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 Kato/JNR/Micro Ace 2-6-0
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Mike Madonna

USA
129 Posts

Posted - 11/05/2009 :  23:12:29  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Good evening all,

A couple of month's back, "mike laywer" asked the following questions regarding the above:

1. Are the drivers gauged properly for NMRA standards?

2. Are the wheels C55 compatible?

These questions were answered promptly.

MY question on this loco is does anyone know the driver diameter? The driver wheelbase?
Has anyone pulled the shell off and perhaps have dimensions on the chassis (ie. width of chassis under shell, overall length, etc.)?
ANY imput on the above would be greatly appreciated!

Mike
Southern Pacific
Coast Division 1953
Santa Margarita Sub.

brokemoto

USA
2660 Posts

Posted - 11/06/2009 :  05:00:58  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
The drivers scale out to about sixty-eight inches; a bit large for an SP M class, but you might get away with it.

At its widest, where the motor is, the chassis is 18mm. The length of the chassis is 76mm; with tender and drawbar, the entire thing is 146mm. Add another 8mm on the aft for the appropriate MT and 14mm on the fore for a RR pilot and MT coupler. These dimensions are using the MT Vanderbilt, mind you, which would be correct for an SP M class.

The MP mogul is actually based on an SP M class. You need to add a few details, such as the semicircular railing on the bottom half of the smokebox cover, to give your mogul that 'SP face'. The other glaring error would be any of the cabs that MP puts on it; none of them are correct for the SP. You would have to modify any of the cabs to get the Harriman cab. There are a few more details that you would need to add to make it truly an M class.

The greatest challenge would be the tender. The MP does need an all wheels live tender; the stock MP Vanderbilt (or box tender, for that matter) is only half wheels live. You would need to make it all wheels live. A possibility is substituting the B-mann SPECTRUM USRA Switcher tender for either stock MP tender. The problem with that is that not many SP moguls had box tenders. You would have to find a photograph of one to get the correct number.

You would need to make an oil tender out of the B-mann; not a difficult job. I am not sure that any of SP's M classes with box tenders ran in California. The photographs that I have seen of SP M classes with box tenders are all of Atlantic Lines power (East of El Paso, Tejas).

The MP mogul with the stock tender is a good puller, but not the best runner. The presence of the traction tyre severely compromises the electrical contact to the point that it will stall on straight and level at speeds less than thirty-five SMPH. This is not a big deal if you want to use it as passenger power (most SP M classes had steam lines and signalling devices), but if you want it to pull drag freight, you will need to make the tender all wheels live.

With an all wheels live tender, the MP mogul is a real winner. It will pull fifteen loaded MT gondolas and an MT wood caboose up a one per cent grade at TEN SMPH. This is the most that I tried; it showed no sign of slipping with that load.

The MP eight wheeler has the same shell, and does resemble some SP E-classes. Most SP E classes also had Vanderbilts, but there were some with box tenders, even in California. Most E Classes were gone from California by the 1930s; some did last into the 1940s, but I am not aware of any E classes in California by the 1950s.

Thank you for your consideration and support.

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EBIT

Japan
416 Posts

Posted - 11/07/2009 :  06:43:17  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Kato and MicroAce JNR C50's don't have the same physical measurements.
They made their models based on their taste although they are modeling JNR C50.
Here are major ones.

Hope this helps.

Ebi














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EBIT

Japan
416 Posts

Posted - 11/08/2009 :  02:37:33  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Here are the engines with their shells on.
Their three axle tenders were replaced with the Bachmann's.

Ebi



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victor miranda

4211 Posts

Posted - 11/08/2009 :  08:39:59  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Hi ebit,

beautiful reply.

Thank you very much!

v
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pdesigndavidson

81 Posts

Posted - 11/08/2009 :  14:51:52  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Ebit or anyone else owning these 2 Loco,

Can you tell us how the running / operating characteristics for these 2 Locos ( Kato vrs. MicroAce) compare.

Does one version have slower running speeds that the other?

Is one quieter than the other?

Is one smoother, and or superior to the other?

I have always wondered about the above questions for a kit bash I have been considering. Thanks for great photos and dimensions.
Peter
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Mike Madonna

USA
129 Posts

Posted - 11/08/2009 :  20:51:15  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Ebit,

THANK YOU for the detailed and very well illustrated explaination of both locos. This info helped answer alot of questions.
I knew they'd be a few folks who would "come through".

Brakemoto,

My intention was NOT to do an SP "M" class Mogul. I have the Model Power SP 2-6-0. I agree it certainly captures the look of the "Valley Mallets". What I was considering was to use the Kato or Micro-Ace mogul as a starting point for a T-28 class SP 4-6-0 (Ten Wheeler). I have a "spare" Oriental Limited C-9 (2-8-0) brass shell and C-100 tender. The boiler/cab is very similar between the SP C-9 and the T-28. From about 3 feet away, the minor differences would not be noticable. It's just that the motor lays flat and is 16 mm wide. The cab on the C-9 is not that wide. My other option would be to look at a MP Mogul shell or bash one from a couple of Atlas/RR Mikes or Pacifics. So, I may have to reconsider? I appreciate your imput as it appears that you've been well schooled on the SP "characteristics".

Again, thanks to all who replied!

Mike
Southern Pacific
Coast Division 1953
Santa Margarita Sub.
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EBIT

Japan
416 Posts

Posted - 11/08/2009 :  22:00:08  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
You are welcome, guys.


quote:
Ebit or anyone else owning these 2 Loco,

Can you tell us how the running / operating characteristics for these 2 Locos ( Kato vrs. MicroAce) compare.

Does one version have slower running speeds that the other?

Is one quieter than the other?

Is one smoother, and or superior to the other?


It' hard for me to recognize any differences between them in terms of running performance.

Both of them start slowly and run smoothly and quietly,
although their top speeds are like the bullet trains.

Ebi
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