The 2-8-0 Consolidation quickly became a staple on railroads worldwide, offering a highly efficient alternative to the 2-6-0 Mogul. The Consolidations were capable of hauling trains twice as heavy at a fraction of the cost, it revolutionized freight transportation.
Initially, only a few railroads adopted the design when Baldwin first introduced it. However, its reputation soared when the Pennsylvania Railroad made it their primary freight locomotive in 1875. In total, over 33,000 Consolidations were built in the U.S., with 12,000 exported and 21,000 serving domestically. They 2-8-0 wheel arrangement was also used in Australia, Canada, Finland, New Zealand, South Africa and many other countries around the world.
Today many Consolidations are preserved with a few still operating in excursion service. Two of the most notable Consolidations include Southern Railway Ks1 class No. 630 which is run and maintained in Chattanooga, Tennessee by the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum, and Western Maryland SC-1 class no 734. The locomotive was restored to operating condition and cosmetically changed to look like an original Western Maryland 2-8-0.
We’re excited to offer a new production run of Consolidations, featuring liveries from some of the most iconic railroads in U.S. history. With a compact wheelbase and durable die-cast construction, this model is perfect for steam enthusiasts looking for a high-quality locomotive that performs smoothly on tighter curves. Each model is equipped with our Paragon4 Sound/DC/DCC system, featuring synchronized puffing smoke, Rolling Thunder, and integral GoPack capacitors for an immersive operating experience.
Industry-leading Model Features:
- ALL-NEW Paragon4 Sound & Control System
- Synchronized Puffing Smoke with Chuff Sound
- Variable Puffing Smoke Intensity and timing
- Integral DCC Decoder with Back EMF for Industry Best Slow Speed Operation in DC and DCC
- Precision Drive Mechanism engineered for continuous heavy load towing and smooth slow speed operation
- 5-Pole Can Motor with Skew Wound Armature
- Heavy Die Cast Boiler, Tender Body, and Chassis for Increased Tractive Effort
- Premium Caliber Painting with Authentic Paint Scheme
- Prototypical Light Operation with Separately Controllable Headlight, Reverse Light, Cab Light, and Front Marker Lights
- Factory-installed Engineer and Fireman Figures
- Many Separately Applied Details such as Handrails, Grab Irons, Ladders, Piping, Cab Glass, Whistle, Brass Bell, Markers, and Many Others
- Equipped with Rubber Traction Tires for Increased Pulling Power
- Recommended Minimum Radius: 18 inches
- Prototypical Sounds of an early USRA steam locomotive, with several alternative whistles
Broadway Limited Imports is proud to introduce Paragon4: The new benchmark for premium HO sound-equipped locomotives. These DC and DCC-Sound equipped locomotives feature the ALL-NEW Paragon4 sound and control system. Each Paragon4 locomotive comes with BLI's own integral DCC Decoder factory installed. Paragon4 locomotives offer Dual Mode DC and DCC operation with superb back EMF motor control, improved DC motor control, built-in capacitor pack for more reliable electrical pick-up, industry best on-board sound with Rolling Thunder functionality, Pro Lighting Mode for prototypical light control, Switcher model for precise low speed control, recordable DCC operation for automated playback, and the same excellent detail level as Broadway Limited's Paragon3 Series models.
Paragon4 Sound & Control SystemFeatures:
- Operates in DC & DCC with improved DC speed control (use DCMaster for DC Sound)
- Built-In capacitor pack to navigate imperfect track
- Capacitor Pack automatically disabled on program track for full compatibility with JMRI Decoder Pro
- Pro Lighting Mode offers individual control of all lights on model
- Switcher Mode for precise low speed control.
- Record & Play Operation - Records and plays back sounds and movements once or repeatedly for automatic operation
- High Resolution Audio
- Quillable Whistle for various whistle lengths and patterns
- Choice of 3 selectable Whistles
- Alternate Whistle / Horn where applicable for locomotive with air horn and steam whistle - both the main whistle and alternate can be easily played
- Adjustable bell ringing interval for faster or slower bell
- Numerous user-mappable functions with available keys
- Johnson Bar Sound at Direction Change
- Multiple realistic passenger and crew sounds play on command
- Grade Crossing Automatic Signal
- Automatic Forward / Reverse Signal - When activated, stopping triggers and stop whistle toot. When moving forward from a stopped position, toots twice. When moving in reverse. toots three times.
- Chuff sound intensity varies with load
- Individually adjustable sound volumes for each effect
- EZ Reset Button for quick return to factory default settings
