MTH Premier O 20-3839-1 2-8-2 USRA Light Mikado Steam Engine, Pennsylvania Railroad #9628

DCC AND SOUND EQUIPPED

During World War I, Uncle Sam nationalized the railroads when they proved unequal to the task of moving massive amounts of men and material for the war effort. The agency that ran the trains was the United States Railroad Administration, or USRA, and one of its chief accomplishments was the creation of 12 steam engine designs that lasted for decades. According to the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, USRA locomotives were “the first successful standardization of American motive power” – and the only standard designs until the diesel era.

The most popular of the USRA designs was the 2-8-2 Mikado, which was heavy main line steam power in the World War I era. The very first USRA engine built was Baltimore & Ohio #4500, a light Mikado that is preserved today in the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum in Baltimore, MD. At the direction of Baldwin Locomotive Works Senior VP Samuel Vauclain, #4500 was constructed in a record 20 days so Baldwin would have the honor of delivering the first USRA locomotive on July 4, 1918.

The USRA designs were modern but conservative. They incorporated the best practices of their day, but broke little new ground. After the war, the basic designs were used by railroads across the nation, and about one-quarter of the Mikados built in the United States were either of USRA designs or descendants of those designs. While Mikados were generally relegated to lesser duties as heavier power arrived in succeeding decades, many USRA Mikes outlasted later, more modern steam engines because they were relatively simple and durable.

Constructed with dozens of added-on detail parts, the USRA Mikado returns to the Premier line in new road names and numbers for the first time since 2016. While other manufacturers have offered fine models of this classic engine, we believe none matches the detail level, sound quality, slow speed performance, and synchronized puffing smoke of this MTH Premier model.

Features:
Hi-Rail Wheels
Intricately Detailed, Die-Cast Boiler and Chassis
Intricately Detailed, Die-Cast Tender Body
Authentic Paint Scheme
Real Tender Coal Load
Die-Cast Locomotive Trucks

Handpainted Engineer and Fireman Figures
Metal Handrails, Whiste and Bell
Metal Wheels and Axles
Remote Controlled Proto-Coupler
O Scale Kadee-Compatible Coupler Mounting Pads
Prototypical Rule 17 Lighting
Constant Voltage LED Headlight
Operating LED Firebox Glow
Operating LED Marker Lights
Lighted LED Cab Interior
Operating Tender LED Back-up Light
Powerful Precision Flywheel-Equipped Motor
Synchronized Puffing ProtoSmoke System
Steaming Quillable Whistle
Locomotive Speed Control in Scale MPH Increments
Wireless Drawbar
1:48 Scale Dimensions
Onboard DCC/DCS Decoder
Proto-Scale 3-2 3-Rail/2-Rail Conversion Capable
Proto-Sound 3.0 with the Digital Command System featuring Quillable Whistle with Freight Yard Proto-Effects
Operates On O-42 Curves

Steam DCC Features:
F0 Head/Tail light
F1 Bell
F2 Horn
F3 Start-up/Shut-down
F4 PFA
F5 Lights (except head/tail)
F6 Master Volume
F7 Front Coupler
F8 Rear Coupler
F9 Forward Signal
F10 Reverse Signal
F11 Grade Crossing
F12 Smoke On/Off
F13 Smoke Volume
F14 Idle Sequence 3
F15 Idle Sequence 2
F16 Idle Sequence 1
F17 Extended Start-up
F18 Extended Shut-down
F19 Labor Chuff
F20 Drift Chuff
F21 One Shot Doppler
F22 Coupler Slack
F23 Coupler Close
F24 Single Horn Blast
F25 Engine Sounds
F26 Brake Sounds
F27 Cab Chatter
F28 Feature Reset