PRR’s USRA Switcher

In July 2007, MTH brought out an absolutely exquisite Premier model of the Pennsylvania RailRoad's six-coupled (0-6-0) B28 USRA steam switcher locomotive.  What's USRA?  During World War I, Uncle Sam nationalized the railroads when they proved unequal to the task of moving massive amounts of men and materiel 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.  With 255 engines delivered to 23 railroads, production numbers for the government-issue 0-6-0 were the second-highest of any USRA design. And more than any other USRA engine, the six-coupled switcher was found from coast to coast, from Maine to Texas, and on railroads large and small. Owners were generally quite pleased with the quality of the government's design, and many 0-6-0s lasted into the 1950s.  This model incorporates very fine detailing with technological advancements such as the wireless drawbar — the wiring harness between the tender and locomotive is now only a memory as it's been incorporated into the locomotive drawbar.  With the magic of True HD 1080p and a slow-speed run-by, you can see all of the incredible detail present on this gem of a model.

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