JHZ563,
Glad to hear you're on the mend.
MTH made 0-4-0, 0-6-0 and 0-8-0 steam switchers in its Premier line. My model of New Haven #3400, a USRA 0-8-0 switcher (20-3148-2 with PS2 and scale wheels), was advertised in the 2005 Volume 1 Catalog at an MSRP of $599.95. Although it doesn’t have traction tires, this engine easily pulls short consists through the Atlas O-54 curves of my 10’-by-5’ layout, but it’s not entirely smooth across the switches. It runs best on the outer loop O-72 curves of my 12’-by-8’ layout but it’s a better match for the scenery on the smaller layout. I would buy another Premier USRA 0-8-0 if MTH produced it in a New Haven, Boston & Maine or Boston & Albany livery. I believe that MTH sold its 0-6-0 tooling to Lionel.
#3400 was one of thirty-five Y-3 class USRA 0-8-0 heavy switchers built by Alco for the New Haven Railroad between 1920 and 1923. Although the Y-3 class was successful, the railroad’s next switcher purchase was sixteen Y-4 class three-cylinder switchers between 1924 and 1927. The last New Haven 0-8-0 switcher was retired in 1952.
The pictures and videos show #3400 pulling New Haven Dairy “Safe Milk” refrigerated car GICX300, New Haven steel boxcar #35238 (both by Weaver Models), and New Haven NE6 caboose C-681 (by Atlas O). Train speed in the videos is 18 scale miles-per-hour.
MELGAR