After years of resisting the 2-8-2-wheel arrangement the St. Louis-San Francisco Railway was assigned thirty-three "Mikado-Light" locomotives by the USRA and they arrived in 1919. The SF-SL was assigned thirty that were built by the Lima Locomotive works and three that were built by ALCO's Schenectady Works. The PRR had been assigned thirty-eight USRA "Mikado-light 2-8-2s and it rejected thirty-three of them. The USRA re-assigned the cast-off PRR "Mikados" to the MoPac and SLSF. The MoPac received ten which became MoPac numbers 1316 through 1325 and the SLSF received twenty-three which became SLSF numbers 4000 through 4007 and 4017 through 4031. The additional ten came from the Indiana Harbor Belt Line which became SLSF numbers 4008 through 4016 & 4032. These locomotives had 63" diameter drivers, 26" x 30" cylinders, a 200 psi boiler pressure and could exert a tractive effort of 54,725 pounds and each weighed 292,000 pounds. The firebox was 280 square feet, the evaporative heating surface was 3,783 square feet and with the superheater the combined heating surface was 4,665 square feet. All thirty-three of these locomotives were later equipped with a trailing truck booster, which increased the tractive effort to 62,900 pounds.

The next 2-8-2s to arrive were copies of the USRA "Mikado-Heavy" type built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1923. This group was assigned road numbers 4100 through 4134. Two years later another group, numbers 4135 through 4149 came from Baldwin. These fifty locomotives were coal burners and had 63" diameter drivers, 27" x 32" cylinders, a 200 psi boiler pressure, exerted 62,948 pounds of a tractive effort and each weighed 343,500 pounds. The firebox was 380 square feet, the evaporative heating surface was 4,061 square feet and with the superheater the combined heating surface was 5,054 square feet. In 1926, fifteen similar locomotives arrived from Baldwin and were given road numbers 4150 through 4164. These fifteen locomotives were similar to the other "Heavies" delivered in 1923 except they were oil burners and each weighed 341,400 pounds.

In 1928, the SLSF ordered twenty new locomotives that were heavier than any ever used by the Frisco. This group was delivered by Baldwin in 1930 and assigned road numbers 4200 through 4219. These locomotives weighed 375,790 pounds, 36 tons more than the USRA "Mikado-Light" of 1919 and 16 tons more the heavy "Mikados" built by Baldwin in 1923-1926. These locomotives had 63" diameter drivers, 27" x 32" cylinders, a 210 psi boiler pressure and they exerted 66,096 pounds of tractive effort. The firebox was 390 square feet, the evaporative heating surface was 4,384 square feet and with the superheater the combined heating surface was 6,304 square feet.

During 1943 through 1946 the West Springfield shops converted seven of the SLSF's 2-8-0 "Consolidated" type locomotives into 2-8-2s. These new "Mikado" locomotives were given road numbers 1350 through 1356. They had 63" diameter drivers, 26" x 30" cylinders, a 195 psi boiler pressure, exerted 53,335 pounds of tractive effort and each weighed 322,600 pounds. The firebox was 350 square feet, the evaporative heating surface was 3,248 square feet and with the superheater the combined heating surface was 4,083 square feet.

There are five surviving SL-SF 2-8-2 "Mikado" type locomotives. Two of the USRA allocated locomotives have been saved and are on display. Number 4003, built in 1919 by Lima, is at the Trolley Museum, 100 S. 4th St. in Fort Smith, AR and number 4018, built in 1919 by ALCO, is on Display at the Sloss Furnaces National Historical Landmark in Birmingham, AL. Three of the locomotives built by and for the SL-SF have been saved. Number 1351 is on display at the Memphis Transportation Museum in Collierville, TN, number 1352 is stored at I&M engine house in Taylorville, IL and number 1355 is on display on Garden St. in Pensacola, FL.

Class 1350 (Locobase 8638)

Data from StLSF 11 1943, StL&SF 1947, and SL&SF All Time Locomotive Diagrams supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive collection. (Thanks to Chris Hohl for the valve gear ID.)

Locobase isn't sure why the Frisco felt the need to convert seven of its 1306-series Consolidations to Mikados, but the demands of World War II traffic undoubtedly had the greatest influence. So 142 went under the knife and wrench first in August 1943, followed by 1313 (November 1943, emerging as 1351), 1321 (June 1944 - 1352), 1322 (September 1944 - 1353), 1316 (May 1945 - 1316), 1342 (August 1945 - 1350), 1318 (October 1945 - 1355), and 1343 (March 1946 - 1356).

And in a sense the shops put everything they could fit into this small, light design. The firebox heating surface now included a combustion chamber (53 sq ft/4.9 sq m) and two Nicholson thermic syphons (86 sq ft/8 sq m). A Coffin feedwater collar now embraced the smokebox and the Ragonnet power reverser lay under the right-hand running board.

As reconstituted, the class carried on for several years before being "dismissed from service" as a group in May 1952.

Class T-60 - 4100 (Locobase 8651)

Data from 1930 Locomotive Cyclopedia, additional data from StLSF 1947 and SL&SF All Time Locomotive Diagrams supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive collection. Works numbers were 55889-55893 in December 1922; 56016-56022, 56084-56087 in January 1923; 56224-56242 in March.

Based on the USRA heavy Mikado, but had taller drivers (by an inch) and a higher boiler pressure. Firebox had a short combustion chamber and Nicholson thermic syphons. The first 35, fitted with Baker valve gear, arrived in 1923, the rest - operating Walschaert gear - came in 1925. A set of 15 that followed in 1926 went further in elaborating the basic USRA design; see Locobase 37.

Time Magazine's 26 August 1929 issue recounted a record set by 4113 in July & August of that year, but described the engine as a 2-8-4. It was an interesting test of the ability of a typical locomotive to run continuously on the same fire for hundreds of hours and thousands of miles. The Great Northern had run a locomotive for 3,500 miles in 1927. Frisco's Mike smashed the old standard by covering 7,350 miles in 24½ days. The route consisted of 5 round-trips between St Louis and Birmingham, Alabama that generated 13,780,749 gross ton-miles.

"No vain stunt was this record," Time affirmed, "because every mile produced revenue. Only a standing rule of the Interstate Commerce Commission that every 30 days a locomotive must be unfired, have its boilers blown, its brasses checked, prevented No. 4113 from continuing its endurance test .... On its last run into Kansas City, No. 4113, pulling perishable freight, clipped 3½ hours off its running schedule. "

What impresses the 21st-Century reader are the consumption numbers: 937 tons of coal and 1 1/2 million gallons of water. That's 265 lb of coal and 204 gallons per mile of revenue movement. Or, another way to look at, the engine evaporated an average of 2,555 gallons per steaming hour and consumed 3,300 lb of coal.

Time's search for color turned up this tidbit: "While 60 different engine crews were operating No. 4113 to make the record, David L. Forsythe, Frisco's equipment foreman, rode every mile. Every five days he would leave his smooth-breathing charge, go back to the caboose, snatch eight hours' sleep. Now 65, Foreman Forsythe began with the Frisco at 14, was a "hoghead" (engineer) for 41 years."

They were "dismissed from service" by the Frisco between 27 June 1951 and 2 October 1952

Class T-60 - 4150 (Locobase 37)

Data from 1930 Locomotive Cyclopedia, additional data from StLSF 1947 and SL&SF All Time Locomotive Diagrams supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive collection. Works numbers were 59122-59125, 59145-59146 in April 1926; 59187-59195 in May.

When the Frisco went back to Baldwin for a follow-up order of USRA-like Mikes, the builder increased the heating surface area in the boiler. This was especially true of the superheater.

They were "dismissed from service" by the Frisco between 27 June 1951 and 2 October 1952

Class T-74 (Locobase 34)

Additional data from StLSF 1947 and SL&SF All Time Locomotive Diagrams supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive collection. See also DeGolyer, Vol 82, pp. 468+. Works numbers were 61279-61290 in March 1930 and 61326-61333 in May.

After the 65 Mikes delivered in 1926-1926 (see Locobase 8651 & 37), these 20 engines showed larger boilers pressed to 235 psi, larger grates, and a significantly higher superheater ratio. (The tractive effort shown in the specs, however, suggests that the locomotive's working pressure actually registered 210 psi.)

In fact, as data from an American multiple-throttle catalog of the time (reproduced on http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/slsf/slsf-mike.html, 17 Nov 2003) show, this is a superpower reworking of the basic Mike. The tube and flue ratio is turned upside down and there's plenty of grate and boiler for long runs at speed. The firebox heating surface includes 86 sq ft in two Nicholson thermic syphons and 14 sq ft of arch tubes. A Coffin feed water heater was fitted under the front end of the firebox on the left side of the boiler.

These were the last of the Frisco's Mikes to retire, being "dismissed from service" between 5 March 1952 and 21 May 1956.