A total of 233 original USRA Heavy 2-8-2s were built, along with an additional 957 copies, representing 23 different railroads. This design proved to be extremely successful and widely adopted. While the USRA Heavy Mikados shared much of the same running gear as the Light Mikados, they featured boilers that were 10 inches larger in diameter and larger cylinders, resulting in approximately 10% greater tractive effort.
The USRA Light Mikados were produced in even greater numbers. The USRA built 625 original locomotives, with 641 additional copies constructed after USRA control ended. Including these copies, more than 50 railroads operated USRA Light 2-8-2 locomotives.
In this production run, we’re excited to offer several new paint schemes that are sure to catch your attention, featuring railroads such as the Milwaukee Road, CB&Q, New York Central, Canadian National, C&O, and Union Pacific.
In addition to these road names, we’re also offering two versions of Southern Railway No. 4501. One version represents the locomotive in its current black paint scheme, while the second depicts the locomotive as it appeared when temporarily lettered as Central of Georgia “MacArthur” No. 699—the WWII-era nickname for the 2-8-2 Mikado—during a special weekend run from Chattanooga, Tennessee, to Summerville, Georgia, in September 2025.
Models will be available with Paragon4 Sound DC/DCC with Smoke, as well as in our Stealth DCC-Ready series. Stealth models feature a Next18 decoder interface and a pre-installed speaker, allowing you to easily add their preferred aftermarket decoder.
Industry Leading Model Features:
Stealth Series - Model is DCC-Ready out of the box. No sound.
Out of the box, front and rear lights are directional. Other lights are ON with track power.
Model come