Missouri Pacific
Thanks and a tip of the hat to Davy Cormack and Joe Collias
This P73 class Pacific type of the Missouri pacific Railroad are very similar in basic dimensions to the Aristocraft Pacific model - is an excellent basis for producing a model of one of these engines. The P73 was somewhere between a USRA heavy and a USRA light pacific.
The class survived up to 1954.The locomotives didn't change drastically over the years but all were fitted in later years with Elesco feedwater heaters. The following photos show most of the detail differences applied. Some engines were coal fired while others were oil fired. This difference is reflected in the tenders.
Refer to Kalmbachs book "Guide to North American Steam Locomotives" page 247-254 "Missouri Pacific Railroad".
There is also another excellent book "MoPac POWER" by Mr Joe Collias, published in 1980 by Howell-North Books,11175 Flintkote Avenue Suite C, San Diego, CA 92121 (ISBN 0-8310-7117-6). It is now unfortunately out of print
Mr Joe Collias personally and very kindly sent me these subsequent photocopies of the P73 class Pacifics. So we have him to thank for his greatly appreciated help.
Also the correct !/29th Scale "MISSOURI PACIFIC" steam decals are available from Mr Tom Stolte at oddballdecal@lvnworth.com.
Photo 1. Engine No 6623 in her early years -- as yet no Elesco feedwater heater and a modified small USRA 10,000 gallon water/16 ton coal tender. This tender is close to the Aristocraft model but requires shortening for this type, an easy enough job. Note too, the tender has passenger style trucks. Aristocraft 2-axled heavyweight coach trucks will give this "look" to your model but are longer than scale.
Photo 1. Engine 6601 ,with elesco feedwater heater and 35ft 12 wheel tender.
3. 6611, oil burner with longer 39ft oil tender.
4. 6612 , oil burner but with 35 foot tender.
5. 6613, oil burner with 39ft tender.
6. 6613, another shot of the same loco.
7. 6614 , cast pilot with pivoted coupler.
8. 6615, different style cast pilot .
9. 6617, coal burner with 39ft tender. Henerally coalburners were allocated to freight work and oil burners were passenger locomotives. However, I don't know how rigidly this rule was applied in practice on the Mopac.
10. 6619, oil burner 39ft tender.
11. 6623 this final picture shows 6623 in later life now fitted with 39ft oil tender, Elesco FWH and a cast pilot. Compare this picture to the very first photo in this Mopac set of 6623 as she was in earlier days .The differences are easily spotted.
Lastly some engine and tender drawings. That concludes everything I have on this class Tom.
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