Being an H.O Scale model railroader Myself, especially after just joining a model railroad club recently, I have began too ponder the thought about adding an inexpensive steam locomotive to My small collection of rolling stock.

One locomotive that I am considering, is the Bachman 2-6-2 Prairie type steam locomotive. True, the Bachman model is a modified U.S.R.A 0-6-0 with lead and trailing trucks added, but I feel that this model has some potential as well.

The 2-6-2 Prairie steam locomotives, made their debut during the early 1900's on America's railroads. Shortline or industrial railroad applications, used Prairies that were basically modified 0-6-0's for road freight work. Several shortline and lumber company type railroads, had used plenty of these.

While the mainline 2-6-2 with large diameter driving wheels for passenger service never quiete caught on, it was the predecessor of the succesful 4-6-2 Pacific type passenger locomotive.

A few mainline railroads like the Atchinson, topeka & Santa Fe, The Northern Pacific, and the Chicago Great Western Railroad...had success with their mainline 2-6-2's, and found them ideal for branchline and switching assignments. The New York central experimented with mainline 2-6-2's, and found them unsatisfactory, as they were derailment prone at high speeds. The NYC opted for 4-6-0 ten wheelers instead.

I thought about modifying a Bachman model with a small style diamond or cabbage head O'Scale slip over smokestack, to make this look more like a logging or shortline engine.