MTH HO 2-8-2 mikado steam locomotive

[UP5521]

I been thinking about getting a steam locomotive with sound and smoke but I need to know what locomotive might be great because I have been looking at the mikado locomotive but I understand they have a challenger locomotive coming out but I don't want to pay alot of money for the 4-6-6-4 locomotive so if I do Get the 2-8-2 locomotive which cost less than the other locomotives I'm going to paint it green,red with gold striping and silver on the smokebox and firebox to represent the southern railroad locomotive #4501.

 

[illinoiscentral]

Lionel has a model of the #4503 in their Gold Line.
It is in my 2003 catalog, probably still their too.

 

[Truemac]

If you can find one, I would just go with the BLI Blueline model of SOU #4501. It's already painted, better sounding (IMO), has more details, and by the time you add the decoder and seuthe smoke unit, you'll still have sepnt less than if you buy and repaint the MTH model.

http://www.broadway-limited.com/5170bluelineusralightmikado2-8-2sougreen4501dcsounddccreadyho.aspx