MTH ELECTRIC TRAINS

The 4-6-2 Pacific became the new standard locomotive for passenger service across the U.S. for thirty years in the early twentieth century. Its larger firebox, supported by the two trailing wheels, gave it greater steaming capacity than the 4-6-0 Ten-Wheeler; the added pair of drivers gave it greater pulling power than the 4-4-2 Atlantic; and the additional front wheels gave the Pacific greater stability than the 2-6-2 Prairie. This combination of virtues made it ideal for giving passengers a smooth ride at high speeds. The Pacifics were so successful, for their time, that virtually every important passenger-carrying road relied on a fleet of Pacifics to head up their most famous passenger trains, including the famous Jersey Central Blue Comet, which was a sign of luxury and grand service for twelve years.