TIPS & TECHNIQUES

ARISTO MIKADO

    The Aristo "Mike" (Mikado 2-8-2) has finally arrived!!  It has been

a long time coming, but I personally feel that the wait has been worth

it.  There has been a lot of online "controversy" about this locomotive

which I will not rehash in this article.  Aristo's model is of a USRA

Mike, and for the most part, they have successfully captured the

"flavor" of this hard working freight locomotive.  Remember, once a

locomotive reached railroad property, the shops added their own touches

and modifications so that in many cases the original configuration was

unrecognizable.  I am going to a review of this model, but  will also be

adding comments on changes and modifications that I intend to make.

    I got to examine and play with the Southern Pacific version of the

Mike which has the new Vanderbuilt tender.  This model is painted and

numbered for the "Texas Lines" of the Southern Pacific.  The numbering

is correct for this loco class (MK-5),  and a small T&NO (Texas & New

Orleans) and MK-5 is stenciled on the cab as per the prototype. We are

looking at the same boiler that Aristo used for the USRA Pacific, so no

new surprises here.  Fortunately the boiler is plastic and adapts itself

to modification quite easily.  You should be able to "bash" this loco

into any railroad prototype that you want.  The steam and sand domes are

of course incorrect for the SP, but you are talking "major surgery" to

grind them down and change them.  I am going to start by adding washout

plugs, and decide later about the domes.

    The smoke box front opens on a hinge revealing a molded area that

looks like boiler tubes.  The headlight sits a little high for an SP

loco, but this can be easily remedied by drilling a new lower mounting

hole.  I plan on adding a visor and a front number board to the

headlight similar to what  I did on my Pacific.

     The pilot is removable with two screws, allowing the mounting of an

operating front coupler.  A Kadee #831 or 1831 coupler will easily screw

in place, so you do not have to use the Aristo knuckle that is supplied

with the loco.. With the pilot removed, there are still pilot steps in

place. Since the prototype was often used for switching on branch line

freights, many locos of this class often had nothing but steps on the

pilot for the crews to stand on.

      The bell is located on the front of the smoke box, but can be

easily relocated to the boiler which was SP practice.  I  plan to add

scratch built number boards to this loco per the prototype.  I am also

going to paint the smoke box and firebox with Pactra "steel" to simulate

the graphite that SP used on their fleet.  The whistle will be painted

brass instead of being left black.

The switches are in the cab for control of motor, lights, and

smoke, and are easily accessible.  The cab can be removed with four

screws for easy access to the plug in board for a DCC system.  There is

a plug in the front and rear of the loco for those that plan on using

battery operation.  These plugs are the same type that Aristo has put on

all their recent loco offerings for this purpose.  The one on the front

looks bad, and I will definitely cut it off.

        There is a second smaller plug on the rear of the loco that goes

to the tender.  This enables the loco to pick up power from the tender

wheels along with the drivers, for a smoother operation over less than

perfect track.

        The Vandy tender is a beauty to behold.  It is all of 20 inches

long.  It is equipped with an operating back up light, and has a speaker

inside for a sound system.  Aristo has also provided a plug in board so

that you can easily install an after market sound system.  One plug on

the board goes to the speaker, and the other is for sound system power

pickup.  This eliminates the cutting and soldering that used to be

required for either a Phoenix or Sierra system.   To open the tender,

you spread the sides and pull the top off.  The tender wheels, like the

ones on the loco are blackened.  They are too shiny, and will get a

squirt from my airbrush to dull them down.  I will do the same with the

running gear in addition to some light weathering since it has a shiny

blackened finish also.

         The new running gear is a dream to see in action.  The wheels

are ball bearing, and the motor is flywheel equipped.  This loco

literally "crawls" prototypically down the track, and is one of the

smoothest running steam locomotives that I have ever seen in Large

Scale. There is even a fan inside the loco to keep the motor cooled at

all times.  Aristo has wisely replaced the plastic side rods with cast

metal.  These move smoothly, and the fear of snapping a side rod has

been eliminated.  Aristo has come out with a real winner when it comes

to their new patented  drive mechanism.  This is a system that has to be

seen to be believed.  This loco can easily pull 28 metal wheeled cars on

a level grade.

          The loco and tender measure a whopping 42".  This loco should

only be run on 8 foot diameter curves and wide radius turnouts as a

minimum.

          The smoke system is the new Aristo system that puts out a

great deal of smoke when compared to the old one.  This system also has

an automatic thermal shut off to prevent burnout when the smoke fluid is

used up.

           I liked the LGB Mike when it came out very much, but for one

third the price, the Aristo Mike is a lot of locomotive for the dollar.