy Mikado copies. Mr. Hilton's Monon Route book locomotive roster lists only the J-2 Mikes being of USRA design, although the builder's photo of J-3 number 564 on page 168 sure looks like a USRA Heavy copy to me. (With the exception of the capped stack of course.)

[George Lortz]

Here is a Web site with very thorough information about the Monon "Mikes".  Perhaps we could add a link to it from the Monon Society Web site, if that has not already been done.

http://www.steamlocomotive.com/mikado/?page=monon

George L.


 

[Robert Wheeler]

As an additional bit of info. The website George refers to has similar info on all CI&L and L.N.A.&C. steam locos except 0-6-0 (60 and 80 Class or Class B) switchers.

[Tom Kepshire]

Good suggestion. I will add the link to the Steam Roster page. Also, steamlocomotive.com will be the next Link of the Week.

[Eric Reinert]

I just purchased this photo on ebay a few days ago of one of the Monon's USRA Mikes. I especially liked the stop posts, which I had never seen before. 
I consulted with Bob Lalich regarding the location: He says "The photo was taken just south of 81st St looking north. The stopboards are for 80th St Junction, where the BRC crossed the C&WI freight tracks to Pullman Jct and Dolton. The track on the far right was the C&WI runaround track for their 83rd St Yard. The train is probably returning from Clearing with a transfer."  Also of note is the Rock Island bridge and signal in the background.
 
Eric Reinert

[Cully Kowal]

A heart-felt thank you to all who responded to this thread on USRA Mikes.  Thanks also to Eric who posted a picture of 554.  I was able to obtain a Sunset USRA Mike in O Scale recently.  Although it is currently lettered Milwaukee Road, (another road that I model), after inserting a new gearbox, this one will definitely  be lettered MONON.  Again, Many Thanks   Cully Kowal

[Eric Reinert]

Cully,

I'd sure like to see your Mike after you repaint it for the Monon.
Would you consider posting a photo of it?

Eric

[Cully Kowal]

I will be happy to post a picture when the loco is painted.  Cully

[Eric Reinert]

Here's a page from the April 23, 1927 Railway Age magazine showing the builder's photo of the 564 as part of a Vanadium Corporation of America advertisement. Quite handsome engines, even "as-delivered". 

Eric Reinert

[Ken Weller]

Here are some pictures of Monon's 564.

[Tim T Swan]

Here's some more of J2 #554, including the famous shot blasting beneath the SR37 overpass near Harrodsburg.

#554 is a good one to model, being the longest lasting of MONON's 5 true USRA's, not being retired until May, 1949.

[Eric Reinert]

Updated link to the Monon Mikado page (Which has since been updated with corrected and further information regarding which engines were sold to whom, etc.) as the previous link went 404:

https://www.steamlocomotive.com/locobase.php?country=USA&wheel=2-8-2&railroad=monon#8315