Western Maryland Scenic’s restoration of C&O 1309 has brought renewedinterest and spotlight in the 2-6-6-2. The “Prairie Mallet” is easily overlookedby larger articulated monsters, but the 2-6-6-2 was an instrumental part ofmany rosters in the mountains of the east and west. Big enough to captureall the drama of an articulated steam locomotive, but small enough to handlesharper curves - the 2-6-6-2 might just be one of the best big locomotivesfor more compact O Scale layouts!Lionel’s 2-6-6-2 tooling is based on the USRA design of 1918 used by theC&O and W&LE. While there are some differences between this and the 1309as well as similar locomotives used on other lines, with the addition of someroad-specific front-end details, this model really captures the essence of allthese prototypes quite well. Add in our Whistle Steam and amazing soundsand you’ve got a great little big engine