IHC Premier M637 D&RGW Class M-69 4-8-2 Mountain Locomotive #1550 w/"Vandy" Tender

The Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad took delivery of its first ten "Mountains" (road numbers 1501 through 1510) from the American Locomotive Company in 1922. These Class M-67 locomotives had 28 x 30 cylinders, 63"drivers, a boiler pressure of 210 psi, a tractive effort of 66,640 lbs and a weight of 377,000 pounds. At the time, they were the heaviest "Mountains" on the rails.

Ten "Mountains" (road numbers 1511 through 1520) came in 1923. They were designated Class M-78 and were equipped with boosters which increased their tractive effort to 78,967 pounds. They were identical to the Class M-67 locomotives except for the boosters and an increase in total weight of 7,200 pounds. A second batch of ten Class M-67s (road numbers 1521 through 1530) came from ALCO in 1923 and were similar to the 1922 Class M-67s except for an increase of 1,600 lbs in total weight.

Ten more 4-8-2s (road numbers 1600 through 1609) came from the Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1926 and were designated as Class M-75. These M-75s had three 25" dia. x 30" stroke cylinders, 67" dia. drivers, a boiler pressure of 210 psi, a tractive effort of 74,970 lbs and weighed 419,300 pounds.

Four more "Mountains" came to the Rio Grande in 1945: Norfolk & Western freight "Mountains" 206-209, built by N&W at Roanoke in 1926. D&RGW classified them M-69 and numbered them 1550-1553. After the crush of WWII wartime traffic abated the four were sold to the Wheeling and Lake Erie. All forty D&RGW "Mountains" were sold or dismantled between 1948 and 1955.

Of interest to modelers, or not, IHC offered this great loco in two versions with the same Road Number: This IHCM637 with cowcatcher mounted headlamp and "Vandy" Tender and IHCM929 with boiler mounted headlamp and long haul Tender. Both are currently available on our site. Yet another oddity in model railroading history.

FEATURES:

• NEW C-9 Mint Condition with Mint Original Box.
• Test Track run time only.
• MRRHQ Locomotive Works serviced, tested and certified.
• Operating Headlamp.
• Factory Installed Directional Rear Tender Lighting.
• One-piece boilers, engine covers, cabs and tenders of pressure-cast high impact plastic.
• Steel main and side rods.
• Real brass bell.
• Includes the Complete Set of owner-applied additional fine detail parts.
• Powerful state-of-the-art can motor w/flywheel.
• Scale 72" Drivers.
• Easy rolling steel needle point truck axles.
• Upgraded with working rear Kadee all-metal Knuckle Coupler.
• Optional Upgrades Available:
  • TCS T1 Standard DCC Decoder Installed.
  • TCS T1KA Standard DCC Decoder w/Keep Alive Installed.
  • TCS WOWSound 101 DCC/Sound Decoder Installed.
  • TCS WOWSound 101KA DCC/Sound Decoder w/KEEP ALIVE Installed.
  • Engineer Figure Installed in Cab.
• Made in Slovenia by Mehano. Production Year 1998.

Dimensions: Locomotive 7 7/8"L x 1 1/2"W x 2 1/8"T - Tender 6 3/8"L x 1 1/2"W x 2 1/8"T

HO Scale 1:87