How About a Seaboard Q-3 Mike???

Bob,

Man, that really is a nice looking light mike. I'm surprised someone hasn't offered one of those already.

By the way, what is an "automatic stoker". I've never been on a steam locomotive that had anything "automatic".

LOL, I sure don't know, I got that blurb off another site.  My guess it's the "mechanical" screw-type that feeds coal.  Here's the "Wikipedia" blurb for a "mechanical" stoker:

Mechanical stoker

A mechanical stoker is a device which feeds coal into the firebox of a boiler. It is standard equipment on large stationary boilers and was also fitted to large steam locomotives to ease the burden of the fireman. The locomotive type has a screw conveyor (driven by an auxiliary steam engine) which feeds the coal into the firebox. The coal is then distributed across the grate by steam jets, controlled by the fireman. Power stations usually use pulverized coal-fired boilers.

I suppose you could say it "automatically" feeds coal once engaged and beats he!! out of firing by hand.  That must have been some hard, back-breaking work.

But I think you already know that

I agree that it is an interesting prototype, but am not surprised that importers are not rushing to provide them in O Scale.

With the Vandy tender and pumps on the face, it looks like something that belongs on a Hill road.  Very Pacific Northwest.  Neat prototype.

Brian

Bob2, Nice looking engine!

Brian,  The difference between the Q-3 and a USRA engine is mainly the placement of the pumps, location of headlight, and the type of door/front of the smoke box.  Of course the Vandy tender and the booster truck are different too, but if those parts were separate castings they could easily make a basic USRA engine and modifying features on any number of the RRs that owned the USRA Mike.  A die cast engine would be more difficult to alter, unless it too had separate castings.

Seaboard had a variety of Vanderbilt tenders as they were used on other classes of steam.  I'm surprised we don't see more engines with Vanderbilt tenders, I know a number of other RRs used variations of them.

It would be a nice breath of fresh air if the manufacturers would take a break on rehashing Hudsons and the like and give us something like this.  I know the light Mike has been done before, but how long ago and could they be easily modified?

Vanderbilt tenders are all over the place.  It's just that the Seaboard versions are unique, and there are not that many Seaboard modelers.  Same with Kansas City Southern.  K-Line did a die cast tender that might work - it was supposed to be Harriman, but they missed.