Need input for a large steamer

The best "big" loco that I would recommend is the MTH Imperial N&W  Y6B or the C&O  Imperial Allegheny that can handle 031 curves. I don't own any but the Lionel Lionmaster series would be similar in that brand.

You might want to also look at the LionMaster Big Boys and Challengers.  Very impressive, nicely proportioned, and will handle small curves.

If you're not married to true Scale the I second Keith with regard to the lionmaster.  I picked up the legacy challenger a couple of years ago.  I enjoy it It's perfect "big" steamer for a compact layout.

 

I will warn you, however, it turned out to be a hook that lead me onto much bigger fish...scale steamers....tear down and rebuild bigger layout...etc...."give a mouse a cookie....."

 

 

It depends on how much money are your willing to spend? On lionels are more money and some you have to send close to 200.00 or more for there transformers to operate the sounds in there trains..MTH Rail King Big boy would be one choice or there challenger..also there PRR T1 Duplex..Im running O72 on my living room carpet..running beside the walls and behind my couches and other furniture..it 11X18..I disconect a small section of track thats in front of the kitchen and bedroom.thats only 4 curvers and 1 12" strait track.This is in a apartment...heres a pic is the section I remove after Im done running myPRR S1 duplex and S2 turbine.. .

For an articulated engine that will handle 0-36 curves, I think one of the Lionmasters is the best bet. I have the older Big Boy with TMCC (not Legacy) and it has been a solid, reliable engine for me. The Challenger would also be a good choice and, being slightly shorter, might look a bit less out of place on the tight curves. A Challenger is also more versatile, since it is prototypical pulling either freight or passengers. I'd have preferred a Challenger myself, but I got the Big Boy on one of those deals where the price is so good that you break your wrist reaching for your wallet.

 

I generally prefer MTH over Lionel, but I think the way Lionel has used selective compression on the Lionmaster Big Boy and Challenger has better proportions and is better looking than the Rail King equivalents. 

 

If you can keep it on 0-54 track, the Lionel scale USRA 2-6-6-2 is a very impressive looking engine. I just got the older, TMCC version and Lionel rates it for 0-54. I haven't seen the new Legacy version but I am assuming it goes on the same minimum curve. 

the proublem I have about lionels version is there whistle isnt wright..not accurate.. MTH is on the money on that..but lionels tender is close to the right size comparted to MTH rail king... But remember Lionels lion masters and MTH Railking are shorter versions or there scale counter parts..This is for guys that have small running space and  cant run O72 tracks..

This is for guys that have small running space and  cant run O72 tracks..

 

Which is exactly what the original poster is looking for - he specified 0-36 curves. 

The Railking Bigboy, Challenger, Allegheney or Y6b would have my vote purely on cost grounds - I bought all mine at very very reasonable prices.

 

Lionmaster models seem to be much more expensive - but very nice.

 

You can't go wring with either BUT if you buy early versions of the MTH Big Boy/Challenger change out the awfull looking bell that sits on top of the boiler it makes a huge differenmce to the look of the engine!

 

MIKE

I have a Union Pacific Bigboy on my layout, all 036 curves. Runs great slow and I think the sound is fantastic. It's an Imperial version, I ran it convensional for a while till I got my DCS up and running.

Dan

I'll second the Imperial Y6B. Wonderful engine that sounds exactly like the real one would. Runs great and pulls like a SOB as well!

My vote would be for the Lionmaster N&W Class A steamer 2-6-6-4. It seemed to have the overall best proportions of the several 'compact' steamers we'd had and was a beautiful locomotive!

It had the same sound set that the full-scale model we replaced it with - including that wonderful 'Hooter' Whistle!

The Imperial Y6B, the Lionmaster Challenger and Big Boy are good choices  -- they are about the longest locos you will find to run on O-36 and certainly the ones with the most wheels/moving action, etc.

     Among scale locos your choices are much more limited.  Most "impressively big" scale locos require 0-54 (Legacy Northern, Mallet, etc) or bigger (Vision Challenger, UP 9000, etc.).  so you will not find anything really big  and scale that will run on 0-36.  The Vision Hudson is the most expensive loco and in some sense probably .  Overall length (including the tender) is short but the locomotive itself is very slightly bigger than and has more "gravitas" than the Hudson - it is the largest scale loco I have that will run on O-36 (but it has among the smallest tenders of any scale loco).  BTW - the other two Legacy Cacifics, the Southern Crescent and Alton, are much smaller locos - they use a different casting that is about an inch shorter int he firebox area).  Nice locos, but not large.

I agree with the choices above.  You won't be able to get a large 4-8-4 etc. to handle those O31 curves so you will have to go with articulated.

.....

Dennis

K-line Allegheny in 1:58; they were available with TMCC and cruise, Railsounds, smoke.

I have one. Sometimes can be had cheap. Mine runs well, and I have run it on a club layout while pacing a full scale Allegheny, and it looked pretty darn good, anyway.

It will take tight curves - 031, I think (look on box).

 

I have 072 curves, but I saw the loco (new) at a show a few years ago, it was on sale (low), and I grabbed it. It has kept me from "needing" a full 1:48 version. The Lionel

electronics are a known quantity.