Mesa Desert 2600 Class FINISHED

To supplement the growing freight transport contracts following World War I, the Mesa Desert Railroad took over of a fleet of 10 USRA Standard Heavy Mikados to alleviate the current fleet comprising of six mainline locomotives (97, 98, 99, and 441-443) and one little oddball pilot (121). The new Mikados were painted gunmetal grey with light grey stenciled lettering and numbering, and the first four (2600, 2610, 2620, and 2630) were christened after the newly-built Colorado-class battleships. Put into freight service in 1925, they soon proved hearty and daring passenger locomotives as well, with 2620 "USS Washington" pulling the longest passenger train prior to the stronger locomotives courtest of the Southern Pacific during the 1930's. They weren't exactly shrinking violets either, with 2600 " USS Colorado" and 2610 "USS Maryland" headlining the inaugural run of the Phoenix-Las Vegas "Gambler". They were also considered the longest-serving locomotives of the Mesa Desert, with at least five of the ten locomotives always on mainline service either as helpers or headers. When the Mesa Desert collapsed in 2011, they were graciously given a home on the MFSC's adjacent Frisco Pacific line, where they were given the traditional black-and-yellow striping of the railroad. Following the reinstatement of the MDRR in 2013, Nos. 2600 "USS Colorado" and 2690 returned to the line as full-service locomotives.
The Mikados wore a number of different paintschemes throught their working life. All ten were originally painted gunmetal grey with yellow stripes, but had lost the striping five years later. During World War II, the USS-named locomotives were repainted in general black with US Army lettering. Following the war, all were repainted back into standard gunmetal. When 2600 and 2690 were reinstated to service, 2600 recieved her "1930-condition" paintscheme, but with an added Colorado state flag on her cab. 2690, on the other hand, recieved a paintscheme similar to Southern 4501, where she was painted in the style of the MDRR CEO's favorite train, the Blue Comet. Various nicknames for the 2600 Class included "Battleships", "Greyhounds", "Grey Ghosts", and one advertisement mentioned it as the "Silver Streak".
SOMEBODY STOP ME!