Best or better engine choice for 031 turns

Any small diesel or 0-4-0, 0-6-0, steamer will handle these curves  I run a 027 layout and have plenty of options. My post war 2226 does just fine too. 

For diesels F units or Geeps will work great on 031.

The LionChief Plus line has many small and medium-sized diesels and steamers.  In diesel, I'd look at the NW-2s and Alco FA AAs. In steam engines, pretty much anything, but the smallest would be the 0-4-0 A5 switchers.

My personal opinion:

If you’ve already “downsized” to having only 2 loops and one of those loops runs a trolley(which I assume is dependable considering you’ve switched to it and kept it) I’d follow the advice of @raising4daughters in terms of going the LionChief Plus route- if you want to stay non-conventional. Considering that you’re running for several hours a night, I’ve found that my RMT Buddy, with weekly minor-maintenance(I.e. cleaning the wheels and rails), is capable of pulling a 7 car consist, but then I’m also OCD when it comes to such maintenance ha. My 1999 Williams GP-9, 1995 K-Line S-2 and RMT 2010ish(?) Buddy have never done me wrong for 3+ hours whether I’m running pre-war, post-war or modern. I’ll also echo @Lou1985 and say that you can’t go wrong with GEEPs or F-units, in general.

Best of luck!

Steve

6 driver steamer and 4 wheel truck diesels, maybe a 6 wheel truck.

Alco FA units. I have several and they travers O31 curves with ease.

Any Williams engine made since 2000. As they are copies of Lionel Post war they will all do 031 only better, smoother with more pulling power.

Pete

Popi posted:

Alco FA units. I have several and they travers O31 curves with ease.

I had this longing for a set of F3s even though I have mainly traditional and O27 equipment. Just had to have a set of F3s. Now that I have them, I find myself wondering if I should sell them and get the B&O FA units that Lionel did in LC+.  I like how my Postwar FA's, less close to scale size, look on my layout better than the F3s.

If you haven't found anything, I'm putting a conventional Dockside switcher up for sale for $95. New York Central livery.

Bill you mention in your post a modern diesel. While the above recommendations are certainly good, if you are wanting something more modern in a diesel, the early ones made by MTH under the Railking banner (and later the Rugged Rails banner) will all work (and were designed to run) on 031 curves. I ran a MTH Railking Dash 9 on 027 curves and turnouts and it worked fine.

If memory serves me right, there was a Dash 9, an SD60 and a SD90MAC which are all around 14-1/2 inches in total length. Though most of these engines are older models and I don't think they're Proto 3. They were also made in horn only versions, indicated by a -0 suffix at the end of the product number.

But.... MTH is currently once again putting these modern selectively compressed diesels into their starter sets, so these new ones would have Proto 3.

Lionel has also tooled up a brand new selective compressed Tier4 diesel for the traditional starter set line, which is being premiered in a BNSF set, but won't be out until the end of this year or the beginning of next year. Lionel will no doubt be using this diesel in other starter sets and maybe even in the LionChief+ separate sale line up.

K-Line and Rail King offered 0-6-0's which are close to scale size, smoke well, nice bell and whistle and pull well.  John in Lansing, ILL

Thanks for the confirmation of what to get.  I will look for a small diesel or steamer with PS2 or PS3 MTH support.  I do not want to convert to conventional operation as I like the slower speeds possible of the MTH setup.

Note that the Atlas small SW8/9 models have articulated couplers to enhance small curve operation.  The coupler mounting and connection to the car are extremely important.  My experience with these small Atlas models was that O36 was a minimum, with fixed pilots and truck mounted couplers.   Smaller curves, even with the articulated couplers tended to de-rail the connected car. 

Fixed pilots and KD coupler conversions limit swing and minimum radius.  IMO, Mike CT. 

rattler21 posted:

K-Line and Rail King offered 0-6-0's which are close to scale size, smoke well, nice bell and whistle and pull well.  John in Lansing, ILL

I thought the RK B-6s and USRA 0-6-0s were true scale? 

  MTH DCS can run many TMCC in command if I'm not mistaken. Sometimes some features are lost, but basic operation is there I think.

  Steam will not have the flex issue except on wire tethered tenders.  That flex issue is now confined to tender roller alone.   I find 6 driver steam to suit my needs best; traction, turns, and tracking combined. The LC+ camelback has my eye today  

  All diesel trucks still need to turn the same angles. Short truck, long truck, long frame, short frame, short wheelbase or long, centipede, or SW; it doesnt matter.  A given curve causes the same tangent angle on each truck, so the wire movement you fear, is always there and the same on ANY diesel (or electric).

   If lack of wire slack or being beefy enough to last is all that keeps a engine from being used on a curve that builder is likely the real the issue imo

  Properly securing wire for flex takes thought and careful securing in just the right places. It's obvious asthethics win here at times. The ultimate cure is less wires though.

  Where couplers binding are an issue, adding articulated couplers to a designated lead freight car can help. 

 I noticed my GG-1 could pull passenger cars around 0-27 but not freight. A little while later I had a caboose on each end with articulated couplers added, and freight in between. No more bind!  Any car would do though.