Any pilot truck-less loco

Depends a little bit on who made it and how many drivers.  I ran a Porter that started out life as an 0-4-0 and was converted to a 2-4-0 and tender.  If you were going low speed in a yard in wouldn't matter.    The track we ran on didn't have a run around or wye so we would just run backwards pushing the train with a conductor on the rear platform.  The conversion would normally only run 10 to 20 mph, but when running backwards at higher speed you would rock a little side to side. There was a huge difference in the flange wear on the front and rear drivers.  I would imaging a larger machine with 6 or 8 drivers would have been more steady, but again these machines were generally for switching so higher speeds that would cause rocking just didn't happen that much.

@CALNNC posted:

Are there any folks with real life steam loco experience or direct knowledge of those engines without a pilot truck?

Yes, they were/are called switchers, i.e. 0-4-0, 0-6-0, 0-8-0, 0-10-0, and 0-10-2.

I was curious about the 'nosing' from side to side due to the power stroke on one side pushing the loco to the other side, one of the things the pilot was designed to compensate for.

No, as that is NOT what "pilot truck"( single axle) or "Engine Truck" (two axle) was really designed to do. First, it was designed to guide or lead the engine  into curves and reduce flange wear on the lead drive wheels. Second, it was also designed to carry engine weight of the front of the frame.

Just how much did they lurch right and left as they went down the track?

Not much, since there are four power strokes per every driver revolution.

Yes, you are correct that guiding the loco into the curve was a primary function, and how it did this is quite involved.  There is quite a bit of info on the function of the pilot to 'push' on the opposite rail by the transfer of driver weight to the pilot and all that pilot rigging underneath that tied back to the drivers equalization was for that purpose.   Most 4 wheel lead trucks were not tied into drivers equalization system but exceptions included the first K4 and UP's 4-12-2 and Big Boy.  The lead was not just riding a pin in the frame. My question on how much it nosed was answered by jhz563 who was a crew member on a 1:1 size, not a whole lot of movement but noticeable at yard speed. Several railroads did run 0-8-0's at speed in freight service and guessing any nosing would probably been seen in flange wear rather than felt in the cab.

@CALNNC posted:

Yes, you are correct that guiding the loco into the curve was a primary function, and how it did this is quite involved.  There is quite a bit of info on the function of the pilot to 'push' on the opposite rail by the transfer of driver weight to the pilot and all that pilot rigging underneath that tied back to the drivers equalization was for that purpose.   Most 4 wheel lead trucks were not tied into drivers equalization system

Now just how & where did you come up with THAT?????

but exceptions included the first K4 and UP's 4-12-2 and Big Boy.

Sorry but, EVERY steam locomotive with a four wheel/two axle Engine Truck had it tied into the weight equalazition system of the drivers and trailing truck, after the very early 1900s.

The lead was not just riding a pin in the frame.

Correct.

My question on how much it nosed was answered by jhz563 who was a crew member on a 1:1 size, not a whole lot of movement but noticeable at yard speed. Several railroads did run 0-8-0's at speed in freight service

Please name those railroads, and also what you would consider "at speed in freight service". Remember that the vast majority of 0-8-0 steam locomotives had VERY small diameter drive wheels.

and guessing any nosing would probably been seen in flange wear rather than felt in the cab.

I fire a standard gauge Vulcan 0-4-0T. The engine is used to pull a short train at about 15 mph. There really isn't much nosing or hunting that you can feel or notice from the cab.