AHM 5093-02 B&O Class EL-5a 2-8-8-0 Mallet #7155 Locomotive

The AT&SF (Santa Fe) was the first to experiment with this wheel arrangement. They seemed to enjoy the creation of new locomotives by rebuilding smaller engines into bigger ones. They took two 2-8-0s (Consolidations) and rebuilt them into a 2-8-8-0 configuration. As a result, this wheel arrangement is sometimes called a "Consolidation Mallet". On the Great Northern these were sometimes called the "Bull Moose" type.

The B&O was the very first North American line to put an articulated steam locomotive into service, an 0-6-6-0 design built in 1904 (built by the American Locomotive Company) that was listed as Class DD-1 #2400 and given the name "Old Maude." The railroad was constantly looking to achieve more tractive effort from a single locomotive in an effort to move larger and heavier freight trains over its steep West End, at such locations as Sand Patch in Pennsylvania and Cranberry Grade in West Virginia where some grades reached more than 2%. In 1916 it acquired its first 2-8-8-0s from Baldwin and continued receiving them from the builder until 1920. Eventually, the manufacturer delivered eighty-six examples listed from Class EL-1 through EL-5.

For the era in which they were built the B&O's 2-8-8-0s were impressive looking machines. As originally delivered the locomotives weighed more than 462,000 pounds and offered nearly 92,000 pounds of tractive effort sporting 58 inch drivers. Additionally, with a wheelbase of greater than 82 feet they were then the largest locomotives on the B&O roster.

FEATURES:

• C-9 Mint Condition with Mint Inner Cradle & Perfect Repro Box.
• Little or no evidence of run time.
• MRRHQ Locomotive Works serviced, tested and certified.
• Operating Headlamp.
• One-piece boilers, engine covers, cabs and tenders of pressure-cast high impact plastic.
• Steel main and side rods, guides, hand rails, fittings and coupler lift bars.
• Twelve Wheel Long Haul Tender.
• Scale 58" Drivers.
• Many additional fine details.
• Powerful Can Motor with .7 Amp Maximum Current Draw.
• Dual "Cardanic" Drive System provides power to all 16 Drivers .
• Silent, flexible drive and slippage-free oversize knurled drive wheel axles.
• Easy rolling steel needle point truck axles.
• Upgraded with working rear Knuckle Coupler.
• Optional Upgrades Available:
  • SOUNDTRAXX 852204 Standard DCC Decoder Installed.
  • SOUNDTRAXX 852204 Standard DCC Decoder w/810160 Keep Alive Installed.
  • SOUNDTRAXX TSU1100 Digital DCC/Sound Decoder Installed.
  • SOUNDTRAXX TSU1100 Digital DCC/Sound Decoder w/810160 Keep Alive Installed.
  • SOUNDTRAXX TSU2200 "Big Steam" Digital DCC/Sound Decoder Installed.
  • SOUNDTRAXX TSU2200 "Big Steam" Digital DCC/Sound Decoder w/810160 Keep Alive Installed.

Dimensions: Locomotive 10 x 2 x 1 3/8" Tender 6 1/2 x 2 x 1 3/8"