USRA 2-6-6-2

The prototype

The USRA 2-6-6-2 was a standardized design of 2-6-6-2 Mallet locomotives developed by the United States Railroad Administration during World War I. These articulated locomotives were direct developments of the Chesapeake & Ohio class H2 and H4 series from 1911.
During the tenure of the USRA, 30 of these articulated steam locomotives were built. The Chesapeake and Ohio Railway (C&O) and Wheeling and Lake Erie Railroad (W&LE) ordered the USRA 2-6-6-2 Mallet. Later, the Nickel Plate Road (NKP) leased them from the W&LE, renumbering them for use on its rails. After that, development and building continued until as late as 1949.

The model

In one word: awesome!! Like the Y3 it runs terrific, so smooth! Detailing is ok. The version I have is lightly weathered. The only minus is the electric connection between locomotive and tender. Bachmann should have done a better job than this. The wires interfere with the coupler giving the trailing wheels a hard time to stay on track.

More photos on this model