20892
Sumpter Valley Mallet Steam Loco, 251, Sound





The Uintah Basin lies in the high mountains of northeast Utah. It´s an inhospitable place, but it had one distinction: The Uintah Basin was once the world´s only source for gilsonite ore. The Uintah Railway was established in 1903 to carry that ore, and to conquer the difficult terrain, the railroad had to climb unusually steep grades, some greater than 7%. In the 1920´s, the Baldwin Locomotive Works built two 2-6-6-2 "Mallets" especially for the railway. This big LGB model is an authentic replica of the original No. 51. The model features two power units that enable the massive model to negotiate even the tightest radius of LGB track. LGB digital electronics reproduce the actual sounds of a real steam loco, including exhaust chuffs, coal shoveling, brake squeals and more. There´s even a flickering flame in the fire box.


The Prototype
In the 1920s, the Uintah Railway in Utah and Colorado bought two modern Mallet locomotives from Baldwin. To this day, these locomotives are the largest narrow gauge locomotives that ever operated in the United States. When service on the Uintah Railway was discontinued, the two powerful Mallets were sold to the Sumpter Valley Railway, which connected rural towns in Oregon. The locos were equipped with tenders and soon hauled most of the trains on this scenic line. After the Sumpter Valley was closed down, the Mallets went to Guatemala, where they ran on the International Railroad of Central America until the 1960s.

The Model
This detailed replica features:
- weather-resistant construction
- opening cab doors
- four-way power control switch
- two protected gearboxes with seven-pole Bühler motors
- twelve powered wheels
- two traction tires
- twelve power pickups
- digital electronic sound:
- synchronized steam chuffs
- bell and whistle sounds
- brake sounds
- air pump, safety valve and steam sounds
- injector sound
- volume control
- remote control of sound features (with Multi-Train System)
- voltage stabilization circuit
- smoke generator
- simulated firebox fire
- automatic directional lanterns
- one multi-purpose socket
- length: 940 mm (37 in)
- weight: 5300 g (11.7 lb)