List of minimum curve requirements for modern era Lionel Steam Engines?

Hello Steve. Lots of great Legacy steam operates on O54 and even O36.  In fact, the smaller Legacy steamers (Consolidations, Atlantics, Ten Wheelers, etc) are some of my favorites and pack a lot of features for the price point and operate on small curves. The Berks, Mikados, Pacifics, and Hudsons are O54 (with rare exception based on the tender configuration). I don’t know of a common list for all Legacy steam, but they are all listed on the product listings on Lionel’s site. Just search a particular model and the minimum curve will be noted.

Raven87,

As Rider Sandman said, I have never seen a cross reference to all the Lionel steam engines and what is the minimum curve. Best to get it from Lionel's web page. The smaller engines should have no issues running on 036. Some of the midsize (Mikes, Northers, Berkshires, Hudsons, etc) will need 054 minimum.

If you are interested in articulates, the only series of Lionel engines that can run on smaller curves are the LionMaster series. The Big Boy can negotiate 31 inches as will most all the others in this series.

RAY

Thanks guys! Yep I’ve looked on the Lionel pages for a particular locomotive as you said.
I just wondered if one of the great members on here may have compiled a one-stop spread sheet with the stats.
Thanks!

Steve,

It wont happen as someone would have to update it every time a new model comes out and I don't see that happening.

Ray

@Ray of sunshine posted:

Raven87,

As Rider Sandman said, I have never seen a cross reference to all the Lionel steam engines and what is the minimum curve. Best to get it from Lionel's web page. The smaller engines should have no issues running on 036. Some of the midsize (Mikes, Northers, Berkshires, Hudsons, etc) will need 054 minimum.

If you are interested in articulates, the only series of Lionel engines that can run on smaller curves are the LionMaster series. The Big Boy can negotiate 31 inches as will most all the others in this series.

RAY

Hello Ray. One quick addition: I don’t know if it technically is an “articulated” or not, but the scale Legacy Mallet is a fantastic option. It has the looks of the big articulateds, but does great on O54.  I have the NKP Mallet from the original Legacy release (2012ish) and it’s one of my favorite Legacy steamers.  

@Ray of sunshine posted:

Steve,

It wont happen as someone would have to update it every time a new model comes out and I don't see that happening.

Ray

You’re probably right Ray but you never know - some people like to gather information.
But it would be a continuous updating process.

Steve:  Part of the problem you will run into is going to be definitions.  Outside a couple of passenger cars everything that I have will run on an O-36 circle of track.  That includes stuff nominally rated at higher minimum diameter.  The operative word being "run", not "operate well" and certainly not "look good operating on".  That also doesn't take into consideration switches which can vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, some of which will be navigated at switching speed and some at road speed.

Most small to medium sized Lionel made steam locos I have seen are nominally rated O-54 or less.  That includes the Mikados, Mountains and a number of the Northerns.  So those should easily run on your O-60. 

It should also be noted that the Lionel Lionchief Plus 2.0 series of steam engines (which pack a lot of detail and features and bang for the buck, such as the Big Boy) are rated to run on curves as small as O-31.

Minimum radius or diameter is on an engine by engine/case by case basis.  There is no database for this....nor should there be, IMHO.

Essentially every engine will have the minimum required curves listed by the manufacturer.

There aren't many scale, articulated steam engine models that can run on less than 0-72.  As noted, the Mallets are one exception.  But even the Mallets look way better on 0-72 than 0-54, IMHO.

Big boys look silly on 0-72....but that's what many of us have...so we just accept it.

@Rider Sandman posted:

Hello Ray. One quick addition: I don’t know if it technically is an “articulated” or not, but the scale Legacy Mallet is a fantastic option. It has the looks of the big articulateds, but does great on O54.  I have the NKP Mallet from the original Legacy release (2012ish) and it’s one of my favorite Legacy steamers.  

I have been away from the hobby for awhile, so I’m not familiar with the particular Mallets that you’re referring to, but if they’re Mallets, they’re articulated.

If they’re “Mallets” in the strictest sense, they are Compound Articulateds, like the N&W “Y” series locomotives, rather than Simple Articulateds like the UP Challengers and Big Boys

The early SP cab forwards were, Compound Articulateds, and many were later simpled, but SP was known to refer to all of them as “Malley’s” even though that wasn’t strictly correct.

Compound Articulateds, use the high pressure steam, first in the rear cylinders, then reuse the lower pressure steam, in larger forward cylinders, before exhausting it up the stack, this is the principle that Anatole Mallet designed, opposed to to Simple Articulateds , that use High Pressure Steam, once in each of the usually equally sized cylinders.

Mallets as Antole Mallet designed them are all articulated, but not all articulateds, are “Mallets”, though that term is sometimes used in reference to articulateds that are not Compound, so not proper “Mallets”

Doug