MTH 20-3418-1 Southern 2-8-4 K-4 Kanahawa Steam Locomotive #2716 – Model Train Junction: Quality Parts and Art Supplies

The Chesapeake & Ohio’s mighty 2-8-4’s belonged to one of steam’s finest family trees. The first 2-8-4, Lima Locomotive Works A-1, inaugurated the superpower steam era in 1925. A four-wheel trailing truck allowed the A-1 to have a larger firebox and boiler, producing a combination of power and speed never before seen in a steam locomotive. Initially tested on the Boston and Albany, the new wheel arrangement was dubbed the Berkshire after the mountain range it conquered on the B&A.
At about the same time, the Van Sweringen brothers of Cleveland, Ohio assembled a group of railroads under their control, including the Chesapeake & Ohio, the Nickel Plate Road, the Pere Marquette, and the Erie Railroad. Under the leadership of talented designer John Black, an Advisory Mechanical Committee was formed to design engines for the Van Sweringen roads; the group turned out some of the finest locomotives of the super power era.

One of Black’s initial designs was a high-powered Berkshire for the Erie that improved on Lima’s original ideas. For the C&O, Black designed a superb 2-10-4 that was a direct descendant of the Erie Berk. But perhaps the crowning achievement of the Advisory Mechanical Committee was its “Nickel Plate Berk,” a 2-8-4 introduced in 1934 and called by steam historian Eugene Huddleston “the greatest 2-8-4 ever to take to the rails.”

Condition: Factory New (C-9)
Operational Status: Functional
Original Box: Yes (P-9)

Manufacturer: MTH
Model Number: 20-3418-1
Road Name: Southern Railway (SOU)

Scale/Era: O Modern
Model Type: Steam Loco

The Trainz SKU for this item is P11594364.

Trainz Product Id: 11594364