The 2-8-8-2 USRA Steam Engine was a powerful but slow articulated locomotive with two sets of driving wheels powered by four cylinders. The 2-8-8-2 which came into use in the early 1900s, produced 85,040 pounds of tractive effort, with 26 by 30 inch low-pressure cylinders. Initially these engines were of the "Mallet" type ( name of the French creator of this type of locomotive) MC-1, which typically used steam two times by channeling it from a couple of high-pressure cylinders into bigger low-pressure ones. (The MC in the classification stood for Mallet Consolidation.) This locomotive was used primarily to assist or to power heavy drag freights up steep inclines.

The RailKing 2-8-8-2 USRA Steam Engine is available with the markings of five classic roadnames. It is well detailed and offers a number of standard features not found in other manufacturer's locomotives in this class.