Las t night, I pulled out of “mothballs” my original-issue Proto 2000 “Heritage” N&W (HO) Y3 2-8-8-2. I had shelved it several years ago, in favor of several sound-equipped locos that took my attention. After rolling this one out of it’s dust-covered corner staging track, I began to realize the quality, detail, and FLAWLESS running characteristics of this marvelous engine! I bought this jewel when it first came out (I’m thinking around 1996?). I have developed a new-found appreciation for it’s “AUSTRIAN workmanship”! (yes, Austria). This thing was as near “perfect” as I had ever seen at the time, and I realize now that IT STILL IS! The unique design (at the time?) of it’s tender drawbar that “extends” in curves works flawlessly, and it allows this loco to “snake” it’s way thru the tightest turns and switches with ease, and looks good doing it, with no exceesive overhang, and keeping the tender visually “close-coupled” at all times. While some of my original Paragon (Korea) BLI locomotives are “close” in quality and performance, but seemingly “not quite”. I believe this engine may have been the “standard” of high-quality in it’s day that others aspired to, or SHOULD’VE. Do any of you, who were “fortunate” enough to get one of these “originals”, feel the same way? Has CHINESE manufacture pretty much “thrown a wrench” into the expectation of “really high quality”?
I don’t even think Life-Like’s Proto 2000 line came out until the late 90s/early 2000s. Seems to me that the Y3 were released in the mid-2000s?
Tom
Does yours really say Proto-2000 Heritage. I thought mine just said Proto-Heritage.
I have two of those 2-8-8-2s and five of the 0-8-0 from the Proto-Heritage line of locomotives. I even have two of the matching Proto display cases (where one of the 0-8-0s lives).
I found the 0-8-0s to be highly unreliable because of power pick up problems (which they fixed with the 0-6-0 and I was just getting ready to order the parts to apply that fix to the 0-8-0s when Walther’s took over and “lost” - their word not mine - all those parts).
A 2-8-8-2 was taken to an operating session at a friends house. As wobblinwheel says it ran flawlessly, but I was unable to make it get 20 reefer cars up a straight 1.5% grade. I had to back it down to the yard and lessen the load to 12(?) cars. sigh. After that I wasn’t too much interested in it. It has been in its box so long I do not remember if it had traction tires that I could have installed or not. Now, I might have to scare one of them up and give it another try.
Tom,The P2K diesel line came out in the late 80’s with a P2K Eastern style caboose with interior and then their BL2.
Not sure on the P2K steam line was release though.
Thanks for the correction, Larry.
Tom
TZ,
I’m wondering whether all of your 0-8-0s are 1st-runs. With the 2nd-run Life-Like added all-wheel pick to the tender. (I have two of them and they run flawless and have never stalled on a turnout.) By the time the 0-6-0s were released, Life-Like (Walthers?) had learned their lesson and they had all-wheel pickup, as well.
Tom
I came up with “1996” from a date shown on the paperwork that came with the engine. I moved into my current home in 2000. I purchased this loco at least a few years before moving. I know this because my apartment was too small to even have a layout when I first bought it! I ran it on an oval of Bachmann “EZ track” on my dining room table. I now have a 15x15 room with a perimeter mainline with a service facility in the middle. Happy! Happy! While my current layout is “flat”, the 2-8-8-2 pulls pretty good. As good as any non-tire equipped loco I have. I’m not overly crazy about traction tires, anyway. My BLI Class A, I believe, will pull more cars than I will EVER OWN. While that is nice, right now not necessary. The Proto is just a pleasure to run, a really good switcher, also.
Proto put out two 2-8-8-2’s, their ‘original’ USRA, which was a Y-3 and not an actual USRA, and then later, a ‘real’ USRA 2-8-8-2. I bought both. The Y-3, as the OP stated, was a beautiful locomotive, nicely detailed and a smooth and very quiet runner. However, it was not very much of a hauler on grades–in fact it was only capable of around 12 cars up my 2% grades, and that’s counting fairly generous curves of 36" radius. Later on, when Proto came out with their ‘real’ USRA 2-8-8-2 (front-hung air pumps), I bought one of their Rio Grande 3500 series, which turned out to be everything the Y-3 was as far as running characteristics and detail, but with the added plus of being a much more powerful hauler. Perhaps Proto learned something in the interim. I only run the Y-3 in helper service, but run in tandem with the 3500, they do make for an impressive pair of locomotives. I wouldn’t mind seeing Proto re-run both models again at all.
Tom
Tom
I dug out the paperwork for my Item#23333 2-8-8-2 that I purchased on Mar. 27, 2000 and paid list price of $375 (that’s $510 today!)
I still run it occasionally. This was the first locomotive that I installed the “new” Tsunami sound decoder in and I was really impressed with Tsunami and a nice, big 25 x 38mm speaker could fit under the coal load. I don’t recall any pulling issues but I’ll have to fire her up again tomorrow and strech her legs!
Remembering Life-Like in the late 1970s, who would have ever guessed that they would be regarded as the one to “raise the bar” but I’ll bet nearly half my roster is P2k and there is hardly a dud (well, there were those HI AMP PA-1s!) in the bunch. Even the Proto 1000 line had some fine runners.
[edit: Post Script: Several years ago I picked up a BLI auxiliary water tender that really makes the Y-3 look even more massive. That got me to thinking about boosting the tractive effort. I wonder if a drive system could be hidden in there? No one would be the wiser and it should at least double the drawbar pull!]
Good day to all, Ed
Since this is a 2 8 8 2, it should not be a problem adding Bullfrog snot to a few drivers.
Ed,
My 2-8-8-2 runs great on DC. I installed the Tsunami TSU 1000 and have nothing but trouble. Runs slow, decoder gets hot. Followed all the instructions Even changed the decoder. All my other DCC locos work fine. Help!!
Bob
Similar thing happend to me earilier this year. I have 2 original mallets with a little body damage. 1 has a burn out motor. niether has ran in a decade. I pulled them both out of long storage, dusted them off. The unit with the functioning motor ran dead silent, smooth. It was refreshing to see… I plan on refurbishing both and restoring to their former glory! No DCC in them, doesnt matter cause Im an analog guy.
I give up on the DCC effort. I have three of these locomotives and they all work fine on DC. My attempts with Tsunami and Bachmann decoders are futile. Decoders get hot and eventually stop. Does anyone have continuous, reliable service with decoders in these Locos? I have handled one so much that I have damaged valve gear. Is there repair/parts source for the pins etc?
Wonder if it would help to put the decoder in the tender??
Tom–
Multiple corrections:
The N&W Class Y-3 numbers 2-8-8-2’s 2000 to 2049 are all Original built new under USRA control USRA 2-8-8-2’s. The model reflects the typical N&W 1930’s appearance with Worthington BL-2 feedwater heater.
The other Proto model actually represents some USRA COPY engines including Rio Grande Class L-107, which was built much later, after USRA control had ended. Ditto the NP copies. Clinchfield received 10 USRA ORIGINALS, and Virginian 20 originals, plus more third hand, late. So identifying correct features of the models is not as simple as one might expect.
However, N&W received the lion’s share of original USRA 2-8-8-2’s, and ALL the ones later owned by PRR, ATSF, UP were the N&W rebuilt 1930’s versions of the Y-3. UP also received a number of C&O H-7 simple versions, a completely different animal.
I respectfully refer anyone reading this post to Eugene Huddleston’s excellent book “Uncle Sam’s Locomotives” for a much more complete history of all USRA steam engines.
Also, the USRA 2-8-8-2 was based on the blueprints provided BY N&W of the Y-2a Class.
John
Total constructed of 106 originals at steamlocomotive.com should be 80, if I recall correctly from the book referenced above.
Two questions?
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Wasn’t it Roco that was the builder from Austria?
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Did Proto 2K build 2 models of the 2-8-8-2 wheel arrangment? We know absolutely they built the Y3 version. Did they build a Y6 version?
I installed a Loksound Select 6Aux in the tender with dual 1.1" HiBass speakers. It works very nicely.
More info below:
LifeLike Proto 2000 series models ONLY included the “USRA” version and the “N&W Y-3” version. They never produced a model of an (N&W) Y-4, Y-5, Y-6, or any of the subclasses of those models. Only Rivarossi and BLI have done the Y-6B in plastic or diecast. Other versions including class Y-3a (30 N&W USRA copies with upgrades), and classes Y-4 through Y-6a, were done by several importers in brass, and tend to be expensive when even available.
The Y-6B is very different from the “USRA” or “N&W Class Y-3” (1930’s upgraded original USRA) versions. The Y-6B had nearly 30 years of continuous improvements built into them, and much of the neat exposed piping that is visible on the USRA engines was hidden under the boiler jacketing of the Y-5 and Y-6 series engines. So there is no real comparison between the 1918 design USRA versions, or the 1930’s upgraded version, and the later class Y-6 versions which were built around or after 1948.
They only share basic dimensions. Tenders are completely different from the ground up.
John
That’s what I thought, but I have seen many numbers of internet sites that bring up Y6b as a Proto 2K engine also. So I thought it was a mistake.
Thanks for clarification.