One of many successful designs developed and standardized by the United States Railroad Administration, the USRA 2-6-6-2 Articulated Steam Locomotive was an impressive answer to industry’s need for increased efficiency and productivity. With two independently swiveling driver and truck mechanisms, this limber giant’s unique design allowed it to negotiate branchlines and tight curves while hauling larger consists than its smaller cousins in the USRA series. The popular design of this “drag engine” prompted manufacturers to produce similar locomotives well after the USRA returned control of locomotive production to the private railroad industry. The hand-weathered models of the 2-6-6-3 offer realistic touches such as finescale coal loads, brake shoe and ballast dust, cinder buildup, and other weathering details specific to the climates and regions in which particular railroads operated.