Best choice of steam engines for what I have

there are a lot of good running cheap Postwar steamers out there. 675,2046,1666,etc. 

Are you considering command control or do you plan to just run them with a transformer? A semi scale of any wheel arrangement or small scale engine like a 2-6-0 or 0-4-0 would look good with those cars. Everyone has made them. if conventional is OK then add Williams to the list.

Pete

Postwar, MPC, LTI traditional size, Lionchief, and Railking will all work great size wise with what you have. Everything will go around 031 curves and look good on a smaller layout. 

Years ago when I switched from Lionel engines I bought a few Railking steamers. Never had a problem with them and loved the look and size. You might think about Williams also if you are only going to run conventional. Railking got me interested in scale and I finally switch over to all scale and sold all my Railking. K-line made some scale size smaller steamers. Their Pacific and Mikados are smaller but still full scale. The Berkshire would be a little large for you. K-line engines can be had with full TMCC or conventional and you will love the detail. If I had to buy two steamers they would be k-line Mikado and a 0-6-0 switcher. Don 

Well, the Blue Comet passenger cars belong with a Central RR of NJ engine. I think you can find that from many modern manufacturers as well as some postwar options in a semi/non-scale 4-6-2.

If you go modern, you really have to determine whether you want conventional/transformer operation or a command control. If command, then there's the MTH vs. Lionel debate.  Then, if you stay semi/non-scale, you've got the older TrainMaster Command Control (TMCC system) which has a lot of good, used items on the market or the simpler, more modern LionChief Plus.  Or some of both.

Williams (and Williams by Bachman since purchase) has great modern conventional engines. They do tend to have jack-rabbit starts, but their 4-6-0 engine is the exception. Probably the best conventional engine I've ever owned performance-wise.

Good luck.

Thanks for your help. Conventionl control is going to suit me best,I think.

Thanks for your help! Williams/ Bachman  is totally new to me. I like what you say about their 4-6-0. And I like the pictures I've seen Do you know the best way for me to get a catalog?

Thank you. I will follow up your advice and try to get a K Line catalog. I have some of their cars, and like them a lot. I did not know that they have engines as well

I think I would start with the minimum radius curves you have and then ask what command control system(s) are you open to / not open to.

From there that would drive a lot of this at least from my perspective.  I run both DCS and Legacy and my smallest curves are 0-54, meaning no 0-72 engines.

Hope that helps.

John

A MTH RailKing 2-8-0 would be a nice choice. I have 2 of them and are among the most used and best running engines I have.  They've been thru Locosounds, PS2, and now battery-powered, remote-control and just keep on running.

For Williams engines, you can check their website, but I think it only lists current production. Dealers may have other years' inventory. Check Mario's Trains, a forum sponsor. I've purchased Williams from there in the past with success, at least at 3 conventional steamers. I'm sure there are other dealers as well.

K-line is no longer in business. Lionel acquired some K-line products but, generally, you'd be looking on the used market for K-line. For that, the Buy/Sell forum here, Trainz Auction site or eBay might be a good place to start.

For conventional with no frills, it's hard to beat William's steamers, and I think their 4-6-0 is their best.

Bob Delbridge posted:

A MTH RailKing 2-8-0 would be a nice choice. I have 2 of them and are among the most used and best running engines I have.  They've been thru Locosounds, PS2, and now battery-powered, remote-control and just keep on running.

That is what I was going to suggest. I have 3 of them and all run great and look as good. I repainted mine as WM.......easy to find and pretty cheap.

 

Shop for WbB. The list price in their online on-site catalogs is much higher than hobbyshop retail averages. A nice site, that's the easy way to see what they offer. Semi scale and traditional size notation is a heads up to a slightly smaller scale than 1:48.

"No Lionel "Standard" gauge?"

I'm left wondering if this means the NYC Blue Comets are O gauge.

Or, if you mean it as no full sized O. As in nothing bigger than the 6454s.

Standard Gauge is a prewar size of track larger than O. There is a Comet in Standard Gauge as well.

For something like O vs 0-27, or a scale distinction from O to semiscale I usually use "full O" meaning the more robust O track and/ or 1:48 size.