Best Steam Locomotive for O54 curve or less ?

LOVE the elevated track kit!!! You have a guy? 

A  Allegheny, I have two, and they will take O-31 curves. One is K-line ( but it is 1:58 scale ( on the small size) the Other is a Rail King converted to TMCC and really is a nice engine. ( C&O) 

Curves on the PER are O72:

and while switchers and 50' grain hoppers look OK to me:

these 72' cars do strain my suspension-of-disbelief:

I'd like to make the point, though, that everyone is different. Those K-Line passenger cars  run just fine on the Fastrack O36 curve out-of-sight inside that tunnel and lots of people are fine with the visuals of very sharp curves. It's different strokes for different folks and you may need to see a J3A on an O54 curve to know if it works for you or not.

I agree with Mike that a switcher would be best. However, since you said steam I would suggest an 0-8-0, 0-6-0, 0-4-0, or a Docksider. IMHO smaller engines look better on small curves. Which you choose should be based upon your preferred livery.  

Engines that should run OK on 054 include 4-8-4, 2-8-4, 2-8-2, 4-6-2, 4-6-0. 

Trainworld is an OGR Sponsor. I just did a quick search for LionChief Plus. You should have a lot to choose from.

All Railking, Lionmaster, and K-Line Articulateds do 054 or less but are less than scale size. The USRA Scale 2-6-6-2 will do 054. There may be others.

Pete

Gilly do the Lionchiefs run in conventional mode with railsounds and crew talk? 

Best as in will run okay on O54 or best as in will look best on it?  I can run my scale 4449 on O54 but it doesn't look good to me.  I would go with something on the smaller end.  Something that can run on O31 will typically look okay on O54.  Even larger scale diesels that are made to run on O42 don't look good on O54 to me.

Just looking to pick up the best loco that will run nicely on my layout but also has all the high end details, bells and that deep natural sounding whistle that you get with the big boys.  All input thus far makes sense and has been considered 🙏🏻

Check this out. LionChief Plus

Since you run conventional control and like Hudson's, what about the older lionel 1-700e from 1990 they will run on 042 and look alright. Plus the pricetag on them is really reasonable. 

I have three that work well.  MTH 0-6-0

Weaver 0-4-0  

Kline B6 

Choo Choo Johnny posted:

Just looking to pick up the best loco that will run nicely on my layout but also has all the high end details, bells and that deep natural sounding whistle that you get with the big boys.  All input thus far makes sense and has been considered 🙏🏻

The recent Legacy H10s would look terrific on 054.  They have whistle steam and swinging bells. They were a hit. The Legacy Consolidations were also nice. On the larger side, the Legacy Heavy Mikados were sleepers. I love mine. They are still available from dealers. Don’t know about the other two. 

The Lionel Legacy  2-6-0 Moguls and E6 Atlantics both look good on smaller curved layouts and, like most Legacy locomotives, have a lot of bells and whistles.

Be careful on the Moguls, even NOS, and make sure you have proof they were factory refurbished.