Need Ideas for small Steam Engines

You can't go wrong with the Williams ten wheeler. It's pretty close to scale size, has a medium sized motor, and adult gearing that runs well and holds speed relatively well. The price is very good, around $200 street price.

 

Downsides are lack of add-on detail, Seuthe smoke unit, and that terrible "not so" true blast whistle.

I should have clarified my original post. I would prefer if it had modern can motors as well and I do not want a postwar engine. I was leaning towards an MTH locomotive like they put in the RTR sets. It is almost more cost effective to purchase an MTH RTR set and just sell off the pieces that I would not need. Also what is a suethe smoke unit?

One of the Lionel conventional 2-6-0's might be good although somewhat pricey option.

 

Lionel 2-6-0's

 

Rusty

I've got one of these Lionel 0-8-0's in the Strasburg RR livery and they're great little engines.

And it comes in several roadnames.

 

Jerry

 

Lionel made a Harriman 2-8-0 around 2000 that was available either with TMCC or conventional operation, in either SP or UP paint. A conventional one should go for around $200 or so in excellent condition. That may fit your definition of "modern Lionel" that you are trying to avoid, but it is a nice little Consolidation. I have a couple of the TMCC versions and they are good looking, good running engines, definitely a step up from train set items. 

 

Weaver also made a nice die-cast Consolidation around 2005 or so, but most had TMCC. I think Weaver made a conventional version, but they are hard to find and would cost quite a bit more than the Lionel one previously mentioned. 

Also what is a suethe smoke unit?

 

A Seuthe smoke unit is a somewhat old-fashioned smoke generator without a fan. It relies on airflow through the unit and it does not have a wick. It is easy to recognize because the heating element is a brass rod that sticks up in the center of the stack. A properly functioning Seuthe unit has OK smoke output, but does not project the smoke upwards like a fan unit and it is very fussy about what kind of smoke fluid to use. 

Hey Jerry, I looked at the Lionel 0-8-0 from the polar railway set recently and it had too much side to side wobble or play in the wheels. Is this common and also would you recommend the basic or the upgraded driverod and drivetrain versions? 

Weaver Pennsy C1

Weaver Pennsy H10

Weaver Pennsy A5 0-4-0 back, GE 44 tonner front.  There was also a K-line A5

Sunset Third Rail Pennsy E6

K-line Pennsy B6 0-6-0

A couple of MTH Railking 0-6-0's

How about a semi-scale K-line like this. They came in a number of different road names. Have great detail and sell in the $300 range. Don

maybe something like this Railking 2-8-0? Or better still ; 

 

 

He stated in his first post that he wanted something that's a step above the average starter set.  The Lionel "Atlantic" and the RI 0-2-0 don't really fit that criteria.

The smaller engines fit my small (5x10) layout. I can recommend any one of the following. 

 

I have two of the Williams 4-6-0. It does have a can motor, and runs very smooth. Smoke is not a concern of mine. I run this engine more than any other.

 

I also have the Lionel SP 2-8-0 with a Vandy tender as mentioned above. Nice runner, great detail. Smoke is so-so, sound very good.

 

My Lionel Frisco 4-6-0 from several years back is also a very nice engine. It is "chunkier" than either the Williams or the Lionel 2-8-0 engines. Good smoke, great detail and sound. This engine has recently been re-issued in several road names.

 

All three of these handle o-31 tubular track and switches without problems.

I ownn the newer Lionel 0-8-0, the MTH Rail King 2-8-0 and the WbB 4-6-0 and I'd say any of them would be great....leaning toward the MTH for the 40's and 50's era layout. 

I had to open this thread.  I would say the choice that the original poster has is about as good as it gets.

 

The one that is missing from ready-to-run O gauge is the Harriman switcher.  Roundhouse was famous for the SP S-8 in HO.

 

all Nation made three small steamers, plus a Pacific, Mountain, and articulated, and these were apparently available in hi-rail.

I recently purchased one of MTH's new RailKing 19th Century 4-6-0 Ten-Wheeler's with ProtoSound 3.0 for my Lone Ranger project. The sounds, especially the chuffing, are really nice. They run for about $400, but are very worth it.

 

Threads like this are interesting, not because they settle the issue in any way (they don't), but because everyone chimes in with their favorites and the reasons for. I have a number of the small locos mentioned here -- all good - and will give what I hope is a balanced perspective:

 

• Nothing that is not recent, and powered by a modern can-motor, will run as smoothly, as slowly, as the best recent can-motor locos. 
• Best small loco I have: Lionel Conventional Atlantic.  Scale, great sound, good runner, lots of pull, very nice detail and look.  Just Superb, but about $500 even at a discount.
• Best bargain: WBB ten wheeler.  Around $200 if you search hard.  Flawless, smooth, runner.  Bulletproof no doubt.  No sound, not a lot of detail. 
• Nice locos: RailKing 0-6-0: not quite as good a runner, or sound, as the Lionel Atlantic, not scale but nicely sized.  Not quite as expensive, though.  And the Lionel 0-4-0.  Great runner, very good sound, scale or thereabouts, reasonable detail and good enough looking considered its s short loco with few wheels and not as much loco as the Atlantic.  About $400 - $450 though, so more than the Railking, but you get what you pay for. 
• Premier 4-4-0 999.  I found my PS3 for around $500.   I slightly prefer the Atlantic for its size and look,  but this is a close second and has DCS for the same money.  Nice loco all around

I've got both the upgraded side rod and plain jane versions and neither has any noticeable wobble or play in them. I like the look of the upgraded version a whole lot better than the plain version, gives a stocky brute look to the engine.

 

Jerry

If you're looking at an 0-8-0, Lionel made many different versions. Their premium 0-8-0 came in Conventional or TMCC; which are more expensive than the starter 0-8-0's but have beefier electronics and a proper sized can motor.  The starter units have a very small hobby motor that is barely sufficient; they do look great however, and have reasonable pulling power.

 

Have a look around for one of the conventional scale units:

 

Lionel Conventional 0-8-0 (6-11248)

URL-http://www.lionel.com/CustomerService/ReplacementParts/index.cfm?doAction=productPartFilter&number=6101248001&productID=91f6f9d8-f095-40ae-8847-c16ad6f6efd7

Why do people keep suggesting Lionel when the original poster stated upfront that "I would prefer to avoid modern Lionel?"

I have a Lionel 0-6-0 for sale if you like. It is conventional. It is in the for sale forum or email me and I will make you a deal.

 

Because there isn't much other than Lionel that is conventional, meets his other basic criteria and isn't either expensive or a starter-set type engine. I could have suggested my all-time favorite small engine, the 3rd Rail SP Mogul, but it didn't really seem like what he was looking for. 

Because it is the wrong thing to do given what he wants.

So, in today's world, just who makes a small, conventionally controlled 3 rail steam locomotive, just a step above train set stuff?

 

Williams by Bachmann: Yes

Lionel: Yes

MTH: No

Weaver: No

3rd Rail: No

 

That would seem to limit the choice of manufacturer.

 

Rusty

OK, some recommendations:

• Williams brass locomotives from the mid-1990's - PRR B6sb, PRR K-4s, PRR L1s.  These are all good runners (conventional) and have suethe smoke units.  I own all of them and had them converted to TMCC.  All will run on O31 curves (B6sb requires O42 if front coupler is engaged).
• K-Line steamers - you can probably find them at that price-point.  Just saw one for sale in the TCA quarterly newsprint issue.
• Williams By Bachman - I have no specific recommendation, but I would look here.
• Some of the smaller MTH locomotives, IF you are really going to stay away from DCS.

Best of luck.  Tell us what you find.

 

George

 

K-Line is an excellent idea that I hadn't thought of - for some reason, I was only thinking of makers that are still in business. In the scale line, probably only the Mikado and the switchers would fit the description of "small," but K-Line also made very nice semi-scale Mikados, Pacifics, and Hudsons that had conventional operation and good cast-in detail. They are much better looking than a lot of newer semi-scale engines, and all will run nicely on 0-31. 

I said no Lionel because I do not like the Polar express (Berkshire and is not small) and I do not want TMCC 

 

But does anyone know about this little loco in the picture? It has a nice can motor with flywheel. The thing is, I have been away from O gauge for a while. I still have my postwar stuff, but prefer not to run it much anymore. I recently acquired and MTH set with no engine and was needing an engine. I just recently abandoned HO and now am wanting a good runner for the carpet empire. Thank you everyone for the replies

 

That engine looks to be a Lionel 6-18654 (SP 2044) from 1997

or a Lionel 6-18653 (B&A 2044) also from 1997.

Do you have the tender also?

I see you have taken the picture from an online auction so the engine is definitely the 6-18653.

Yes picture is from Ebay. I do not own one. 

 

Also what is wrong with the MTH 4-6-0 that was meant to come in the MTH set that I have? Nobody seems to like it.

I don't have that MTH 4-6-0 so I can't comment on its running qualities, but it doesn't have a lot of detail and I think the reason nobody has recommended it is that you said you wanted something a step up from what comes in sets. 

Try to find a Lionel Legacy C&O Ten Wheeler. Great looking engine that runs beautifully.