Correct lettering for Aster Mikado

2788 Views 5 Replies 5 Participants Last post by Tom Leaton, Dec 24, 2008

Johnsop

Discussion Starter · Dec 21, 2008

I have an Aster Mikado which i would like to add lettering to. I have a set of Santa fe decals and a set of UP decals (both from Robert Dustin) but I have not been able to find a decent photograph of a USA Mikado to decide which would look the best (and also where to actually place the lettering). I was hoping someone might be able to post a photo or two to help my research.

In the meantime - Merry Christmas

PHIL

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Semper Vaporo

· #2 · Dec 21, 2008

Railpictures dot net http://www.railpictures.net/index.php has hundreds of photos of Mikes... searches can be done based on wheel arrangment and road name.

Steam Locomotive dot info http://www.steamlocomotive.info/index.cfm is another site with hundreds of photos.

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rbednarik

· #3 · Dec 21, 2008

Also try searching the Union Pacific and Santa Fe Historical societies databases. Links here:
http://www.uphs.org
http://www.atsfrr.com/

Also try George Elwood's site, he has the most complete collection of Fallen Flag (and historical) rail lines around.
http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/

Did a quick search and found these:

ATSF mike:

Union Pacific light mike:

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rwjenkins

· #4 · Dec 22, 2008

The Santa Fe didn't have any USRA Mikados, but the UP had 20 of them, and another 20 were allocated to UP subsidiary Oregon Short Line. A good reference guide for allocations of all types of USRA locomotives can be found on steamlocomotive.com: http://www.steamlocomotive.com/misc/usra.shtml. The Aster model represents a USRA light Mikado. Here are a few pics of UP USRA Mikes in action:

UP 2538 - 1937 photo with original smokestack and "Union Pacific" tender lettering

UP 2484 - 1935 photo showing earlier lettering scheme with number on the tender and "Union Pacific" spelled out on the cab side
UP 2491 - 1947 photo showing the large smokestacks the UP fitted to these engines in the 1940's.

These photos all came from the Denver Public Library Western History Collection, you can search their image database here: http://history.denverlibrary.org/images/index.html

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Johnsop

Discussion Starter · #5 · Dec 23, 2008

Thanks for the information and links. It looks like I need to go Up then if ATSF never had any - would help to be accurate if I ever had to sell this fantastic locomotive

PHIL

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Tom Leaton

· #6 · Dec 24, 2008

An AT&SF light mike was like this:

http://www.snowcrest.net/photobob/sfl93.jpg

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