"Big Mike" - Boise, ID
Posted by: 
cachegame
N 43° 36.138 W 116° 12.923
11T E 563324 N 4828001
This great locomotive marked the North Entrance to Boise's Julia Davis Park for 28 years. It is now located at the Boise Depot.
Waymark Code: WM11DW
Location: Idaho, United States
Date Posted: 12/13/2006
Views: 131
Big Mike, a Union Pacific #2295 Mikado steam engine, was donated by Union Pacific to the City of Boise on Nov. 14, 1959 and moved to Julia Davis Park. It was in Julia Davis Park for many years. It was later moved to the Boise Depot. These were called the Mikado class locomotives because they were made for the Japanese in the 20's.
Mikado/2-8-2:
a 2-8-2 is a railroad steam locomotive that has one unpowered leading axle followed by four powered driving axles and one unpowered trailing axle. This configuration of steam locomotive is most often referred to as a Mikado (frequently shortened to Mike), but it is also referred to as a MacArthur. The 2-8-2 was particularly popular in North America, but was also used in continental Europe and elsewhere.
The equivalent UIC classification is 1'D1'.
The 2-8-2 arrangement allows the locomotive's firebox to be placed behind, instead of above, the driving wheels, allowing a large firebox that could be both wide and deep. This supported a greater rate of combustion and thus a greater capacity for steam generation, allowing for more power at higher speeds. Allied with the larger driving wheel diameter possible when they did not impinge on the firebox, this meant that the 2-8-2 was capable of higher speeds with a heavy train than a 2-8-0.
History:
The class name Mikado originates from a group of 2-8-2 locomotives that were constructed in 1897 for the Nippon Railway of Japan.[1] In 1885, the Gilbert & Sullivan opera The Mikado premiered, so the name was on the minds of many in America.
The 2-8-2 was one of the more common configurations in the first half of the 20th century before dieselization. Nearly 2,200 of this type were constructed by ALCO, Lima and Baldwin based on designs of the USRA between 1917 and 1944. Of all of the USRA designs, the Mikado proved to be the most popular.
Mikado remained the class name until the Attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. Seeking a more "American" name, MacArthur came into use to describe the locomotive type; this name is based on General Douglas MacArthur. Since the war, the class name Mikado has again become the most common name for this locomotive type.
Locomotive Type: (required): Steam
Do you need to pay an entrance fee to view this locomotive? (required): No
How accessible is this locomotive display? (Required): Display is behind a fence, access is limited to viewing only.
If "other" what is the engine type? (optional): Not listed
If a fee is required what is the approximate cost for admittance? (optional): Not listed
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